The debt ceiling is making news again. Will Congress raise it? Will the U.S. make history by defaulting on our government debt? If it seems like this a story you’ve heard before, that’s because it…
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Debt Deadlines, Defaults, and Downgrades
May Market Commentary – The End of a Fed Cycle?
April Recap and May Outlook The biggest news in the Fed’s statement after their meeting on May 3 was what it didn’t say. The Fed’s statement from March contained the language “the Committee anticipates that…
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Financial Capability Beyond April
April is Financial Capability Month, an initiative that started in 2004 as “Financial Literacy” and has evolved over the last 20 years. The rebrand reflects a trend of taking a more active approach to finances…
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All’s Well That Ends Well? Not So Fast…
April Market Commentary March Recap and April Outlook Equity markets, using the S&P 500 index return as a proxy, at first glance appear to have shrugged off the mid-month drama of multiple domestic, regional bank…
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How Do You Create Lasting Wealth?
For most people, steady, ongoing work is the foundation of their wealth. Career success and a good salary, or building and growing your own business, is the means to a lifestyle you enjoy now and…
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The Great Fee Debate
There’s a debate in the financial planning community that’s been gnawing at me for some time. Years ago it would happen face to face, politely, in the halls at industry conferences. Then a few years…
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March Madness: Non-Basketball Edition
The monthly Fed/CPI/Employment headline-market movement industrial complex was rudely shouldered aside in the last week by a much bigger and faster-moving story. While the fallout from bank failures will take a while to unravel, and…
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March Market Commentary: Why Aren’t Rate Hikes Working?
February Recap and March Outlook If there’s an aphorism for February that you could embroider on a pillow, it would be, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Markets appear to have…
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Avoiding the Big Retirement Risks
Retirement is just as much a leap of faith as any other significant life change. No matter how much you prepare, you will only really understand all the implications when you start your new life….
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Planning Your Finances When You’re in the Sandwich Generation
Everyone likes a good sammie – they can be delicious and convenient. But when you’re the filling, it’s a different story. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that more than 50% of…
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