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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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….
Read More
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…
Read More