“Winning the lottery is crucial to my retirement plan.” Does it surprise you to hear that this is a real quote from an American worker? Sadly, it’s not just one person’s perspective. It’s a sentiment that is shared by the 40-50% of Americans who believe that winning the lottery is the only way they can…
Sign of the Times It wasn’t too long ago that every teenager was fawning over the boy-band One Direction. Now, only a few years later, the band members are all pursuing their own solo careers. In his 2017 solo debut album, the former One Direction member Harry Styles sings the hook “Just stop your crying,…
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration released their nine-page tax plan titled “United Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code.” That’s a mouthful. The full text of the plan can be found here. So how will the proposed tax-plan affect you? The reviews are in, and they suggest that while the plan is considered “finalized,” there is…
Imagine this: you are in a car and it is sinking. You try pulling on the door handles but they won’t open because the pressure on the outside of the car is much greater than the pressure inside the car. What do you do? More likely than not, you are now panicking and you can’t…
Our summer intern turned part-time associate Dan McKenna wrote a great piece about his experience being new to the biz that I thought was worth sharing. ___________________________________________________ I’m new here. The best word I can think of for explaining the experience of being a freshly-graduated analyst entering this market is… baffling. Every week I…
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that hackers had gained access to some of the systems of Equifax Inc., one of the largest three credit reporting companies, potentially compromising the personal information of 143 million U.S. consumers. The systems they gained access to contained customers’ names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. These four…
This past weekend my family has made the move into a new home, which needless to say, has been a chaotic process. It really got me thinking, though, about real estate/home ownership and how it fits into client portfolios and their financial plans. The mantra of the middle class is buy a home. But is…
Do you remember the scene from the movie Matilda when Harry (Danny DeVito) shows his son his dodgy-car salesmanship? While highly over exaggerated in the film for the sake of comedy, it is true that whenever you buy something from a salesman, you should ask… what’s in it for them? It’s safe to say that…
Personal finance. Don’t underestimate the adjective. In today’s world, the rise of “robo advisors” have led some to (incorrectly) conclude that managing investment portfolios is simple. As far as they are concerned, as long as you have a software program, you’re set. Within minutes, a computer system can analyze your risk tolerance, determine the best…
When you think of your financial advisor or financial plan, how do you feel? Gratified? Anxious? Indifferent? How much would you say your advisor has contributed to your sense of emotional and financial well being? Most of us probably don’t ask ourselves those questions and yet, according to a 2016 Morningstar study, When More Is…