As I begin my flight back to Norfolk after attending the trustees meeting of my alma mater, I am reminded that ignoring or not recognizing trends may result in you not being around when they become a reality. Change is hard, but ignoringit doesn’t make it go away. In fact, it only makes the inevitable […]
Let’s be honest—drastic New Year resolutions are overwhelming, especially when it comes to money and retirement planning. So, let’s break it down into some bite-sized applications for right NOW. Many of us ask ourselves each year, “How do I make this year’s finances better than past years without a massive overhaul of my lifestyle?” We […]
Each new year brings with it the implementation of new laws, especially financial and tax laws. At the end of 2017 Congress passed the largest piece of tax reform legislation in more than three decades, lowering marginal brackets for all taxpayers. Now we find that at the end of 2019, prior to the holidays, Congress […]
People generally begin the search for financial planning services for one of two reasons. Either they have amassed a certain amount of wealth and they’re not sure how to best grow and maintain it, or they want to figure out how to create and save more wealth. The goals behind these two reasons, however, vary […]
Having recently returned from a Financial Planners Association Conference in Minneapolis, where the temperature was already hitting the freezing mark, I quickly remembered why I like living in Hampton Roads. I love the changing seasons where we can experience some snow in the winter with just a three-hour drive to ski resorts or the heat […]
“Paint me a picture of your future. Tell me what retirement looks like for you”. As a retirement financial advisor, this is what you will often hear me ask a new client at their first financial planning meeting. If they are just beginning to accumulate funds, I want them to have a reason for accumulating […]
In my thirty years as a Financial Planner, I am often asked, “is there really a difference between a fee-only and a fee-based advisor?” When I began my career in 1985, I started as a commission-based representative working for a broker/dealer. Although I was sincere and always did what I thought was best for my […]
I once had the opportunity of attending a financial conference where legendary value investor, Jean-Marie Eveillard, was in attendance. During a dinner, I had the chance to visit with Jean-Marie and shared with him that we invested some of our clients’ money in his funds. No sooner had I begun to explain that many of […]
Although corporate earnings numbers and U.S. employment remain good, Wall Street seems to grow increasingly concerned about the “potential” trade war between the U.S. and China, and the public scrutiny of the technology sector (i.e. Facebook and Amazon). Thus the increase in market volatility in 2018 relative to 2017. The S&P 500 has moved by […]
The past week of market volatility and risk has been a textbook reminder of the benefit and disciplines of remaining a long-term investor. Over the past month I have received a barrage of questions about Bitcoin and how to invest. As a response, I began writing on the topic but was unable to publish prior […]