Many of us wanting to gauge the health of the US economy use the Dow Jones Industrial Average as our barometer. If the Dow is up big we assume the economy must be doing very well, and if it’s down we start preparing for the next recession. However, events that [...]
It was a little over a year ago that I opined on the sad news that a beloved part of my own childhood Toys R Us would be permanently shutting its doors. Recently, Sears declared bankruptcy and it would appear that another priceless piece of my childhood might soon be [...]
Last week I was blessed to attend the 2019 LINC conference in San Diego. This conference for Registered Investment Advisors is one of the best in the industry, and the wealth of information I was able to gain from its speakers and workshops was priceless. One thing in particular that [...]
Every February 14 people across America and around the world looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day will spend money on flowers, candy, jewelry, dinner and other gifts all in the name of “love”. How much money, you ask? According to The National Retail Federation, the good people of America spent approximately [...]
This might offend a few of you, but I have been a fan of the New England Patriots for a long time, and was excited to see them win their sixth Super Bowl Sunday night. There is just something about the standard of excellence they have maintained for nearly two [...]
If you’re on Facebook right now then you’ve probably seen people participating in the “profile pic challenge”. The way it works is you’re challenged to post your first ever profile picture side by side with your current one to show how much you have changed over that time. However, a [...]
My entire life I heard “money can’t buy happiness”. I think the statement should be “money can’t buy contentment, satisfaction, peace of mind, love, or any of those other wonderful, non-tangibles that are important for a healthy life. But, I do believe money can buy amazing memories sprinkled with happiness [...]
A core belief I have when attempting to understand and explain human behavior is that we are all basically driven by the fear of not being enough, and the fear of not having enough. I’ve discussed many times how one’s fear of not being enough can often lead people [...]
Were the mid-term election results good for the market? Warren Buffett once said, “if you mix politics and investing you’re making a big mistake.” But with last week’s midterm elections and the subsequent market reaction, I can’t help by comment a little. Anyone who knows me knows I am a [...]
About a month ago I wrote a column about how some financial product marketers use fear to sell their products. While I chose to focus that article on the dangers of signing up for a reverse mortgage, there are other financial products I would also advise people to avoid in [...]
