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Are You Monitoring Your Spending Habits?

by Randy Chalmers on May 12, 2023.

Tracking your money is an important part of managing your personal finances. By keeping track of your income and expenses, you can better understand where your money is going and make informed decisions about how to save and spend. In this blog, we’ll cover some better ways to track your money. Use Budgeting Apps: There...

What we need today is economic & financial perspective

by Dave Conley on May 6, 2023.

As a financial planner with 25 years of experience, I understand that investing can be daunting, especially in uncertain times. With recent news of bank financial distress, it's natural for many clients to feel anxious about the safety of their investments. However, I'm here to assure you that the US economy, markets, and financial system are resilient, and there's no need to panic.

Are You Taking Advantage of All Your Financial Advisor’s Services?

by Randy Chalmers on May 5, 2023.

A financial advisor is an invaluable asset to managing your finances and providing you with personalized advice specifically for you. When you begin your relationship with your financial advisor you tend to have many face-to-face interactions as the long-term relationship is being established. Once a plan is in place the meetings slow down, but don’t...

Budgeting equals $$ Awareness

by Dave Conley on April 28, 2023.

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” Thich Nhan Hanh Becoming aware of our spending is one of the most powerful tools we have. Why? In examining our spending we become aware of ourselves. Budgeting is simply being aware of our spending. Why is this keeping track of how...

Roth IRA / Roth 401(k) Are They the Same?

by Randy Chalmers on April 25, 2023.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans offering a Roth 401(k) have been slow to adapt to offering the Roth 401(k) alternative to their participants. In 2011 only 49% of plans included a Roth 401(k) option, however, in 2021 that number spiked to 88%. Although subtle, there are some differences between a Roth 401(k) and a Roth IRA we...

Are you watching Financial Pornography?

by Dave Conley on April 21, 2023.

Cable and online financial news (for the average investor) can also be overwhelming and cause investors to make mistakes. The term I use for this news is “Financial Pornography”. I can think of many bad decisions made by viewers of financial porn but narrowed it down to four mistakes the average investor is likely to...

We have been here before.

by Dave Conley on April 7, 2023.

As a professional investor for almost 30 years, I rely on my own experiences to help guide my investment approach.  Every crisis is different, but they often have things in common. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a difficult time for many investors, with stocks and bonds experiencing significant losses. While it’s impossible to predict...

What’s on Your Bucket List?

by Randy Chalmers on March 31, 2023.

A bucket list are activities we’d like to do before we die. Everyone has a bucket list, even if it isn’t written down. Don’t you catch yourself saying things like “one day I’d like to…” or “before I die, I’m going to…”? How will you fund those adventures if you aren’t planning for them? Frequently...

Making sense of the banking turmoil?

by Dave Conley on March 24, 2023.

How widespread is the current banking turmoil? Should we be concerned about our bank deposits? Are the current challenges unique or similar to other banking turmoil in the past? Are there investment opportunities in this economic environment?

Good (successful) investor vs Poor (unsuccessful)

by Dave Conley on March 17, 2023.

Although there is no foolproof formula for investing success or failure there are traits that those who do well over the long term possess. As a financial planner with 25 years of experience, I have seen many investors succeed and others struggle. Through my experience, I have identified three primary characteristics or habits of a good investor and three characteristics or habits of poor investors.