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If you have a son or daughter who is a high school junior or senior, chances are you have been guiding them through quite a bit of paperwork lately. From college applications and scholarship essays to requests for transcripts and recommendation letters, it seems that there is a never-ending stream of forms to be completed […]

Savant CEO Brent Brodeski was quoted in the article, “Acquisitions fuel Focus Financial’s growth, but debt questions loom,” on Financial-Planning.com. The article discussed the actions taken by Focus Financial to continue its growth.

If you are a Gen Xer (born 1965-1980), you are entering, or have already entered, your prime earning years.

Roth contributions are good, right? A brand new client walked into a small financial planning office (we’ll call him Jim). Jim unpacked his account paperwork on the conference room table – a few brokerage accounts, a 401(k), a Roth IRA, that sort of stuff. This was Jim’s first time working with a financial advisor. He […]

The summer months concluded with a weak August for equities while bonds and alternatives were generally positive. Both U.S. and international stocks gave back some of the gains made earlier in the year. Bonds were up across the board in August with international bonds the strongest performers. Alternative assets produced mixed returns as managed futures, […]

Investors generally think of bonds as safe investments that provide a stream of income. It may surprise some to learn that more than one quarter of all government bonds issued globally are trading with negative yields. In monetary terms, that is more than $15 trillion in government debt with a negative yield in addition to […]

When the financial markets are in turmoil and account balances start to fall, there is a strong temptation to ask your financial advisor to “do something” to stem any perceived losses. Yet it is often the case that staying the course—or doing nothing—proves to be the better path.  Here is one recent example: A hypothetical […]

Since the turn of the 20th century, the United States has been a powerhouse when it comes to economic production. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a commonly used statistic to broadly measure economic production. As of 12/31/2018, the U.S. economy accounted for 24.4% of the world’s GDP – giving it the largest economic footprint of […]

Over the past several years there has been more and more focus on education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, often referred to as STEM. It’s no surprise why STEM is important. It’s hard to imagine our lives without technology (Smartphones, we’re looking at you!). STEM fields also span from actuarial science and […]

It is that time of year again when parents find themselves becoming empty nesters as their kids head off to college. It is a time full of important, and not important, decisions to be made. Picking out the right towels, bedding, computer, books, clothes, and mini-fridge can quickly become overwhelming. However, there is a lot […]

Global stocks are up double digits year-to-date (16.1%) with the most strength coming from U.S. stocks and REITs. With a flight to quality taking place, intermediate-term bonds have also rallied in 2019 (+6.1%), driving yields lower. Unemployment is at a half century low (3.6%). The length of current U.S. economic expansion is 120 months — the longest expansion on record. There […]

Many of us are used to seeing the value and price movement of an index quoted in points. Headlines about the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the S&P 500 often reference how many points the index gained or lost during the day. You are not alone if you only vaguely understand what these points mean […]