***** Most clients know how much I respect Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, so it goes without saying that I tuned into the annual meeting this past weekend. A client asked what I thought of the meeting and after that brief discussion, I thought it was worth summarizing five top lessons I gathered (with a […]

Interest rates have never been such a hot topic of conversation! It seems you can’t turn on the news or talk to your friends lately without someone bringing up interest rates (did you see what you can earn on cash? look at how much mortgage rates have gone up! should I just buy the 2-year […]

Activist investors have been in the business news in recent months, as they have staked claims in household names such as Disney and Salesforce. A client recently asked what exactly makes an investor an activist investor and what I thought about their role and resulting impact on the companies they target. Let’s dive in! What […]

In talking with a client and their tax advisor this week, there was some confusion over why mutual funds make distributions (typically in December) that result in unexpected tax consequences. It’s a great question and one you should keep in mind for your portfolio, especially in 2022. Let’s dive in. What is a mutual fund […]

It’s hard to escape the constant chatter about rising interest rates lately, so it was only natural for a client to ask about the interplay between interest rates and asset prices. Interest rates are an essential driver of asset prices. You don’t have to take it from me – here’s a quote from famed investor […]

When in a meeting recently, I was explaining to a client a quick way to think about varying rates of return – the Rule of 72.  The client wasn’t familiar with it – so I thought a few of you may also wish to learn more about this simple but effective formula. It’s called the […]

A silver lining of recent interest rate increases is the ability to earn some level of interest on cash balances. When reviewing the various options with a client recently, she asked what exactly a money market fund was and whether there were any risks associated with this investment vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at […]

It wasn’t all that long ago that inflation was a seemingly theoretical discussion topic.  We’d bring it up to clients (usually during a financial planning future illustration) and try to find a way to explain it.  “Your money will be worth less over time” or “your purchasing power will decline” were phrases we’d use. While […]

If you listen or read investment-related news, you are likely to encounter the term “factor” or “factor based investing” as this concept has taken off in recent years. A client recently asked for our take on this concept. Great question! Definitions Think of factors as traits or characteristics of the underlying company. Factors are not […]

Another month has come to and end. This one was far kinder to asset class returns. See for yourself – a summary of several index returns is provided below. In two words.. Much Better!