2015 is quickly drawing to an end, and before we know it the holiday season will be in high gear! Before you get caught up in all of the holiday celebrations and last minute shopping that goes along with the season, let us look at five steps you can take before the end of the year to ensure your financial…
Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), the mutual fund complex we place most of our clients’ assets with, employs quite a variety of professionals on its staff. As you would imagine, many of the people who work for DFA are quantitatively oriented with degrees in finance. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Weston Wellington, who holds a Bachelor of Arts…
The term “perfect storm” is often used to describe a rare confluence of circumstances that produce an event of unusual magnitude, particularly as it relates to weather. Many of you may have seen the 2000 film, The Perfect Storm, starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Diane Lane which retells the story of the real-life sinking of the Andrea Gail, a…
School is back in session everywhere across the US, and that means it is time once again for Retirement University™. This fall we are offering six evening sessions covering a wide variety of informational topics you need to know to make the smartest decisions for your retirement. Attend all six sessions, or pick and choose the sessions that interest you…
On August 14, 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the 37 page Social Security Act into law, ushering in a new concept of retirement for millions of Americans. But even as the Social Security program celebrates its 80th birthday, retirees will likely be receiving a nasty surprise this year. The latest annual report from the Social Security trustees is projecting…
It seems like every year I end up having three or four discussions with various people about the merits of paying off your mortgage early. It can be a relative, a client or even a casual acquaintance who will ask my opinion during the course of the conversation on their strategy to pay off their mortgage early. It comes up…
On Friday June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court delivered a historic decision that extends the right to marry for same-sex couples in all 50 states. Prior to the ruling, there were 14 states that prohibited same-sex marriage. The new ruling offers some significant financial planning opportunities to same sex couples that previously were not available in the 14 states where…
On May 20th, David Letterman ended his legendary run as a late night talk show host logging 6,028 episodes of Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman in his thirty-three year career. With an interviewing style described by some critics as “acerbic” and “hard-nosed” and memorable segments like his nightly Top Ten List, Stupid Human…
In late February, President Obama gave a 17-minute speech at AARP’s headquarters about an issue that affects the retirement prospects of millions of Americans. In his speech he highlighted the lack of uniform standards and rules of conduct that require financial advisors to act in the best interests of their clients. This is not really a new issue; it is…
Most of us over the age of 40 can probably remember a time where RadioShack played a significant role in bringing the latest in electronic goods to consumers. Emerging from humble beginnings as a specialty retailer for radio enthusiasts and hobbyists, RadioShack grew into the leading merchant of electronics in the 1970s and early 1980s. It seemed like RadioShack was…
