To Inform:  Over the last two days I had the opportunity to attend an investment conference in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a smaller, more intimate gathering consisting of financial advisors and fund managers from across the country. At dinner last night I talked to a former executive from Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial […]

To Inspire:   I may be dating myself by starting with a reference to Sally Field’s 1985 Oscar acceptance speech, which has been widely quoted and misquoted since it happened. Sally’s speech reflected her gratitude for being recognized, and in it she says she wanted more than anything to have the respect of her peers. […]

To Inform: There’s a scene in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Rings where Frodo and the Gang are deep in the Mines of Moria and under attack from all sides. In the movie, the actor portraying Boromir says in a sardonic tone, “They have a Cave Troll.” No big deal, the hits […]

To Inspire: Our firm was privileged to co-host an event earlier this week with Overmyer Hall Associates and Bailey Cavalieri.  The event was part of our firms’ Business Leaders Series and our presenter was John Lowe, CEO of Jeni‘s Splendid Ice Creams. He shared a story that I think will be helpful for all of […]

To Inform: From someone who loves to travel, it seems only natural to liken financial planning to the airline industry. Financial planning is like being an airline pilot. You need a flight plan, must know where you’re going, check all of your gauges and make corrections when you run into turbulence. Here at the Joseph […]

To Inspire: I just returned from a quick vacation. A few days away, wandering around a city, and staying each night in a nice hotel. I will admit that while I notice the toiletries available in a hotel room, I completely take them for granted. I did wonder this time – staying in a very […]

To Inform: In recent days, I feel like I’ve observed multiple examples of “opposite extremes.” Late afternoon on Wednesday I had a headline flash on the CNBC app I use to track stocks and asset classes on my phone: “Stocks have best day since 2020!”  Just 24 hours later, on Thursday afternoon, I had a […]

To Inform: It’s possible this has been said before in another time and place, but I like to think the maxim “You should always own something you don’t like” is an original thought of mine. An important corollary might be “be careful owning something everyone else loves”. I must say, however, that this rule should […]

To Inspire: We’ll come back to Matthew Kelly’s book on generosity in future WealthNotes. But today I want to reflect on some ideas shared by John Eldredge in one of his best sellers from a number of years ago, Waking the Dead: The Secret to a Heart Fully Alive. The book’s title reminds me of […]

To Inform: Like a spring morning rejoicing in the retreat of winter, we rejoice in the recent close of so-called “tax-season”. This past Tuesday, tax off-season began for most people. For financial professionals, especially CPAs, tax off-season is at best fleeting and at worst non-existent, much like springtime in our home state. Most folks, though, […]