To Inspire:   It was an unproductive conversation about goals, progress, and next steps toward our visions. Two of us were meeting virtually as planned. Two were on their phones while driving. That was unplanned. One was headed to St. Louis for the anticipated arrival of his new granddaughter and the other to California for […]

To Inform: If you’ve been reading these WealthNotes for a while, you may have gotten a sense that we value contrarian thinking when it comes to investing. This is never easy to do – human nature makes it very hard to zig when the rest of the crowd is zagging. But sometimes that is precisely […]

To Inspire: Memorial Day is a such a special day. The very word reminds us that this is a day to remember – to remember especially those who served our country in the military. Perhaps on this Memorial Day weekend we can do more than just remember. Here are some ideas that might help all […]

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 […]