To Inform: Yesterday, I was in a client meeting with a beloved friend who had a long career in public service. As we were talking about investments and his family’s terrific looking financial plan, he said, “oh, I forgot to tell you – my Social Security went up by about $1,000 per month because of […]
To Inform: “We’ve got to feed the monster, so it doesn’t get upset, it’s got an awesome appetite, Tyrannosaurus Debt.” For schoolchildren of a certain age “Schoolhouse Rock” was one’s earliest lessons in civics. “Tyrannosaurus Debt” was one of a long list of video vignettes set to jocular music about topics that were a lot […]
To Inform: If it hasn’t come through in my Wealthnotes, I love to read. I’m currently reading a historical fiction novel by Stephen Pressfield called The Gates of Fire about the stand of 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. One thing that struck me in my reading is just how chaotic and unpredictable the […]
To Inform: Earlier this week, TJG Chief Investment Officer Alex Durbin, Summer Intern Avery Rice, and I (Travis) attended the Ohio RIA Summit in Downtown Columbus. It was a gathering of investment managers and financial advisors across Ohio and an opportunity to share ideas and best practices. I had the good fortune to serve as […]
To Inform: When I joined The Joseph Group this summer as an intern, I was excited not only to grow in financial knowledge but also to understand the emotional and psychological factors that shape our money decisions. As a student of both finance and psychology, I was recommended a book that quickly became a favorite: The […]
To Inform: There is a tension in the investment world. Predictions can be valuable and are important exercises. Here, having an imagination can be a valuable tool. Anticipating where markets are heading requires one to think about a range of possible outcomes. Sometimes those outcomes seem murky, sometimes they seem crystal clear. But even when […]
To Inform: Every month our Chief Investment Officer, Alex Durbin, puts together a packet of charts with perspectives on markets and asset classes we call our Market Health Analysis (MHA). While Alex puts the ultimate document together, I try to help him out at the beginning of the month by putting charts I find interesting […]
To Inform: One of the greatest country songs put to vinyl was a collaboration between Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson titled “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.” My favorite line in the song is “He ain’t wrong, he’s just different.” There are some things about our philosophy here at TJG that […]
To Inform: It’s hard to believe how quickly things are moving in Washington, D.C. As I type this, Travis Upton, CEO of The Joseph Group, is barreling down on the city in a tour bus, accompanying a gaggle of high school choir students. I can’t help but wonder if he also attempts a little bit […]
To Inform: Earlier this week I had a conversation with a friend and business owner for whom The Joseph Group serves as advisor to his company’s 401(k). Here is a summary of part of our conversation: Friend: “Travis, what did the market do today?” Travis: “Flat today, but this week the S&P 500 turned positive […]