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 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 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 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, […]

To Inform: We get a lot of investment research emails each week and if there was a common theme the last few days, it was the phrase “peak inflation.” Earlier this week inflation data came out for March. For the month, the consumer price index (CPI) surged +1.2% which equates to a whopping 8.5% on […]

To Inform:  I once had a boss whose mantra was “everything is cyclical.” She would say this when we were discussing investment trends and asset classes that were either in favor or out of favor. There is great wisdom in understanding this. The Byrds did an excellent cover of Ecclesiastes 3 in their 1965 hit […]

To Inform: When a crisis hits, whether through war, natural disaster, pandemic, or other triggering event, many people feel a natural inclination to help those who are most affected. This topic feels pressing today amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and also the tornadoes in New Orleans. We all want to help, so let’s […]

To Inform: I am often asked by people, “how much money do I need to retire?” It is such a fascinating question for me that leads me to ask them a few questions such as, “How much money do you spend every year? What do you want to do in retirement? What makes you happy? […]

To Inform: Earlier this week we held our first live Portfolios at Panera event in many months. Alex and I had the opportunity to speak to a capacity crowd (it was a bit cozy in the room) and have a lively conversation on markets. Here is summary of key discussion items: Fed Rate Hikes On […]