To Inform: Like many people who are either approaching retirement or have recently retired, you have likely spent years diligently saving and investing to secure your financial future. However, once you reach a point of financial stability, it’s essential to transition from a mindset of saving to one of spending—enjoying the fruits of your labor […]

To Inform: Warren Buffett, the famed value investor from Omaha, began writing about “economic moats” back in the 1980s. Similar to a castle, the idea of an economic moat is something that protects the company from threats. Put another way, a moat is the source(s) of a company’s competitive edge, that will allow it to […]

To Inspire: Psychiatrist Dr. Dixon Chibanda understands the challenges of providing mental health services to underserved communities. His idea of tapping into community resources – in the form of “grandmas” and other older people – is helping his home country of Zimbabwe and is spreading around the world. Chibanda remembers losing a young patient to […]

To Inform: Many Star Wars fans, me included, think “The Last Jedi” (Episode 8) was a bad movie. At the end of “The Force Awakens” (Episode 7), Luke Skywalker came on the screen creating the anticipation that in the next movie, Jedi warrior Luke would be swinging his green lightsaber, saving the galaxy, and fulfilling […]

To Inspire: I (Matt) am going to take a break from John Mark Comer’s book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” to focus on Valentine’s Day. Today millions of Americans will give candy, flowers and cards to that special someone as an expression of love. Although it seems like a holiday fabricated in the last century […]

To Inform:  If you’ve picked up a newspaper or tuned into financial media lately, it’s not a secret that the stock market is trading at high valuations relative to history. Some of this is no doubt a result of the success many American companies have had over the last several years across a range of […]

To Inspire: People around the world came up with creative ways to pass the time during the COVID-19 lockdown. Silver Springs, Maryland retiree Manuel Vera turned his attention to bicycles, and today he provides free bikes for people in his community. Vera was just looking for something to fill his time, and thought offering to […]

To Inform:   Many of our clients, and all future retirees, could benefit from a provision of Secure Act 2.0 that will allow increased 401(k) contributions to a specific subset of retirement plan investors for the first time in 2025. For several years now, retirement investors have been able to take advantage of catch-up contributions […]

To Inspire: I (Matt) just finished my first book of the New Year, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Wow…what a helpful book for any of you who, like me, find themselves too rushed and too busy. My next couple of Wealth Notes missives will be on excerpts from this book – […]

To Inform: A question I like to ask money managers and market strategists is “what is your most contrarian opinion?” Howard Marks, the investor who helped pioneer junk bond investing and is one of the “rock stars” in the investment world, wrote, “If your behavior is conventional, you’re likely to get conventional results—either good or […]