To Inform: Last week, Alex Durbin and I were privileged to facilitate a lively discussion at our Portfolios at Panera event. We covered a multitude of topics and in this issue of WealthNotes, we review the two key issues that generated the most discussion. Inflation Inflation is clearly a hot topic and something we as […]

To Inform: When talking to people about stocks, the topic of dividends usually comes up. “What’s the dividend?” is usually the question being asked, and it is a reasonable one. Dividends are tangible ways for investors to understand that owning stocks is a claim on the cash flows of a business. That being said, paying […]

To Inspire: When I decided to write I committed to building the habit of writing every day for thirty minutes. But I have not been successful doing it, at least not consistently. Why? Somedays it was the other demands on my time. Somedays it was just procrastination. “WRITE” is on my calendar every day. But […]

To Inform:  When investors look at the returns on their portfolios, they want to know, “How am I doing?” Although it’s a simple question, from experience, we know there could be multiple meanings behind the question. “How am I doing?” could mean: Am I making money? Am I reaching my goals? Are other investors doing […]

To Inspire:   In this issue of Wealth Notes, Partner and Co-founder Matt Palmer shares excerpts from the book, “Life With A Capital L: Embracing Your God-Given Humanity,” by Matt Heard. In a chapter entitled, Time: Life is Daily, Heard urges the reader to infuse each day with meaning and purpose. Here is an excerpt […]

To Inspire:   Positive thinking can be tough; sometimes even the biggest optimist can struggle. The past 18 months or so have taught us the importance of some mental toughness, but being “tough” doesn’t mean ignoring issues, it means having the ability to change our mindset, to focus on accepting the situation and creating something […]

To Inform: Are you starting Medicare soon or has your income changed significantly while on Medicare? If so, make sure that you’re aware of how your income affects your Medicare premiums. Most people know that taxes increase as income goes up, but many are unaware that Medicare premiums also go up with higher income. Fortunately, […]

To Inspire:   I (Matt Palmer) am enjoying the book, “Heroic Living” by Chris Lowney. Chris is a former Jesuit turned investment banker who retired early to speak and write on living life with purpose and passion. In a chapter of his book entitled Make Great Choices, Chris discusses how living according to core values […]

To Inform: As we wrap up the dog days of summer and enter a period that has been historically weak in the stock market, it’s worth checking in on some of the key indicators that point to the strength of the economic recovery. We’re now approaching 200 trading days without so much as a 5% […]

To Inform: We know political events set off emotions for clients, but they also set off emotions for the markets. At the risk of talking a little politics, there are two key political areas we are paying attention to as they could spur some market headlines in the months ahead. The Debt Ceiling This weekend, […]