Most investors are familiar with mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that allow individuals to invest in a group of stocks which often track a specific index, such as the S&P 500 index, without having to purchase each stock individually. These funds allow...
Is Life Insurance A Good Investment?
Last month, we discussed term life insurance and the important role it plays in protecting your family’s financial future. While term insurance does a great job of providing financial protection in the event of an untimely death, should families use other types of...
Your Greatest Retirement Risk
For most Americans, retirement is the reward from a lifetime of hard work. Some retirees choose to volunteer or take positions they enjoy while others trade in the daily 8-5 grind for a retirement full of freedom, no alarm clocks, and travel. Between 2010 and 2030,...
The Magnificent Seven and Market Cap Weighted Indexing
At the end of 2023, the Magnificent 7 (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, NVIDIA, Meta, and Tesla) accounted for 28% of the S&P 500 index. With many of the largest exchange traded funds and mutual funds tracking the S&P 500 index, numerous investors have chosen...
CD Rates Are Over 5%: Should You Buy Them?
Beginning in March 2022, the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in an attempt to mitigate high inflation. Over the course of the last two years, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 11 times resulting in targeted interest rates that are 5.25% higher...
Revisiting I Bonds – Is It Time To Redeem?
One year ago, we highlighted a high return and low risk investment, Series I Savings Bonds (I Bonds), which were yielding an annualized 9.62% due to the high inflation rate in the United States. Since then, the inflation rate has decreased and the inflation component...
The Misperception of Wealth:
What does it take to be wealthy? While each person may have a different financial threshold in mind, most people have a similar mental picture of what wealthy looks like. They see a fancy home, nice cars, and lavish vacations enjoyed by someone who sold their company...
Private Real Estate Investing – Evaluating Sponsors:
We consistently meet with individuals and families, and one of the most frequent questions we receive is whether to invest in real estate. Over the past decade, real estate values have soared which has increased the promotion of the real estate industry. Nearly...
Banking Crisis: Are Your Assets Safe?
March 2023 has seen the start (and hopefully the end?) of a financial industry crisis that has captivated Wall Street and many Americans. It all started on Wednesday, March 8th when Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, CA announced it needed to raise capital to shore...