Last month we discussed how Americans are still overwhelmingly dissatisfied with their finances, despite record net worth and increased income. That conversation focused on spending, and how increased inflation in housing, groceries and other necessities has made those higher incomes feel insufficient. For people feeling the angst of the uncontrollable (interest rates, inflation, etc.), I […]
Every three years, the Federal Reserve publishes a report about the finances of US families. Based on data and interviews, the triennial “Survey of Consumer Finances,” “…collects information about family income, net worth, balance sheet components, credit use, and other financial outcomes.” In short, it reports how Americans are faring financially. But their recent report […]
With January behind us, how are your New Year’s resolutions going? Mid-February is typically when gym attendance returns to normal, as people remember how hard it is to maintain healthy habits. But goals aren’t limited to the gym; many make financial planning a part of their resolutions. Whether they want to start a budget, save […]
Did you partake in any Black Friday sales last year? The annual shopping event following Thanksgiving, named black Friday for its ability to get retailers “back into the black,” had retailers concerned in 2023. With prices rising everywhere thanks to persistent inflation, would consumers cut back on their spending? Ultimately this fear proved unnecessary. Not […]
The former home of Groucho Marx, the cigar-chomping, round-glass wearing comedian of the 1920s, is up for sale in Long Island, New York. For the low price of just $2.3 million, you too could own the five-bedroom, 3,800-square-foot home built in 1926. Marx paid a scant $27,000 for it in 1926 (roughly $465,000 in 2023 […]
A few weeks ago I attended the retirement party of someone I’ve called a dear friend for over 49 years. Long ago, we were both young financial advisors chasing similar career paths. We even migrated to independent businesses around the same time. His retirement prompted me to reflect with gratitude on all my opportunities and […]
October 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most tumultuous months in American history. Do you recall the events of October 1973? October 6, 1973 – On Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, Arab states led by Egypt and Syria and supported by the Soviet Union launched an all-out […]
Have you ever tried shaking one of those magic eight balls found in the toy aisle? You know the gist: Ask a random but important question like, “Will the Broncos win the Super Bowl this year?” Then get a generic answer like, “Ask again tomorrow.” And finally in frustration, ask the same question and vigorously […]
With markets improving and the overall economy strengthening, why is everyone so negative about our country’s current financial state? By many measures, I believe our economy is far better than people’s sentiment toward it. The last two years brought the strongest labor market in a generation, for example. Yet many are convinced of an impending […]
My business coach, Dan Sullivan, often speaks of freedoms. It’s his belief that entrepreneurs create and own businesses primarily for the freedom to conduct business in their own unique way. They often aren’t seeking freedom “from” something per se, but rather freedom “to” something. They may desire to escape from the doldrums of an office […]
With interest rates on the rise, we’ve had an uptick in people asking us about bonds and whether it makes sense to re-evaluate fixed income in a portfolio. For readers of my column, you might remember that I’m not a fan of bonds for one simple reason: The payment amount is fixed. While some see […]
Netflix has a new documentary chronicling the Bernie Madoff story. My wife and I aren’t the biggest TV watchers, but we started the series at the recommendation of a friend. If you haven’t heard the name, Madoff was the architect of arguably the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, carefully orchestrating the flow of billions of […]
As a child, I found history class to be an insufferable bore. The study of people well before my time in circumstances far different than anything I would likely encounter seemed like an act in futility. But age brings wisdom, and as a chronologically gifted person, I now find history enthralling. Younger me was caught […]
At the time of its construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the largest structures the world had ever seen. Opening in 1883 to connect Brooklyn with Manhattan, it was twice the size of any other suspension bridge. But the then-modern marvel of engineering raised suspicion from the general public. Citizens feared the massive structure […]
The SECURE 2.0 Act aims to expand retirement savings options for Americans. It includes provisions such as increasing the age for required minimum distributions, allowing long-term, part-time employees to participate in 401(k) plans, and creating a new type of retirement account known as a “pooled employer plan,” which would allow small businesses to join together […]
Can you name five companies whose products or services you use almost daily? What top brands are your family members unable to live without? We consistently rely on — and budget for — these brands and businesses in our daily activities.
