man sits alone at a table

The First Monday of Retirement

For many, retirement is an imagined finish line. A date circled on the calendar. A number on a statement. A moment when the alarm clock turns off for good and life finally begins to slow down. Every day becomes a Saturday! And then it arrives.
sub sandwich

The $12 Footlong

What does a typical meal cost today? Maybe $12 for a quick stop — or $15 if including a drink. Sit down somewhere nice, and you’ll owe closer to $20. Now fast forward 30 years. The $12 lunch — once only $5 — is headed toward $30.
sand in an hourglass
,

The Money Value of Time

Investors often learn about this critical principle in finance: the time value of money. But recently, I began thinking about this from the other direction. If there’s a time value of money, there’s also something I call the money value of time. In the long run, that may matter even more.
calendar displaying "tax day"

Where Tax Mistakes Actually Happen and Why Timing Matters Most: Part 2

Where do those tax problems actually show up, and why do so many thoughtful investors ultimately pay more than necessary? In most cases, it’s not a lack of knowledge that drives this problem, but timing. The biggest tax mistake investors make isn’t misunderstanding the rules; it’s waiting too long to act.
calendar displaying "tax day"

The Hidden Tax on Your Wealth: Part 1

Most investors think about taxes once per year. April arrives, documents are gathered, numbers are calculated and a return is filed. Then, for a while at least, taxes fade into the background. But even before you file that return, several factors have likely influenced your tax outcome, potentially in significant ways.
scoreboard

The 62-Year Scorecard

Somewhere around age 62 — about the time many people begin thinking seriously about retirement — the focus shifts. The conversation moves from accumulation to preservation, from maximizing growth to ensuring durability. The question is no longer, “How much can I build?” but rather, “Will this last?”
people protesting vietnam

Looking Forward with the Perspective of the Past 50 Years

Most people reading this column — whether early in their careers or well into retirement — have had their entire financial lives shaped by the events between 1975 and 2025. And yet almost none of us were taught to study that period carefully. Instead, we’ve been conditioned by markets, media and our own wiring to obsess over what’s happening today and what might come next. Such a short-term obsession is the enemy of good investor behavior.
notebook displaying the words "plan"

Your Plan (and Behavior) Matter More Than the Headlines

The biggest success determinant has nothing to do with cleverness or timing. Instead, it has everything to do with having a plan and sticking to it. Amid all the noise in today’s world, it’s easy to get distracted from the foundation of your financial plan. By returning to those core principles, you can recalibrate to your highest priorities, both for now and the future.
shopping at the market

Overcoming Inflation Using a Familiar Friend (Part 2)

If your income doesn’t rise to match inflation, your lifestyle must fall to compensate. That’s not pessimism but basic math.
Citrus fruit in a grocery aisle

Understanding Inflation, the Silent Killer (Part 1)

Among the greatest long-term threats to retirees and investors is inflation. The world was reminded in recent years — and almost overnight — just how quickly inflation can roar back to life.
wake of a ship at sea

Human Nature Is a Failed Investor—But Your Plan Doesn’t Have to Be

When I entered this business in the late 1970s, I quickly realized that markets weren’t the real challenge — people were. Not because they lacked intelligence or information, but because the human mind is wired for survival, not investing.
apple orchard

The Underestimated Orchard

The one force in finance that remains stubbornly misunderstood is compounding. Human brains have evolved to understand straight lines, not curves. We grasp addition and subtraction, but our intuition breaks down around exponential growth. We…
mountain side displaying fall colors

Markets Have Seasons—And So Does Your Portfolio

As we settle into another Colorado winter, my mind shifts toward the seasons — their predictability, their necessity, and how much they reveal about what truly lasts. Even as the final bits of a colorful autumn fade, the gardener knows that…
Capitol Building
,

Current Events Only Raise Uncertainty

Every investor I’ve met has, at some point, asked a version of this question: “Given what’s going on right now, what should I do?” As a financial advisor, I always consider this a reasonable thought. The world is unpredictable: Wars…
writing in a notebook
,

Preparation Over Panic

When a top American business leader starts rattling off reasons to fear today’s market, investors get uneasy. But in the echo chamber of media-made doubt, Jamie Dimon’s recent message got lost. To prepare for the worst, he recommended beefing up reserves, fortifying capital, and stress-testing for varied shocks. He didn’t advise hiding under the nearest desk but rather putting in the work, preparing and carrying on.