closeup of a monopoly board
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Do More Than Pass Go

Imagine playing Monopoly but never buying a property. Instead, you simply advance your token, collect $200 when you pass GO, pay rent and try to evade jail. It sounds ridiculous, yet that is how many people approach their financial lives. I think a useful investing lesson is hidden inside that cardboard box.
tree standing alone in a field

Building an Income That Gives You a Raise Every Year

One of the great ironies of personal finance is that most people spend their working lives pursuing raises, promotions and bonuses, yet devote far less thought to creating an income stream that can continue growing after they retire.
welcoming home in the mountains

The Assets That Pay You — and the Ones You Pay For

I believe in the value of home ownership and regularly encourage it. But beyond a primary home, the financial picture muddies. Put simply: Some assets help fund your life. Others require that your life funds them.
the white house

Trump Accounts: A New Savings Vehicle for Children & Young Adults

You may have seen recent headlines about the launch of the new 530A or “Trump Accounts,” a new type of investment account for children, available as of July 4, 2026. What Are Trump Accounts? A Trump Account is a new tax-advantaged investment…
man staring over edge of cliff

Retiring at Highs, Planning for Lows

As I write this column, the S&P500 is again hitting an all-time high. This isn’t unusual, all-time highs are much more common than they feel. But it leaves many near retirees with a nagging question: “What happens if I retire just before a bear market?”
man silhouetted climbing a mountain

The Business Beneath the Balance

There is an old saying on Wall Street that stocks climb a wall of worry. It persists for one simple reason: Investors constantly forget that markets do not require a peaceful world in order to advance. They require businesses capable of adapting, earning, innovating and growing … despite the worries.

Social Security in 2026:What You Need to Know

Join us for a timely Prosperion EDU session on social security in 2026, presented by Prosperion Advisor Danny Kellogg. He will walk through the key rules, numbers, and planning considerations that may affect your benefits.
an elderly couple examines a credit card

The Retirement Question We Ask Too Late

Most people spend decades learning how to build wealth, only to discover in retirement that they must learn an entirely different skill: how to live from it.
life board game pieces
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Playing Someone Else’s Game

Most investors don’t abandon a sound plan because it stopped working. More often, they get distracted by someone else’s results that seem better, faster or more exciting.
us flag
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A Market of Possibilities for 250 Years

We often measure history by wars, presidents, elections and crises. While those events are relevant and notable, another story runs parallel: that of free people asking a simple question on repeat. What is possible?
man stares up at advertising billboards

What Do You Own, and Why?

The greatest enemy of successful investing is not always inflation, recessions, elections, interest rates or even market declines. Often, it’s distraction: the shiny object promising an easier path; the belief in “something better” than patiently following a well-designed plan.
a woman leans on someones shoulder

There Is Still No Algorithm for Trust

AI raises an important question, especially for any business that offers advice: What can technology do, and what can it never truly replace? I believe technology can provide information, but a good advisor provides understanding.
man writing on paper
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Do You Want Advice, Agreement or Assurance?

I’ve held many versions of this same conversation over the years. Sometimes they genuinely seek perspective. Other times they want reassurance that everything will be all right. Sometimes they’ve already decided what they want to do and hope an advisor will simply reinforce that choice. Those are three very different conversations.
newspaper headline

While the World Worries, Progress Continues

Fear is understandable. People are not foolish for worrying about war, rising prices, political division or an unexpected event interrupting the retirement plan they spent decades building. Yet my nearly five decades in this business have taught me a critical lesson: Even understandable fears can drive damaging financial decisions.

Money Lessons That Stick: A Webinar For Parents & Grandparents

Join us for a practical and engaging Prosperion EDU session, “Money Lessons That Stick,” presented by Prosperion Advisor Pat Alfano.