AJC Article: March Marketing Madness
Did you enter that $1 Billion Bracket Contest sponsored by Warren Buffett and Quicken Loan? Who knocked you out of contention, Mercer or Dayton? Oh, well, by the time you read this, every entrant will have been eliminated. But it was fun, wasn’t it? This much-buzzed-about-event also offers a great lesson for investors and […]
4 Key Differences Between ETFs and Mutual Funds
Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds….there are so many vehicles you can choose when it comes to investing. As we’ve advised many clients over the past few years, many clients will often want to understand the difference between ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and Mutual Funds. Below, we highlight four key differences between the two. […]
AJC Article: What’s Your Net Worth Compared to the Average American?
I recently came across a report that reminded me of the old saying, “Figures never lie, but liars figure.” That suspicious report claims that the net worth of the average American household is now $700,000 – up from $406,000 just ten years ago. Average? $700,000? I don’t think so. A family’s net worth is the […]
Setting Expectations
Expectations are a powerful tool. Just like any tool, if used appropriately, it tends to add great value, but if not then they can work just as much against you. So, it is really a good thing to set clients’/investors’ expectations appropriately. The other night I was out to dinner and we had made reservations […]
The Grisham Bond Market
John Grisham writes some great books. They are engaging, quick to read and they tend to keep you on your toes for the entire book. As I read through Grisham books, I tend to find myself believing the story is about to go one direction before shifting completely in an opposite direction. Just as I begin to […]
AJC Article: The “Can’t Lose” Annuity Trap
If you’ve listened to the radio for more than about 10 minutes lately, you’ve likely been hearing ads for “can’t lose” investments that promise you will benefit from raises in the stock market with no risk of losing your principal, even if the markets tank. While the commercials rarely so say, they are promoting annuities […]
Creating Simplicity
This past weekend, I spent some time drawing out different baseball situations for my little league team that I coach. After our recent practices, it was determined that visuals would help simplify the game for this group of kids. They are talented and athletic, but the situational aspects of baseball can confuse anyone. As I was drawing […]
AJC Article: The Cost of Facebook and Whatsapp
If you are a regular user of Facebook you have no doubt noticed some changes in recent months. Most obvious is the increase in marketing messages – “suggested apps,” paid posts touting businesses and causes, and straight-up ads. Perhaps less noticeable is the absence in your feed of content from pages you have “liked” – […]
AJC Article: The Economic Snow-down
Remember when we were kids and prayed for snow days? It was all laughter and fun. Even as adults here in the South we secretly looked forward to those oh-so-rare days when life ground to a standstill under a blanket of bright white. Who would have thought we’d ever get sick of snow here in […]
The Importance of Corrections
In 2013, the Dow Jones hovered near an all-time high, and investors got pretty nervous. One of the most common questions we received during that time was — “When is the next correction coming?” So I went back to a research study I did this past summer and updated it considering the markets latest run north. Corrections – widely agreed to be […]
