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Friday, January 16, 2026

The year that was 2025 has been an interesting one for many reasons.

Friday, January 9, 2026

I hope everyone had a great holiday. As we head into 2026, it feels like a good time to reflect—not just for 2025, but on the last five years

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Q3 of 2025 closed with a positive return for those that were long the investment markets. The general stock market (as measured by the S&P 500) rose approximately 8 percent.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Good afternoon! With the “dog days of summer” upon us, and the year that is 2025 sprints into the second half, Ed and I thought it was a good time to reach out and share another update.

Sunday, June 22, 2025

As we approach the halfway point of the year, one thing is clear—nothing about 2025 has been easy

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Friday, June 13, 2025

What a difference a quarter makes. From doom, to gloom, to Boom!

Monday, May 5, 2025

Lately, it feels a bit like 2020 all over again.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

With yesterday's market drop, the S&P 500 had fallen nearly 17% in just five calendar days.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

As we step into the second quarter of 2025, the energy and enthusiasm that fueled the markets over the prior three years appears to have faded.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Recently, Ed shared our high-level market outlook and expectations for the future. Given the recent market swings, I wanted to provide a quick update on where things stand today.

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Made it all the way to March without the pressing need to rant.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

To kick off the year, we thought it would be timely to take a step back and analyze the 'what' and 'how' of last year.

Friday, December 27, 2024

The final quarter of 2024 was indeed newsworthy for many reasons. Appropriate as a capper on the year that was.

Thursday, December 5, 2024

As November drama concludes, much remains unchanged in financial markets. Equity markets continue to perform strongly, the bond market is finding its footing, and volatility has remained low.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Needless to say, November 5th was an emotional and stressful day, regardless of your political leanings. The polarization of society is massive and events like this only perpetuate the problem. As the election settles and results are finali

Thursday, October 24, 2024

As we conclude the third quarter, financial markets continue to exhibit resilience. Interest rates have marginally decreased, the S&P 500 has surged over 20% ytd, yet the media cycle remains rampant with pessimism, particularly surrounding

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

As we round the corner to end Quarter number 3, we chalk up a positive quarter across pretty much all asset classes. Lots of geo-political and political arm waving but a reasonably steady economy with a “3 yards and a cloud of dust” market

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Given the recent market volatility, Ed and I wanted to provide a quick update to offer some perspective by highlighting previous periods of market turbulence. While predicting future market movements is impossible, historical context can...

Monday, August 5, 2024

As I started to put the proverbial pen to paper this weekend, many thoughts were bouncing around. With the news events of Monday morning, nothing really changed. They got a little more “arm wavey” with the headlines screaming at us, but...

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Despite the national headlines, markets have quietly moved higher, defying the media craze. With interest rates at near two-decade highs, much of the movement in the market has been driven by growth stocks and anticipated interest rate...

Saturday, July 6, 2024

The second quarter of 2024 has come and gone with little fanfare or actual movement. Despite the media drumbeat of “concern”, there was little volatility, and most portfolios ended the quarter unchanged or slight up/down. The lack of...

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Although many of us hesitate to plan for a future we won't be around to experience, a well-thought-out estate plan is essential for managing and preserving assets during life and directing their distribution at death. Basic estate...

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

One lesson learned as a byproduct of 30 years (almost) in the financial business is that when things are “expected” by the masses (and the cacophony of talking heads)….. it usually doesn’t happen. Best evidenced by the almost yearlong...

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

As we conclude the first quarter of 2024, markets have regained momentum, and we think it's a fitting to not only to look ahead but also review and highlight our recent portfolio rebalance. As mentioned repeatedly, in mid-March 2024, we ...

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

As of this writing, the equity markets continue their march northward. Gone are the days of despair and market declines. The great unwashed masses are again piling into the growthiest stocks looking for the fastest gains. All kinds of...

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

As we (and others) have opined, the interest rate cycle is thee most important factor driving the markets. Many of my client conversations have revolved around this. The game of “projecting when the rate cuts happen” has been a thing for...

Monday, January 8, 2024

While 2023 ends with the proverbial bang…. and an equity rally in Q4 has confounded the so-called experts, it leaves many questions looking ahead. Why did the markets rally so much, why did interest rates start to come down, and why does...

Saturday, January 6, 2024

“Coming into 2022, the economy and equity markets were on quite a tear… On the back of high corporate earnings, low unemployment, historically low interest rates, almost no inflation, and unprecedented government intervention throughout the

Saturday, December 16, 2023

As we wind down the year that was 2023, I wanted to pen some things that were NOT market or investment garblings. We will save that for the 2024 January ranting. Wanted to wish everyone well with the Holidays (cap letter intended) and...

Friday, December 15, 2023

The roller coaster ride continues. Several weeks ago, we highlighted the ups and downs of markets over the past three years, with the primary driver coming down to interest rates and monetary policy. As interest rates have moved, so have...

Sunday, November 26, 2023

For many, the traditional pension has become a relic of the past, as employers over the last 15 years have actively tried to distance themselves from the financial burdens associated with the obligation. The costs and commitments tied to...

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Despite low unemployment, a growing GDP, double-digit gains in equity markets, and decreasing inflation, the current state of markets is undeniably disconcerting.

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Over these past many months, as inflation has been a thing, and interest rates rise, we have discussed the actions and direction that the Fed has taken to slow things down. Ultimately, we believe the central bank will win and that...

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

“The best prophet of the future is the past”. Lord Byron “Markets are efficient. People are not”.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

“3 yards and a cloud of dust”…. A football saying but an appropriate one for today’s economic environment. We have rallied significantly (on the major indexes) from the market bottom of almost a year ago but remain stalled in a range of...

Thursday, September 7, 2023

The past three and a half years have been an incredibly tumultuous journey for all. We've navigated through a series of unprecedented events. In no particular order, there was a global pandemic, international war, contentious election...

Monday, August 7, 2023

As the world grappled with the unprecedented challenges of the past few years, the global economy has experienced a roller-coaster ride, with investors feeling every bump along the way. Here is where we stand at the halfway point of 2023.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

As the old song goes “wherever you go… there you are”. Kind of fitting in today’s environment as 2023 has been anything but what was expected. Going into the year, the Bear market was raging, uncertainty abounded, and folks were very...

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Entering the year, the markets were facing a challenging landscape, with stocks faltering and interest rates reaching a ten-year high. Navigating through these market fluctuations has been uncomfortable, but it's important to remember...

Monday, June 26, 2023

“Whoa…. Were halfway there. Whoa oh, livin’ on a prayer” John Bon Jovi “Markets climb a wall of worry. As they rise, the nay-sayers are the majority....

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The past few months have brought about significant changes, but it seems that volatility is subsiding, and the markets are now adjusting to determine their next course of action.

Monday, May 22, 2023

As advisors, a significant part of our role is to filter out short-term noise and focus on guiding our clients towards their long-term objectives. However, with the proliferation of "media noise" and the abundance of news sources today,...

Monday, May 15, 2023

As the Holiday season is upon us, and work seasonally slows down, I thought it a good time to post a review of 2022 and my first annual “thoughts for the new year”. Not calling em predictions because every schlub has those. Keeping it...

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

As we enter the second quarter of the year, financial news has become less volatile, with inflation slowing down, equity markets gradually recovering, and the banking crisis being averted for now. This might lead some to view the...

Sunday, April 23, 2023

There is a term used in sports called the mushy middle. It’s when a team is neither really good nor really bad. Not good enough to win it all but not bad enough to really stink and need a total rebuild...

Friday, March 31, 2023

As Quarter 1 draws to a close, the machinations of the press, the economy, and the markets continue. Basically, it was a quarter of fits and starts and we round tripped to nowhere. Neither up nor down was the end result of 90 days torn...

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

In the last couple of weeks, there have been reports of multiple banks failing, which has led to some concerns among our clients and acquaintances regarding the safety of their funds and whether we are experiencing another 2008-like...

Friday, March 10, 2023

When last we spoke in February, mention was made as to how recoveries are not linear and are indeed a process of backing and filling. This week is a good pictorial of exactly that. Lots of “arm waving” by the media and consternation by the

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Here we go again. Suffice it to say the volatility is getting old.... Nice bump to start the year and now the dreaded pullback occurs. As I sit here on a Tuesday in February, it’s hard to not be reticent if not a little dour. Not for me,...

Friday, February 17, 2023

It’s been a little over a month since we last wrote, and a lot has happened. Below I’ve included a quick synopsis of where we’ve been, where we are, and the look ahead. This is a lengthier writing for my standards, so please don’t...

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Not a whole lot need be said about 2022. From a data and analytic standpoint, it ranks up there with 2008. Not going to dig deep into the details as those have been beaten to death by the financial media. As bull markets end, like 2022,...

Monday, January 2, 2023

Given how eventful these past 12 months have been, I thought I’d go back and try to piece together all that happened and how we got here. Due to how often we documented the perils of this past 12 months I’ll do my best to keep this short...

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

I recently attended a meeting in New York where former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke shared his perspective on the current market environment. Dr. Bernanke served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, and he recently received...

Monday, November 21, 2022

Before digging in, we wanted to send out a heart felt note of thanks to all and wish everyone an awesome Thanksgiving. With the market and societal volatility, taking time to decompress and just be with family and friends is worth its...

Sunday, October 30, 2022

As mentioned before, and I know you are tired of hearing about it but having been in the “money business” since 1996 there are a few things you learn. Call em “gut feelings”…. Usually, random thoughts that pop up while staring vacantly...

Saturday, October 8, 2022

The business news that’s all the rage is the ongoing rise of inflation and the resultant fight by the Federal Reserve (as well as the rest of the worlds central bankers) to bring it under control. I thought it important to spend a few...

Thursday, September 29, 2022

As the bell rings to close out 2022 quarter number 3, it couldn’t happen soon enough. Three straight down quarters in a row is something we haven’t seen since 2009. Q3 returns on the 500 index were down around 5 percent but it felt worse.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Earlier this week the Federal Reserve hiked short-term interest rates by 75 basis points (0.75%) to bring the Fed Funds rate to 3-3.25%. This increase in rates was to be anticipated by markets, however, we still have seen quite a bit of...

Thursday, September 15, 2022

“It’s not about how hard you can hit…. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward”. Rocky Balboa 2006

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Its official…. Not only are we in a recession but according to Jay Powell, it’s going to get worse as the Fed continues to fight inflation. I’m paraphrasing his speech on the 26th, but that was the message. As we had Ranted ad nauseum…

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

All investors have felt the pain in 2022. One of those obvious statements that needed to be said. Below is a chart from Charlie Bilello, which shows the previous 8 negative years for the S&P 500 as well as that year's return in bonds...

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

According to the Atlanta Fed, GDP has gone negative in back-to-back quarters, which in the past, has been the technical definition of recession. On one side of the aisle, this is a recession. On the other, it's not, because the labor...

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Economically, it’s been a crazy year. Seems like a recurring theme (2020, to 2021, to now….). If one isn’t somewhat worn down, they aren’t paying attention…. Kudo’s to all of us who have navigated and worked through the crazy times that...

Saturday, July 23, 2022

As we all enjoy our way through the summer and focus on beach, pool parties, BBQ with friends and family, etc.….. economics is moving on. The news never stops, and the hysterics is always on display if you care to tune in. But…. and of...

Thursday, July 7, 2022

This won’t come as a surprise to many of you, but according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve, we’ve entered a recession. As of Q3 2022, their data shows that GDP was negative in both the first and second quarters this year, which by...

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

With the speed and voracity of the financial headlines, I’m starting to feel like we no sooner put out one rant, it’s time for another. Apologies if I’m being excessive, but today (Friday) is a great example of a subject we brushed over...

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

This year has been tough. There is no way around it. We’ve written for months on end about all the economic details, and I’ll be the first to admit that stretches like this are not fun. But… as plan-driven, long-term investors, these...

Monday, June 20, 2022

With the market volatility and economic drama, I have been active in engaging and talking to many of our clients. People not necessarily panicking, but more pensive and evaluating the age old “what does this really mean”. A central theme...

Friday, June 17, 2022

Inflation has dominated the headlines for the better part of the last 12 months and for good reason. The May consumer price index came in hotter than expected, showing prices increasing 8.6%, and 6% when excluding food and energy...

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a two-day investment conference at the PIMCO Management offices in California. As a background, PIMCO is one of the few asset managers we utilize for portions of our portfolios. Throughout the...

Friday, June 3, 2022

Since the last few writings have been very factual and market based (and frankly not much fun), I thought it time to lighten things up a bit. No real point other than to wax poetic about some nuggets of human nature gathered over 25...

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Things have not been easy… Financial markets have struggled by nearly every metric this year. The S&P 500 has officially entered a bear market (down 20% or more from peak to trough), technology and small-cap indexes are down 30% plus...

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

There is an old Greek saying “you can’t step into the same river twice” which loosely translated refers to the fact that all things morph and shift over time which yields change. On the surface the river looks very similar but under the...

Monday, May 9, 2022

Another couple weeks under the bridge, another couple of weeks of market upheaval. At least as far as the minions of the media go. Volatile is an understatement and arm waving by the so-called experts is the daily norm. Funny how with...

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

From all data measures, we are in either full scale correction or the territory of the Bear. The drumbeat of the media is steadfastly negative, the daily sandpapering of the portfolio is downright annoying, and the future is a scary...

Thursday, April 21, 2022

I hope everyone had a great Easter. As we continue to progress back towards more normal times, markets have decided to take the reins from COVID and insert themselves into the daily discussion. Equity markets remain lower YTD. The S&P500...

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

As we sit on the back end of the quarter and review the “where we have been”, it has really been odd. The yield curve has inverted (possibility of recession), the inflation numbers are sky high, and the equity markets have done a round...

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

As the old saying goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”. Volatility is inherent in equity investing. It’s the price you pay to earn a higher return over time. A truism quickly forgotten during bull markets that gets replayed...

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

I want to start out this ranting with a few thoughts. Simple truths I have learned over many years of being in the financial business. Let’s call them “Ed ism’s”….. Probably a good ice breaker before the serious stuff: People have a...

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Highlights from this article include: 1) Equity markets are struggling and bond markets aren’t helping. Bonds haven’t had this much of an uphill battle in over 40 years. 2) What do rising rates mean for your portfolio? 3) How are...

Thursday, February 24, 2022

If you didn’t stay up late (past 11:00 pm) you woke up to the new events in Eastern Europe. Everything changed and war is now reality. While the end game is unknown, the next sequence of events is inevitable. As with recent conflicts, it...

Friday, February 4, 2022

It’s not your imagination… being online is getting scarier every day. Hackers, cyber criminals, and dark actors appear everywhere. I have had many true-life stories from clients who have been hacked or worse. The financial cost is bad...

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

As January pushes on, things look (and feel) financially different than 2021. Markets are volatile and not in the good “going up” way. The cost of things is increasing. Spot shortages of everything is the norm. Interest rates are on the...

Monday, January 24, 2022

Last month we wrote an article titled “Why is the Market so High?” Our prognosis was that many large-cap companies were benefiting from the current interest rate environment and pushing the overall market higher.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Hopefully, everyone had a great Christmas and is making plans for their own version of New Year’s Eve. I want to start by thanking you all for your continued support throughout the year. We truly do appreciate it. A few housekeeping notes..

Monday, December 27, 2021

As we cross the finish line into 2022 (good riddance to 20 and 21), it seems everything old is new again. Covid is cycling back and the world is in various stages of dealing with it. As inevitable as it would have seemed (virus in the...

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Last week, I wrote about the risk of investing in individual stocks and highlighted the chart below. As you see, the Nasdaq 100 currently sits near all-time highs, while many speculative stocks have entered and surpassed bear market...

Thursday, December 2, 2021

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. As we head towards Christmas and 2022, I wanted to pass along a couple of topics I’m keeping my eye on. Hope you enjoy it.

Monday, November 29, 2021

Going to soft spin the early December thoughts as this year, of all years, needs a little softening. In the year of our Lord 2021 we have seen joy, sadness, excitement, disappointment, and flat-out fatigue. To use the words of the song...

Thursday, November 11, 2021

With all the “noise” coming from Washington, confusion as to the future is the “new normal”. At least when it comes to taxes. While there is no way to predict what will pass the chopping block, a few items have more support than others...

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Since my last update in mid-August... Markets continue to move sideways, with some signs of weakness from China, and businesses fighting to figure out what the next 6-12 months look like economically. Overall, uncertainty remains and...

Sunday, September 12, 2021

We’ve all seen the stories about bitcoin over the past few years—the triumphs and the pitfalls. For many investors, this cryptocurrency has raised a lot of questions and a lot of curiosity. Is bitcoin just a “scam” that will end in a...

Monday, August 9, 2021

While our quarterly note recently was sent out, we have a few (important) additional thoughts we want to pass along. As the market is now well surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the same measures that were put in place to keep the economy...

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

One of the action items that came out of our women and wine night investment series was to discuss a common question. That question being “what investment summary or news sources can one reasonably follow”. With all the hype and media...

Thursday, July 1, 2021

It’s been a while since our last ranting. Not due to a lack of interest, but more because evolution of things has been pretty predictable and beaten to death by us and pretty much everyone else. Collectively, we are moving past Covid...

Monday, May 31, 2021

Thank you all for continuing to follow along with our Women and Financial planning series. The feedback I’ve received has been fantastic and I look forward to growing our audience and continue to cover helpful financial planning topics...

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

A great question that we usually hear from clients because either they are just curious, or, the more likely scenario, they are extremely unhappy at what they are currently doing and see retirement as their only other option. As you can...

Thursday, February 11, 2021

As we approach the 1-year anniversary of the pandemic, I wanted to give a quick synopsis and recap of where we stand in financial markets. Below I’ve outlined the positives we see, where we are taking risk off, and the asset class that...

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Happy New Year! First and foremost, I’d like to thank you all for following along with our writings this year. I look forward to working with many of you in 2021 and helping you build a solid financial foundation so you can feel...

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Am I spending too much? Am I saving enough? How much do I need to retire?

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Post Election Ranting In my professional life as a Financial Advisor, very often I am put into a position of being a contrarian. Not because I want to be, (I’m not by nature an optimistic person) but because I have to be. Emotions...

Saturday, November 14, 2020

One of the most needed tools in your financial toolbox is the one most often missed. The thing that, when you need it, cannot be gotten if you don’t have it. The one item pretty much all Financial Advisors will tell you is a must.....

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

“Social media runs on algorithms. Algorithms are not objective. They are optimized toward some definition of success. If a commercial enterprise builds one, its toward their definition of success which is the profit motive”

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

With another quarter in the books, I wanted to continue the tradition of giving my market (and other) thoughts going forward. As always, feedback is welcome. Enjoy...

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Truth is often stranger than fiction. Old saying, but having first-hand experience...it really is!

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Over the coming months my partner Ed and I will be doing a series of writings which will highlight topics that many of our female clients consistently have to deal with. In our 25 + years’ experience, we’ve unfortunately seen the...

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

As we move past the half-way point of this seemingly never-ending year. Here is where we stand…..

Monday, June 15, 2020

Maintaining ones perspective in times of crises is difficult. Understanding "media bias" is key to keeping your balance. Facts, data, and the spin therein....

Thursday, May 21, 2020

With a 24-hour news cycle constantly running I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to let my emotions get the best of me. These emotional highs and lows are actually quite common in the investment world as well. It’s known as...

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Change, these days, all of us are dealing with it. COVID-19 has taken the traditional status of change and notched it into over-drive. Interestingly enough, out of each recession, comes more innovation and more automation. Which got me...

Monday, May 4, 2020

Taxes! Something everyone wants to talk about…. Hopefully this will be one of the first notes you read where paying taxes isn’t looked at in a negative light. Why you might ask? For a while now I’ve been fascinated by the saying...

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Next up on the quarantine checklist we tackle Estate Planning. I must admit, it’s a bit of a morbid topic to touch on, and we find many individuals tend to flat out ignore it for that very reason. This however is something we’d strongly...

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the importance of establishing and maintaining an emergency fund until it’s too late. Are you financially prepared for a leaky roof? How about a broken-down car? If had you lost your job due to...

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

With us all cooped up living a real-life ground hog day, we wanted to put the recent equity market numbers into context through 4 quick charts. Hopefully this will provide some insights and a different point of view.

Friday, February 21, 2020

We have a “retirement crises” in this country. Headlines are rife with horror stories, data points, and sad facts as to just how badly we are collectively doing. The image of a happy, stress free, retirement seems very far off for the...