United Airlines was recently in the news for having one of their passengers forcibly removed from one of their planes. The passenger’s nose was broken and a couple of teeth knocked out because he would not willingly leave the plane. Initially, United’s CEO commended the action saying the passenger was “disruptive and belligerent.” The CEO […]
Hubris – The Danger of Overconfidence
Hubris is an ancient Greek word that describes a personal quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence. In the Greek classics, such as the Odyssey and the Iliad, it described actions that defied the norms of behavior or challenged the gods, which in turn brought about the downfall of the perpetrator of hubris. While the […]
DOW 20,000!
Today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose above 20,000 for the first time ever. At the same time, other market indices, including the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite also reached all-time highs. The recent market highs follow the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Trump’s promises of reduced corporate and individual […]
Invest for Future Healthcare Costs and Save on Taxes Now!
Open enrollment season for employee benefits is upon us. One thing worth checking out is a high deductible healthcare plan (HDHP) coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs offer a unique way to save for current and future medical expenses. The HSA is the only investment account in which contributions are tax-deductible and distributions […]
Does your account have so many investments, it makes your head spin?
Recently, I was reviewing a client’s account that is managed by a large retail brokerage company. The account had 31 mutual funds and a value of approximately $165,000. This equates to a little over $5,000 per fund. The funds were allocated to a diversified portfolio that was based on the client’s time horizon, investment goals, […]
TV Appearance on the “10 Percent”
Several months ago, I made my first ever TV appearance on the Comcast local television show, the 10 Percent. I want to thank David Perry of David Perry and Associates for inviting me on the show. David and I discussed a number of topics including my transition from engineering to financial advising, behavioral biases that result […]
The New Fiduciary Rule – Just Plain Common Sense
On April 8, the Department of Labor (DOL) released the final version of its long awaited fiduciary rule that applies to retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs. The purpose of the rule is to ensure that financial advisors put their clients’ interests ahead of their own. It’s a simple concept that is just plain common […]
2016 Q1 Market Update
March 2016 came to an end with markets close to unchanged for the quarter. However, this does not tell the full story. The year started off with one of the worst starts for any year. By February 11, most markets were down 10% or more for the year. Many markets were actually down over 20% […]