Most Americans have recently completed or are in the process of completing the annual chore of submitting their individual income tax returns to the appropriate government entities. No matter your current economic situation, many people find this a complicating and confusing process. By the time the returns are filed, exhaustion has most likely set in.…
On March 29, 1999, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the Dow) finished the trading day above 10,000 points for the first time since the index was first published in 1896.
"Luck plays a big role. Athletes, poets and businesses get lucky. Hard work is critical, a good team is essential, brains and determination are invaluable but luck may decide the outcome." Phil Knight, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike. An investment philosophy is a set of principles that guides all portfolio decisions.
In 2016, the US market reached new highs and stocks in a majority of developed and emerging market countries delivered positive returns. The year began with anxiety over China's stock market...
Nothing takes you away from dwelling in the past or agonizing about the future like living in the present" - Roy T Bennett, The Light in the Heart. As we bring another calendar year to a close, we look back at what a year it has been. It is important to reflect and to learn…
“The reason our ideas haven’t spread faster is they’re too simple” – Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Investment philosophies can be as simple or complex as investors want them to be. Many investors believe that the more complex the structure or plan, the more valuable it must be. History is full of examples…
Dear Valued Clients and Friends: Every four years we field questions about the possible effect of a presidential election on stock returns. This is understandable as presidential elections tend to bring out uncertainties that fuel discussions and this year's election holds far more uncertainty than the norm. So, with the election a few short weeks…
Summer road trips have been a tradition for families across the country for many generations. They have changed over time with updated technology (i.e. cars, GPS, lodging, etc.), but the basic concepts of seeing something new while also possibly visiting distant family remain the same. To make this once a year event successful requires extensive…
Hopefully, everyone has been enjoying their summer. Here in Wisconsin, similar to the recent stock market increase in July, our temperatures have recently hit the high mark for the year-to-date. However, the path for both the temperature and investments has not been on a linear path. This newsletter addresses how these non-linear paths are important…
It can be awkward, uncomfortable and even depressing to start a conversation with your parents or other elderly loved ones that centers on the fact that they may no longer be capable of living on their own. It's hard to admit that someone who once cared for you may now need care themselves, and often…