A couple of years ago, I got a call from Jill Schlesinger, a CFP(R) turned award-winning journalist and host of the Jill on Money podcast. She had a new book out, The Great Money Reset, and wanted to see about appearing on one of our podcasts. I knew immediately that she would be a star…
A Primer on Charitable Giving
The United States is one of the most charitable countries in the world. We consistently rank among the top five in the World Giving Index. Our system of taxation encourages charitable giving. The federal estate tax of 40% on assets above $13.61. million is likely a contributing factor for the ~200 US billionaires who have…
What To Do at All Time Highs
Back in early 2022, I wrote a post called Bear Market Playbook. It included a list of actionable steps investors can take during market downturns. Today, it feels like we need an opposite list that includes reasonable actions to take when markets are trading at all-time highs. Before I dive in, you should know that…
It Takes a Village
My son’s coach pitch baseball team won the playground championship last week. They were first among 22 teams in the league, surviving a two-week, double-elimination tournament. What an awesome experience! In his victory speech, our head coach talked about the community at the playground and how everyone was like family. I was reminded of the…
18 Best Investing Blogs of 2024
One of my goals in 2024 was to update this blog once a week. As you can see, that hasn’t happened. Life got in the way in all the best ways. The business is growing. I have welcomed three new wealth management clients this year, and three more are signing on now. For clients of…
Sins of the Brokers
In recent months, I have spoken to several clients of traditional wirehouse brokers. I don’t know if this string of brokerage clients is a random occurrence or a sign of general dissatisfaction with the brokerage industry. However, given the chance to review many portfolios and hear about investor experiences at these firms, I think I’ve…
Sliding Doors
Famed behavioral psychologist Daniel Kahneman died two weeks ago at age 90. You probably heard about it even if you live outside the finance and economics bubble. Kahneman is a Nobel laureate who co-authored the seminal paper Prospect Theory with his research partner, Amos Tversky. Prospect Theory identified loss aversion for the first time and…
Reinventing Philanthropy
I don’t write much about my community involvement. I serve on two nonprofit boards, chair an advocacy organization, and participate in a church committee focused on restorative justice. As you can see, I have trouble saying no to these opportunities. Giving my time back to my community is in my blood. I serve as the…
Overdue House Update
Almost one year ago, we purchased our long-term family home. It was a major milestone and the accomplishment of my biggest personal goal. I wrote at the time that I believed the endowment effect impacted the seller and how we negotiated a fairer price. I also disclosed how we used a HELOC and a 401k…
Should You Self Insure Your Home?
On a recent episode of the Animal Spirits podcast, my colleagues, Michael and Ben, had an interesting conversation about homeowners insurance rates in Florida. The average homeowners insurance premium in the state is over $9,000/year. Ben asked Michael if there’s a certain level of premium where it makes sense to forgo insurance coverage. As I…
