New Baby in the Family? Here’s Some Financial Advice | Paul Fain, CFP® In the midst of much trial and tribulation around our country, can I share a personal story on the lighter side of life? I’m a first-time grandpa. This experience is good beyond my imagination – all the joy with none of the…
Should I Buy GameStop Stock? | Paul Fain, CFP® Hello all! Just when you thought it couldn’t get any wackier!? It did. Several weeks ago, my son asked me if I had seen what was happening with GameStop, AMC and Blackberry stocks. My honest reply was, “No, but are those companies still in business?” In…
Expect the Unexpected for the 2021 Stock Market, and Plan Accordingly | Paul Fain Last year was a paradox: The second quarter was the worst GDP performance on record. However, November was one of the best months for the stock market on record, led by long-lagging small caps and value stocks. The Russell 2000 Index…
Risky Business | Suzanne Himes, CFP® Why do we talk so much about risk assessment? The financial markets are always reacting to a variety of global events and this volatility can be unnerving for individual investors, especially if investing without first understanding one’s personal risk profile. So, how do you begin to decide how much…
Silver and Gold! By Steve Carlson “Silver and Gold! Silver and Gold! How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on Earth!” – Sam the Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer I can’t help but think about Cornelius the prospector from the Rudolph movie when people ask about investing…
Basic Investing Building Block #3 By Steve Carlson and Jonathan McAlister How can you reduce investment risk? Diversification! Diversification in investing is a technique whereby you allocate your money in different financial instruments, industries, etc. By doing so you reduce your risk by limiting your exposure to any single company. Simply put: Do not…
Basic Investing Building Block #2 Investing can be complicated to the average “Joe or JoAnn.” However, having just the simplest knowledge of what it is and how it works can help you manage your money with confidence. Let’s break it down in a way that makes it easier to understand. This is the second…
To Convert or Not to Convert? That Is the Question! | Steve Carlson What am I talking about, you ask? Roth conversions. What is a Roth conversion? A Roth conversion is taking all or part of an existing traditional IRA and moving it into a Roth IRA. The main difference between a traditional IRA…
Is It Time to Change Your Investment Strategy? | Paul Fain Uncertainty is a fact of life. With uncertainty comes fear. Without a doubt, the global pandemic has escalated uncertainty and fear in our lives. Learning to cope with uncertainty is essential to a resilient life. But how do we do this? Some thoughts:…
Investing Building Block #1: Have A Plan This is the first in a series of postings where the focus will be around investing. We will touch on some of the core building blocks of investing. It may be a reminder for many of you or new to some, but if you find these useful,…