Concentrated Wisdom: How the Ultra Wealthy Invest
Ever wondered what truly sets successful investors apart? Not just those dabbling in the market, but the titans of finance, the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and family offices managing fortunes. You might think their strategies are shrouded in mystery, but some of their most powerful principles are actually straightforward, yet often overlooked. While conventional wisdom praises […]
Sequence of Returns Risk and Beyond Passive Investing
For years, the prevailing wisdom, often championed by most registered investment advisors (RIA), has been to simply buy and hold passive index ETFs, rebalancing occasionally, and hoping for the best. But this approach overlooks a critical, but often unseen, risk: sequence of returns risk. It’s not just about the overall market performance, but the order […]
What Every Pre-Retiree Must Know About Investing Styles in 2025
The mainstream advice in personal finance for years has been that passive investing is the undisputed champion for the average investor. Financial media and best-selling books have beaten the drum for low-cost index funds. For the average investor, the advice makes sense. The strategy is simple, cheap, and has a proven track record of delivering […]
Owning Individual Stocks vs. ETF Baskets: Which is Better?
Picture yourself at the farmer’s market. One vendor sells individual pieces of perfect fruit—each apple polished, each orange carefully selected. Another offers pre-made fruit baskets with a mix of everything. Most people grab the convenient basket, but choosing individual fruits gives you exactly what you want while saving money. This scenario captures one of the […]
Disruptive Tech and Why 2025 Could Be the New 2003 for Investors
AI is the pivotal theme that’s accelerating innovation across sectors such as industrials, healthcare, finance, and technology itself. But today’s investment landscape feels a lot like the early 2000s. After the dot-com bubble burst, uncertainty was high, but the foundational technologies of the internet and Web 2.0 were just beginning. For investors who looked past […]
The Investment Strategy Your Advisor Won’t Talk About
After spending nearly two decades in the wealth management industry, working with clients at some of the largest banks and registered investment advisor (RIA) firms, I saw the same pattern. And if you’re a professional who has ever worked with a financial advisor, I bet you’ve heard this story. It goes something like this: “The […]
Your Financial Advisor’s #1 Rule Might be Hurting Your Returns
You’ve heard the saying a million times: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” It’s the first piece of advice anyone gets about investing. But in the world of most financial advisors, this idea has been taken too far. The result? What some call “diworsification”—a portfolio so spread out that it owns all the […]
Unveiling the Mystery: How Your Financial Advisor Truly Gets Paid
Have you ever wondered how your financial advisor earns their living? It’s a fair question, especially when you’re entrusting them with your financial future. Let’s take a closer look and shed some light on this important area when it comes to wealth management. Commissions: When Product Companies Pay Imagine your advisor recommending an investment […]
How Your Spending Changes Throughout Retirement
The day you receive your final paycheck marks a profound shift in your financial journey. For decades, your lifestyle had a reliable funding source—regular income that covered monthly expenses while letting you save for the future. But as you transition into retirement, that steady stream goes away, and you’re faced with a new reality: funding […]
Are You Making These 3 Tax Mistakes in Retirement? A Financial Planner’s Take
I recently met with a couple who thought they had retirement figured out. They’d saved diligently for decades, built a solid nest egg, and even worked in banking over their careers. But when I reviewed their first year of retirement, I realized they’d unknowingly paid thousands more in taxes than necessary. The reality is that […]