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Stock Markets and Election Years
Super Bowl winners, the length of hemlines, and Sports Illustrated covers – all of these have been used to develop theories about the direction in which stock markets may be headed. Presidential elections and terms have also inspired a significant number of theories. Rational and not-so-rational decision making Historically, economists believed people’s financial decisions were grounded in rational thought and single-minded pursuit of their best interests. Economic theories were built on the terra not-so-firma [...]
What Distinguishes Us from Other Advisors
One of the best ways to determine if a financial advisor is right for you is to do your research. To help you with yours, we've outlined a few ways we're different from other advisors. 1. Other advisors’ financial counsel may not provide the holistic, stewardship-based type of counsel that ours does. 2. Most of the time, other advisors’ financial planning is not nearly as comprehensive as what we do. While their planning usually focuses only or primarily on [...]
6 Transcendent Financial Planning Principles You Can’t Live Without
tranˈsendənt/ : beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience; surpassing the ordinary; exceptional, of God, existing apart from and not subject to the limitations of the material universe. Our friends at Kingdom Advisors certainly chose a fitting adjective when they described these five financial principles as "transcendent." Surpassing the wisdom of this world, these principles promise not only to increase your opportunities for generous living, they also promise to [...]
LifeStyle Newsletter – Beware Scammers Claiming to Be the IRS
If you receive a voice or email message from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or you field a phone call from an IRS agent informing you “you owe back taxes” and “you better pay now or be arrested (or deported),” you should assume it’s an IRS Imposter Scam. That’s true even if:1 • The caller ID shows the “IRS” is calling • The “IRS agent” offers a badge number • The “IRS agent” knows the [...]
College Loan Confusion
College students have steep learning curves. In high school, they were tasked with doing well academically, participating in extracurricular activities, complying with the rules of their parents’ homes and, possibly, having a job. At college, they must decide what to study, how many credits to take, and other important decisions, while adapting to a new environment and learning to manage time, communicate with professors and administrators, network with peers, and manage finances. Borrowing for [...]
Holiday Greeting – If Wars Were Fought with Words…
If wars were fought with words, Ireland would be ruling the world. --Irish proverb1 The wit and humor of the Irish is legendary, as is their ability to weave words into poems, prose, folk tales, and song. On this St. Patrick’s Day, we offer you an Irish blessing:2 May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace [...]
7 Reasons a Roth IRA May Be a Good Idea for You or Someone You Love
It’s almost tax time. During April, many people take advantage of the opportunity to reduce taxes by funding a Traditional IRA. While that makes sense for some Americans, others may benefit by contributing to a Roth IRA that offers no immediate tax break, but has other tax advantages, such as tax-free growth potential and tax-free income during retirement. Some people may realize the greatest benefit by having both types of IRAs. Unfortunately, IRS contribution [...]
Holiday Greeting – Saying ‘I love you’ on Valentine’s Day
Are you looking for just the right Valentine’s Day message for someone you love? Here are a few suggestions that have a decidedly financial twist from 14 Ways an Economist Says I Love You by Liz Fosslien. The messages are accompanied by illustrations on her website:1 • The S&P was in the red, But I wasn’t blue, Because I shorted the market, And went long on you. • The marginal returns of spending time with you [...]
Why is the Federal Reserve So Controversial?
The world’s first central bank offered unprecedented convenience. It gave 17th century Swedes the option to pay with paper notes rather than 40-pound copper plates, which were the currency units of the Swedish empire at the time. Historically, it may have been one of the few actions taken by a central bank that has been relatively uncontroversial.1 It seems as though central banking in the United States always has been hotly debated. Early in [...]
Holiday Greeting – Acts of courage: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a complex man who took an unconventional approach to a difficult problem. He used non-violent protests to focus attention on civil rights in the United States. While he fought the status quo, he encouraged other Americans, who believed in civil rights for all people, to have the courage of their convictions. The StrongTowns.org blog pointed out:1 “Dr. King was unusual because he was not a single-issue zealot. He [...]
LifeStyle Newsletter – Understanding 2016’s Higher Medicare Part B Premiums
Understanding 2016’s Higher Medicare Part B Premiums One-in-seven Medicare enrollees will pay higher Medicare Part B monthly premiums during 2016. Their premiums will be $121.80 each month, an increase of 16 percent. While that’s not good news, it’s better than it could have been.1 Part B is one component of Medicare’s Supplemental Medical Insurance (SMI). It helps pay the cost of physicians, outpatient hospital care, home healthcare, and other services needed by those who [...]
Holiday Greeting – How Do You Celebrate the New Year?
From early Babylonians to present-day Americans, people have been celebrating the beginning of every new year for almost four thousand years!1 Here are a few ways people celebrate the holiday in the United States:2 61 percent of American adults say a prayer on New Year's Eve 44 percent plan to kiss someone at midnight 22 percent fall asleep before the New Year arrives 45 percent make resolutions to lose weight, spend less, save more, etc. [...]
