Monthly Updates

From time to time, we try to touch on planning topics that are not as well known to many clients, yet can be quite helpful in individual cases. For instance, a few years ago we wrote about the little known tactic called a loan recast. Virtually every homeowner has heard of refinancing their mortgage loan.  […]

I am a voracious reader. I love newspapers (yes, real ones, not the digital versions), magazines, books and various publications, from stock market research to The Athletic, a godsend for sports fans nationwide where you can keep up daily with all of your favorite teams with the best sports writers in the nation, all for […]

Isn’t it interesting, when news headlines get your attention, and shape your thinking? In this month’s update, both items in our headline are true. Last week, both the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq 100 Index made new all-time highs, surpassing their September peaks. On the other hand, mid-cap stocks, small stocks and foreign equities are […]

Sometimes what we don’t know about money isn’t the problem—it’s what we do know for sure that just isn’t true. I was reminded of this when recently reading media coverage of one of the most stressful times of the year for many—tax filing season. The narrative that you keep reading about is that millions of […]

For many people, the transition from working and saving, to “retirement” and spending, can be a difficult adjustment. Mentally, the vision of a diminishing balance sheet can wreak havoc with one’s thought processes. No one wants to run out of money. Yet, the variables are many, and quite often, uncertain. How long will you live? […]

Given the almost unprecedented decline this month in equity markets, I thought it would be timely to talk about the technical condition of the stock market—what has transpired, and what we are likely to see as we enter the new year. So, here goes. From the December 3 close of 2790 to the December 24 […]

It’s very timely to be discussing the big picture outlook for stocks and bonds, given the weakness in equities since the late September peak. The weekly and monthly trends are in a very different place than where they were in January. We’ll be illustrating that and more with relevant charts, and what likely is ahead […]

If you’re like me, it’s probable you’ve heard the phrase “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” but perhaps don’t have a clue as to its meaning. It came from an expression in a sermon by John Donne, an English poet and cleric in the Church of England. Donne says that because we are all part of […]

Many of you reading this letter weren’t around prior to 1950 (and that includes me), so I can only go with recent history of the last 20 years in saying that there may have never been a more divided time in American politics than the last 10 years. I promise you this will not be […]

Last month, we thought it was a good time to remind everyone of the building blocks of our Process—that is, how we go about making allocation decisions. We promised a follow up on how we go about determining what to own (selection), as the allocation portion is more about how much to own. That’s the […]