The Tootsie Roll is an iconic American candy. Who among us hasn’t experienced one of the sweet little nuggets? As a kid, they were delicious. I remember eating piles of them on Halloween or out of a piñata at a birthday party. Read more
What Blackjack can teach us about investing
Imagine you walk into a casino with your entire retirement portfolio in tow – whether that’s a few thousand or a few million. You walk up to the blackjack table determined to beat the house and boost your retirement savings. Read more
6 Mistakes That Could Keep You From Financial Independence
In my years as a financial advisor, I’ve seen many families achieve financial success and enjoy the subsequent benefits. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen people make entirely avoidable mistakes that had long-lasting effects. Read more
Is 1% of $5M still just 1%?
The financial industry has managed to get away with incredible price discrimination by charging clients based on their assets, rather than based on the services provided. This practice needs to stop. Read more
Switchpoint #2: The Behavior Gap
I just finished a new book by Michael Lewis, author of many bestsellers including The Blind Side and Moneyball. His new book, called The Undoing Project, is about the fathers of a relatively new field of study called behavioral economics. Read more
The Original Switchpoint: Fees
The investment industry has done a phenomenal job of masking their fees – whether hiding them completely or trying to minimize them by stating them as a % of assets. Read more
How to Become (and Stay) Debt-Free
Does it seem like every time you pay off one loan, you find yourself saddled with some new debt? Or maybe you have student loans or a mortgage that seems like will never be paid off? You’re not alone. Read more
Another Wild Market Prediction
It seems the financial media’s favorite thing to do is make wild predictions. The more extreme the headline, the better. Today’s headline1 on Yahoo! Finance was particularly grabby:
“2016 marks the end of the great bond bull market” Read more
Sorting the Professionals from the Salesmen
Recently, I volunteered to be a guinea pig for my sister who is in dental hygiene school. When I arrived, I walked into a room with a couple dozen stations, all with aspiring hygienists in uniform, performing dental exams and cleaning teeth. Read more
Who’s in Control of Your Financial Future?
About a month ago I sat in a college classroom at a conference for alumni. The speaker was a well-renowned academic. Her topic:
“Household Financial Decision-Making: Mistakes People Make, Why, and Ways to Make Things Better.” Read more