The Psychology of a Financial Advisor
When kids talk about what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll usually hear dreams of becoming firefighters, astronauts, or maybe even rock stars. “Financial planner” doesn’t often make the list. But if you ask the best advisors in the business today why they chose this career, you’ll hear something unexpected: they just […]
Financial Planning Isn’t Just About Tactics
When most people think about financial planning, they think about implementation tactics. Should I be in a Roth or a traditional IRA? Should I use a bond ladder or stick with a total return portfolio? How should I time Social Security? These are good questions, but they’re not the first questions you should be asking. […]
Should You Add Uncorrelated Assets to Your Retirement Portfolio?
When markets feel shaky or inflation dominates the headlines, it’s natural to start wondering whether you should branch out from the usual stocks and bonds. That’s when the term “uncorrelated assets” starts popping up. These are investments that tend to move independently from stocks and bonds, offering potential diversification benefits. But when it comes to […]
Bricks, Mortar, and Your Portfolio: How Real Estate Might Play a Role in Retirement Planning
When most people think about real estate, they picture a home or maybe that dream beach house. However, from an investment perspective, real estate can serve a different purpose in helping to diversify your portfolio and potentially smooth out the ride during retirement. So, how exactly can real estate fit into your financial picture? Let’s […]
Beyond the Public Markets: Evaluating the Role of Private Credit
Private credit has been gaining traction among investors looking to broaden their portfolios beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Once reserved for institutional investors and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, this asset class is now more accessible to a broader audience, thanks to evolving fund structures and emerging investment platforms. But what is private credit, and how does it […]
Derivatives Explained: How Smart Risk Management Shapes Everyday Business
Derivatives sound like Wall Street jargon, but they’re really just simple agreements that help businesses and investors manage uncertainty. At their core, a derivative is a promise: two parties agree today on terms to buy or sell something at a set price on a future date. This lets companies lock in costs or revenues now, […]
Hedge Funds Demystified: What Retirees Need to Know
Most investors first hear the term “hedge fund” and picture a secretive club where only the ultra-wealthy can play. In reality, they’re simply private funds that give managers much wider latitude than a traditional mutual fund. They can borrow, sell securities short, trade derivatives, and concentrate positions in ways a traditional mutual fund cannot. The […]
Exploring Alternative Investments: What to Know Before You Dive In
When markets get bumpy or traditional portfolios start to feel a little “same old, same old,” it’s natural to wonder what else is out there. That curiosity often leads to a buzzy but often misunderstood corner of the investment world known as alternative investments. But before jumping in, it’s important to understand what these are, […]
Building a Social Security Bridge
Funding life between “I quit” and age 70—without gutting your portfolio Retiring before your first Social Security check arrives can feel like stepping off a pier and waiting for the tide to rise. Each year you wait to claim your benefits can boost your payments by roughly eight percent, plus cost-of-living adjustments, until you reach […]
Choosing Between Individual Bonds and Bond Funds in Your Investment Portfolio
When investors are looking at their bonds, one of the most common questions is whether they should use individual bonds or bond funds (either in the form of mutual funds or ETFs) in their investment portfolio. Interest rates have come up over the past few years, so the yields on bonds have also come up. […]
