To many people, investing in the stock market is akin to playing the lottery. To these people, the stock market is rigged, and only the insiders or the big institutions have the ability to consistently make money in stocks. According to Gallup, the numbers bear this out.* In the spring of 2016,
I’ve Projected Your Retirement and It Looks Great! But Wait…
“You’re on track to a healthy retirement.” “You need to increase your contribution to meet your retirement income needs.” At one time or another you’ve probably seen quotes like these either on your 401(k) website or after looking at a retirement income calculator. The quote was likely accompanied
The Reasons Not to Invest
I was cleaning out some files recently when I came across a 1992 Investors Guide from The American Funds Group. The 20 page brochure was in mint condition, having been buried in a file for many years. As I flipped through the pages, I came across a chart that is called “The Reasons Not to Invest”
Time
“Time” has been on my mind a lot lately. Our son Peter just graduated from high school, and I put together a slideshow of the 18 years since his birth. When the slideshow was completed and we all sat down to watch it, there were many smiles, many laughs, and a few tears. 18 years is a very long time
We Have Met the Enemy…
A friend and client sent me a copy of the prayer that was delivered by the Rev. Brian Konkol, Chaplain of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, to open the legislative session at the Minnesota State Capital on May 8, 2015. I was glad to see that prayer is still allowed in this setting, and the
Everyone is Scared!
I saw this headline recently online, and of course it caught my attention. Robert Shiller, the Nobel prize winner for economics in 2013, was expounding on his belief that the human race has deep underlying fears about technology and the lives their children will lead in the future, based on what he
That’s Not Fair!
Another tax season has come and gone, and I hope that you didn’t get a nasty surprise from your accountant, Turbo Tax, or however you choose to do your taxes! We need to be fairly conversant with income tax planning in my line of work, but it was probably 15 years ago that I threw in the towel and
One Tough Test
According to Business Insider, the most recent results for the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Level 1 test were released in January, and 44% of the 47,175 test-takers passed the exam. Before you think that is a low figure, realize that the 44% pass rate is higher than usual. The CFA exam is one
Thankfulness and Contentment
One of the very rewarding parts of financial planning is to work with clients over a long period of time, and to ultimately reach a significant goal. I just had a meeting with a client that I started working with in 1992, who will reach her goal of retiring this May. It was a great meeting and a
