These underrated skills support becoming a better investor
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Ready, set, plan
When considering a financial plan, ask yourself the following question. Am I (are we) ready to plan now? Being ready is an important first step in the process. Having the right mindset in place allows you to get the most out of your plan. This mindset often begins...
Building (and sustaining) Wealth
What does it take to build and sustain wealth today? To answer this question, you must first define what exactly wealth means to you? What role does it play as you look forward to tomorrow? There are no right or wrong answers, each investor may have their own...
Perspective
A year ago, this week the S&P 500 index was hovering around 2,400. This index tracks the largest and most successful companies in America. After achieving an all-time high of 3,300 in February 2020, this index quickly contracted by 30 percent in the span of 30...
To Infinity and Beyond
This is Buzz Lightyear’s famous quote as he soars across the room cheered on by his fellow friends/toys. It also describes how I view our firm as we continue to attract clients beyond Northern Virginia. While working on the business, we discovered that over 30...
Why diversify?
What’s the purpose of diversification with regards to your investments? Why not just own companies you know well or stick with your employer’s stock? What other diversification strategies should be considered when creating a financial plan? It’s important to...
Box of Legos
Like many families, we have what seems like a million Legos in our house. They accumulated slowly overtime, typically around birthdays and holidays. All of our boys have enjoyed playing with them, my youngest still loves them. Financial planning is a lot like a...
Personal check up..
I’m really looking forward to this holiday weekend and, believe it or not, the second half of the year. Where did the time go? This is a great time to review the status of your “financial house” and other life planning decisions that may have been pushed off. It’s...
Up Down
A lot of discussion has taken place about the recent volatility in the market. Big swings, up and down, are now the norm. Some have speculated that the waves have been caused by gamblers looking for a quick win. “It’s hard to bet on your team when no teams are...
Benchmarking your savings & investments
Now’s a great time to check your cashflow and benchmark the amount that you save and invest each month. The key to successful investing is not picking the right company or fund, timing, or trading techniques to increase the balance of your account. In fact, most of...
Using an investment policy statement
There are many risks to assess in a financial plan. In my opinion, the most underappreciated risk is purchasing power risk as it often sneaks up on you overtime. Our brains view “risk” in a singular format and equate it to losing something. For example, I “lost”...
How strong is your safety net?
Every professional and family needs a safety net to protect what is important to them. This “safety net” is unique depending on who you are, what you care about, and where you are in life. Life moves quickly and it’s important to ensure your safety net is keeping...