“All media shares one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is the basis of media literacy.” — Common Sense Media In previous installments of our “How To Be Positively Skeptical” series, we covered the many forces that tease us into falling for misinformation. Bottom line, our brains […]
“[T]he challenge for all investors is to consume the news without being consumed by it.” — Jason Zweig In a recent post, we introduced our multipart series on the importance of separating fact from fiction – as an investor, as well as in your everyday life. Today, let’s talk about your emotional reaction to unfolding […]
“I’m not an optimist. That makes me sound naïve. I’m a very serious ‘possibilist.’ That’s something I made up. It means someone who neither hopes without reason, nor fears without reason, someone who constantly resists the overdramatic worldview.” — Hans Rosling, Factfulness Whether you’re considering an investment opportunity or simply browsing various media for insights […]
Quarterly Client Letter – 2020 Q1 “What the imagination can’t conjure, reality delivers with a shrug.” —Trumbo (movie voice-over) Brace yourself. Your newly released quarterly reports are highly, highly likely to leave you feeling at least a little disheartened. No matter how much we’ve blathered on about preparing for perilous times like these, planning for […]
With much of the country in self-isolation, perhaps you’ve got time to read the entire H.R. 748 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. If you’d prefer, here is a summary of many of the key provisions we expect to be discussing with you in person (virtually), depending on which ones apply […]
Remember that saying about March coming in like a lion and out like a lamb? Unfortunately, the coronavirus is highly unlikely to dissipate that quickly. Still, the sentiment reminds us how bear markets are like winter showers nurturing spring flowers. For every ferocious bear we’ve historically encountered, an uplifting bull has eventually followed. But it […]
Don’t panic (or pretend not to). It’s easy to believe you’re immune from panic when the financial sun is shining, but it’s hard to avoid indulging in it during a crisis. If you’re entertaining seemingly logical excuses to bail out during a steep or sustained market downturn, remember: It’s highly likely your behavioral biases are […]
The term “novel coronavirus” is so new, some people have apparently wondered whether it is related to Corona beer. (It is not; it’s named after its crown-shaped particles.) And yet, how quickly it has grabbed global headlines. As the viral news has spread, so too has financial uncertainty. What’s going to happen next? Will it further […]
Retirement planning can involve many different products and solutions, sequenced over a great span of your working life. Planning early certainly can open you to more options and opportunity (which we discussed last month). But retirement planning—especially for this generation of retirees—is a living process, meaning that it should be subject to evaluation to ensure […]
Planning for retirement can involve many areas of consideration and hard-to-answer questions. Here we have highlighted some key concerns and questions for you to think about as you begin the retirement planning process. How Much Do I Need To Retire? This is probably the most pressing question consumers have regarding retirement planning. Although it seems […]