If you’re considering working with a financial advisor, at some point, you’ll probably discuss the advisor’s investment track record. Most advisors aren’t going to offer a public track record of how they’ve done because unlike… Read More
Caring for Aging Parents: When Your Parent is Reluctant to Accept Help
An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress – WB Yeats, Sailing… Read More
A Framework for Helping Parents with Finances
Stepping in and helping parents with finances can be a challenge. In some instances, the parent needing the help may have managed finances for decades and be reluctant to accept help. At the opposite end… Read More
You Need a Financial Platform – Not Just a Plan or Advice
The financial services industry has evolved over the years. For decades, nearly everyone who worked in the industry was a stock broker and the job was to sell stock. Ideally, the stocks went up more… Read More
Humility and Patience – Characteristics of a Successful Investors
Years ago, I was sitting in on a conference call for a mutual fund that had done well for clients but had stumbled recently. The calls offered a chance for advisors to ask questions of… Read More
Alternatives to Market Timing
In last week’s post, I walked through the challenges of market timing strategies in investing. The buying low and selling high that characterizes an ad-hoc approach doesn’t work, and it can be tough to stick… Read More
Book Review: The Power of Habit
If you have read much at all about personal finance, you’ve run across a list of good financial habits like pay yourself first or track your spending. Unfortunately, there is almost never any follow-up information on how to make something a habit, and that is where The Power of Habit comes in.
Used Car Salesmen and a Fiduciary Standard
The reputation of the financial services industry is, to put it mildly, not great. Surveys have found that trust in the industry is generally low, and still other studies have shown that financial advisors rank… Read More
Finding the Best Wealth Manager for You – Fit
If you are searching for the best wealth manager, understanding how they earn their income and what professional designations they have is important, as I explained here and here. Beyond that, though, fit is extremely… Read More
Identifying the Best Financial Planner for You – Designations
In last week’s post about how to find the best financial planner for you, I covered the various business models advisors use to generate income. Beyond knowing how an advisor earns her keep, another critical consideration… Read More