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On The Mark: Keeping a Long-Term Perspective on Events in Iran
Key TakeawaysThe U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with a wave of strikes across the Middle East.The most direct economic impact of the attack is...
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On The Mark: Unpacking the Latest Tariff Ruline
Key Takeaways:Tariffs are now more constrained but not eliminated.The $175 billion tariff refund is significant, but it’s small compared to the size of the economy and the federal budget.Short-term policy noise may create volatility,...
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On The Mark: Avoid Striking Out in 2026 with Diversification
Key TakeawaysDiversification is working again as markets are less concentrated and returns are coming from more places.How you diversify matters as much as how much you diversify as assets respond differently to economic changes....
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On The Mark: PASSing the Baton to 2026
Key Takeaways:A new year, but not a new economy: The underlying growth and inflation trends from 2025 are likely to carry into 2026.PASSing the baton: Policy clarity is replacing policy uncertainty, AI investment is likely to continue...
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On The Mark: Did Passive Investing Make the Magnificent 7?
Key Takeaways: New research1 suggests that the rise in passive investing may have contributed to a self-reinforcing feedback loop that fuels rising stock prices and market concentration. In our view, concentrated markets are also a...
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On The Mark: Key Questions on the Government Shutdown
Key Takeaways A government shutdown, while disruptive, is not the same as a government default. The scale of the damage will depend in part on how long the shutdown lasts. In the past, disruption to the economy and markets has been...
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On The Mark: Don't Fear the High
Key Takeaways: Market highs tend to cluster and lead to more highs as momentum carries the market. Investing on days when the market is at a new high can provide similar results to investing on any day. Balance the fear of missing out...
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The One Big Beautiful Bill – What It Means for Federal Student Loan Borrowers
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) has officially passed—and with it comes a seismic shift in how future and current federal student loan borrowers will manage debt. Whether you're already in repayment or planning to borrow soon,...
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How H.R. 1 Will Impact Student Loan Programs
How H.R. 1 Will Impact Student Loan Programs In the last post, we covered H.R. 1 of 2025 (the Big Beautiful Bill), which, in Title III, proposes major changes to Federal student aid programs. The changes in Title III take effect on...
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The Social Security Fairness Act: Could You Get More Money?
If you're a public servant—teacher, police officer, firefighter, or government worker—you’ve probably had a frustrating experience with the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These two rules...
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Fee-Only vs. Fee-Based: It’s Not About the Fees, It’s About the Fruit
When it comes to financial advice, the debate between fee-only and fee-based compensation models often steals the spotlight. Fee-only advocates argue that eliminating commissions removes conflicts of interest, while fee-based...
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On The Mark - Tarriffs: Noise vs Signals
Key Takeaways Escalating tariffs have once again caused market volatility. Tariffs have the potential to lower economic growth and increase inflation, but distinguishing between noise and actual implementation is crucial as discussions...
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On The Mark - Index Diversification?
Key Takeaways The S&P 500 is currently in a state of excessive concentration and is at the lowest level of diversification since 1973. When the excessive concentration reaches its tipping point, the change in market leadership can be...
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On The Mark - Election Day 2024 - Divided We Stand
Key Takeaways The presidential election will likely come down to the wire. However, dramatic changes to policy are unlikely because we’ll probably have a split congress. Gridlock in Washington has historically prevented policy swings...
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Cost Segregation Study Strategies: How to Maximize Tax Savings on Your Property
What is a Cost Segregation Study? (And Why You Should Care) Let’s start with the basics: Cost Segregation is like the cheat code of real estate investing when it comes to taxes. It's a tax strategy that allows property owners to...
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A Step-Up for Heirs: Assets That Get a Boost When You Kick the Bucket
Alright, let’s talk about something that’s inevitable for all of us—no, not just taxes, but death. More specifically, what happens to your assets when you kick the bucket and leave them to someone who isn’t your spouse? Yeah, I know,...
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On The Mark - What Happens to Stocks After the First Rate Cut?
Key Takeaways A slowing Job market resurrected recession fears and set the path for interest rate cuts. History tells us stocks have fared well despite the Fed's poor track record in avoiding recession. After unusually calm markets,...
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How the 4% Rule Works
Understanding the 4% Safe Withdrawal Rule can help you plan for a financially Stable retirement. Let’s walk through a practical example to illustrate how this rule works. Setting the Stage Imagine you’ve just retired at age 65 and have...
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Unilateral Buy-Sell Agreements: An Overview
A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract between business owners that outlines the terms and conditions for the sale or transfer of a departing owner’s interest in the business. These agreements are crucial for closely held...
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On The Mark - Back to Basics
Key Takeaways The role of bonds in a portfolio is generally either to produce income or to help manage volatility. Today's yields on bonds are significantly higher than the past few years and offer a great alternative for portfolios...
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On The Mark - Is This a 24-Karat Year?
Key Takeaways Gold prices reached a new record high in 2024 driven by demand from global central banks. Gold is not a panacea. The shiny metal has not performed as well as stocks or bonds in the last 33 years but does act as a...
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One The Mark - The Magnificent 7 or the Magnificent 24?
Strong performance of the “Magnificent 7” (Mag 7) has led many U.S. market indexes to be concentrated in a small number of highly valued companies. We find that these companies are more diversified than you may think....
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What’s the Right Amount of Life Insurance? Understanding Income Replacement Life Insurance Planning
In the realm of financial planning, one aspect that often gets overlooked or underestimated is life insurance. While it's not the most exciting topic, it plays a crucial role in protecting the financial future of loved ones in the...
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On The Mark - Fear of Markets?
Key Takeaways: Fear of Missing Out and Fear of Losing it All can potentially limit long-term returns. Market highs tend to cluster and lead to new highs and shouldn’t be feared as the start of the next downfall. Market corrections are...
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What’s the Right Amount of Life Insurance? Understanding Human Life Value (HLV)
When we talk about financial planning, insurance, or even estate management, one term that often comes up is "Human Life Value" (HLV). But what exactly is Human Life Value, and why is it important? In this blog post, we'll delve into...
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On The Mark - Bitcoin ETFs, What's the Buzz?
Key Takeaways The recently approved Bitcoin ETFs provide a simple way for investors to gain access to the most well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. While regulation of ETFs may ease some concerns about investing in Bitcoin, there are...
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Financial Wisdom from Scripture – A Guide to Thoughtful Financial Planning
In the pursuit of sound financial planning, wisdom can be found in unexpected places, even in ancient biblical scriptures. One such verse that holds valuable insights is 2 Corinthians 9:6. Let's explore the wisdom embedded in this...
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Decoding the Backdoor Roth IRA: A High-Income Strategy
In the vast landscape of retirement planning, the Backdoor Roth IRA has emerged as a strategic tool for individuals looking to maximize their savings. Let's embark on a journey to demystify what a Backdoor Roth is and explore the...
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Trouble Ahead — The New FAFSA’s Impact on Student Aid
Submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an essential step for all students seeking Federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid. To improve the financial aid process, the FAFSA Simplification...
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Parents Hire Their Children to Help Pay For College
Business owners hire their children for sound reasons such as instilling a strong work ethic, teaching responsibility, encouraging entrepreneurship, reducing taxes, and saving for a college education. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018...
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On The Mark - Three Surprises in 2023
Key Takeaways After sharp declines in stocks and bonds in 2022, the market recovery in 2023 is a perfect reminder that markets are never obvious let alone predictable. For many investors, despite a remarkable year...
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Facing Fear: The Surprising Similarities Between Fear of Flying & Investing During Volatile Markets
Fear is a powerful emotion that can influence our decisions and actions in various aspects of life. Two areas where fear often plays a significant role are fear of flying and investing during volatile markets. While they...
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Time in the Market, NOT Timing the Market
Key Takeaways Seeking to achieve the long-term equity return of 10% means sitting through all market cycles. Market downturns lead to emotional decision making which can have a significant negative impact on portfolio returns. It's...
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Negative News Doesn't Equal Negative Markets
Key Takeaways: Negative news creates fear for investors which can lead to emotional investment decisions due to worries about ensuring negative markets. Negative news can provide great investment opportunities, but it takes a strong...
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Israel/Hamas War
Key Takeaways The Israel/Hamas Ware is a terrible human tragedy and may escalate in the coming weeks. The economic impact is expected to remain largely regional, but the war may impact investor sentiment, commodity prices, and...
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The Fascinating Dance of the Velocity of Money
The global economy rotates and exchanges dollars on a daily basis. How do the monetary decisions you make affect others or your future self? In this post we embark on the journey of explaining how "velocity of money" works for you!
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Debunking the Myth, “Why Would I Pay for Financial Advice?”
Is hiring a financial planner truly worth the fee(s) that are associated with their services? Another way of putting this, "is the juice really worth the squeeze"? Here's what the data shows!
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Unveiling the Features of Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs)
Retirement planning requires careful consideration to ensure financial security in our golden years. One popular option that has gained prominence in recent times is the Registered Index-Linked Annuity (RILA). Designed to...
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Hire Your Child to Lower Taxes and Save for College
Business owners hire their children for several reasons, such as instilling a strong work ethic, teaching responsibility, encouraging entrepreneurship, saving on taxes, and helping save for college. These benefits are the result of...
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