Newsletter Archive

Listed below are links to past editions of our Articles. Thank you for your interest and we hope you find these articles of value.

— Aug 3, 2005

Business Succession Planning

Sooner or later, everyone wants to retire. But if you own a family business, retirement isn't just a matter of deciding not to…

— Jul 5, 2005

About Wealth: Family Psychology

Which do you think comes first to be comfortably wealthy or to be wealthy and comfortable? It depends!

— Jun 3, 2005

What Is Wealth Management?

What does it really mean? What does it involve? Are there specialized firms for this? Can I get these services from my…

— May 3, 2005

Personal Budgeting Basics

Which do you find more fun, spending or saving? If you answered saving, I'd be very surprised! Most people, me included, love to…

— Apr 4, 2005

Investing Basics, Part II

In part one of Investing Basics, I opened by discussing: What color is your parachute? Richard Bolles book seemed an appropriate…

— Feb 3, 2005

Managing Health Care Costs

According to health care studies conducted by the Cato Institute and National Coalition of Health Care, health care costs have…

— Jan 3, 2005

Selling A Business & ESOPs

Either you built it from the ground up, or maybe you bought it. If your business has been a success, you've probably invested…

— Dec 4, 2004

Optimistic Stock Market?

An Article in this months Investment Advisor magazine reflects the title, Advisors Still Upbeat. Investment Advisor magazine…

— Nov 2, 2004

Why Estate Planning Matters

For many clients and their planners, the central goal of estate planning has long been to pass as much wealth, net of taxes, to…

— Oct 2, 2004

Is a House a Good Investment?

Whether it is a penthouse in New York City, a beach house in Corolla, NC or a farmhouse in central Virginia, owning your own…

— Sep 2, 2004

Rebalancing Investments

Rebalancing - using new cash or shifting money to bring your investment portfolio's target allocations back in line annually -…

— Aug 7, 2004

Making Financial Decisions

Do you make decisions by weighing the possibilities so as to increase your chances of achieving a desired result? More often…

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2012
- June
  - Should You Care About the Fiscal Cliff?
    Have you been following the controversy over the looming Fiscal Cliff?
- March
  - Beware the Ides of March or Be Aware?
    It makes little difference whether you have knowledge of ancient history or the writings of William Shakespeare, like most peopl…
2011
- December
  - It's a Bah! Humbug! Market This Year
    Have you thrown your hands up in disgust over gyrations in the stock markets yet? Are you puzzled by hearing financial media pun…
- October
  - The Folly of Impatience
    Have you ever gone grocery shopping or entered a restaurant when you were really hungry? How did that work out for you?
- July
  - Did the Market's Sentiment Experience a Perfect Storm?
    Nothing gets one’s attention more than political debates and plunging stock markets. And, lately, these activities seem to be mo…
- June
  - Consumer Confidence Measures
    The U.S. and most countries around the world rely on the health of consumer spending as the mainstay of their respective economy…
- May
  - Understanding the Economy: Lagging Indicators
    What drives your economic thinking? What information contributes to your business decisions? Or, your investment decisions?
- February
  - Understanding the Economy: Coincident Indicators
    It has been almost 235 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States of America has developed…
2010
- December
  - Understanding the Economy: Leading Indicators
    Almost every week there is some economic announcement that influences investors outlook on the direction of the economy.
- November
  - Tax Planning: Navigating Uncertainty this Year End
    Typically, year end tax planning strategies involve recommendations for delaying income and accelerating expenses. However, this…
- October
  - Money & Politics: Will You Vote This November?
    In the next couple of weeks, registered voters in the U.S. will get another chance to influence our nations direction.
- September
  - Is Political Risk the Stock Market's Biggest Challenge?
    Traditionally, political risk is considered the primary challenge for investors seeking to invest in emerging market stocks or b…
- August
  - Ode to the Taxman?
    Released as the opening track on The Beatles' 1966 Revolver album, the song "Taxman" was a reflection of George Harrison's displ…
- July
  - Economic Chicken and Egg Quandary
    This question has a reputation for being impossible to answer and, over the ages, the worlds most thoughtful philosophers have c…
- May
  - Can The 3G's Stall This Nascent U.S. Recovery?
    Whether you have yet to experience the change, signs of an improving U.S. economy are showing up all over.
- March
  - Knowing When to Hold 'em or Fold 'em
    These lyrics filled the airwaves in the late 1970s when American country music icon Kenny Rogers released his multi-million sell…
- February
  - Can CDO's Revive the Global Economy?
    CDOs - those toxic concoctions of greedy bankers that nearly brought us to the brink of Great Depression II. Could they now be t…
- January
  - Will ESO's Gain Popularity?
    Since the New Year began, this is the first time I've had the ability to ring in 2010 with many clients and friends who read my …
2009
- November
  - Commercial Real Estate, Credit & Taxes
    If you've been watching the financial news networks, particularly CNBC, you've heard that it might be a great time for investing…
- October
  - One Year Later - Is It Safe to Take More Risk Now?
    A little more than a year ago, the sky was falling it was hard to believe. In the fall of 2008, the events occurring in the US …
  - Emerging Mkts: Rice Paddy to Rice Paddy?
    When pondering the possibility of emerging market countries leading us through the next wave of a bull market, two thoughts imme…
- September
  - Indulgence, iPhones and Income Taxes
    In the US, Labor Day traditionally marks the end of the summer season and in most locales our children are back to school by now…
- July
  - Will Inflation be Our Next Worry?
    For months now, we have been hearing various pundits debate over potential the long-term effects of the Federal Reserve Banks ma…
  - P/E Valuation 101
    Every night we seem to hear that the market might be cheap, fully valued or expensive. Sometimes we hear all of those views in t…
- June
  - Are We In for a Double Dip Recession?
    Last month and this, much talk and many articles have surfaced relating to the possibility that the US could face a double-dip r…
- May
  - After A Week on the Road - Is It Time to Buy Industrials?
    Have you heard about The Institute for Supply Managements (PMI) Purchasing Managers Index? Do you know what it is?
- April
  - ETF Deathwatch: Is This the Next Shoe to Drop?
    Have you heard about the ETF Death Watch? Do you know what it is? Is this the next big bearish shoe to drop?
- March
  - Surviving This Economy by Assuming Less
    Are you looking for ways to improve or preserve the quality of life for your family and self? Are you anxious about the state of…
- January
  - Top 2009 Money Idea: Fund Your Retirement Plan!
    Are you concerned about preserving wealth? Are you re-evaluating your spending habits? How about your retirement plans? You're n…
2008
- December
  - Economic & Market Predictions for 2009
    For a better part of this year, many have experienced fear and that fear has manifested great pain. It has been self-fulfilling.
- November
  - 2008 Year End Tax Planning
    It's that time of year again! You still have a little time to consider planning for that income tax bill that comes due soon aft…
  - Testing the Small Investor Theory
    Not only was October a gut wrenching month in the markets, it was also a very interesting study case for financial theory. The m…
- October
  - Depression Fears: It Doesn't Have to Be
    The events of this past month present no trivial matter to every man, woman and child living today. September 2008 will go into …
- September
  - Is a Strengthening US Dollar Good or Bad?
    August served up a very choppy stock market. And, it now looks hopeful that we are building a bottom in the US equity markets.
- August
  - Headwinds & Tailwinds in the US Economy
    In a bear market cycle, like were experiencing now, the emotion of fear is often exacerbated. And, decisions made from a positio…
- July
  - Oil Paints the Landscape
    What do you think about this oil situation? Has this recent spike begun to change your spending habits? How about your view on p…
- June
  - Habits, Bubbles, Inflation, Oil and Global Trade
    In a free-market economy, much like we have in the USA, individuals have the right to freely pursue their own interests as they …
- May
  - Humpty Dumpty Market: Humpty Jumped
    In this letter, Humpty Dumpty will serve as a metaphor for equity investor portfolios. And, all the kings horses and all the kin…
- March
  - Is This Market Testing Your Resolve?
    February began with a stock market rally and ended with a drop. Then, in the first week and a half of March, the US stock market…
- February
  - You Should Be Buying Stocks Now
    Timing a market bottom or market top is a futile exercise. It is a proven fact and anyone who has been able to do so has beaten …
- January
  - Recession Fear: A Time for Objectivity
    One would have had to have been hiding under a rock not to know that global equity markets have experienced a rapid downward cor…
2007
- June
  - The Power of Rigorous Thinking
    To what degree do we heed the advice of others and who do we find ourselves listening to? How do we go about choosing our invest…
- March
  - The Game of Risk
    What kind of investor are you? Do you ponder risk that you’ll be subject to when you decide whether or not to invest?
- January
  - Investing Like An Endowment
    In 2006, speculators were rewarded by the market while risk-averse investors weren't. How did you do?
2006
- December
  - Tax Loss Harvesting
    Are you familiar with the concept of tax loss harvesting? Simply put, it is the process of selling securities at a loss to offse…
- November
  - Why Hedge Funds Fail
    Hedge funds have grown tremendously popular since the late 1980s. While Alfred Jones has been credited with setting up the first…
- October
  - Is Transparency Important?
    When you invest your money, what guides your decisions? What guides your expectations? How do you assess risk? Is there adequate…
- September
  - Greed Undermines Wealth
    Have you ever scrambled to chase a hot investment tip and found yourself late to the party? Did this happen to you when the tech…
- August
  - How Fear Impacts Your Wealth
    Why does the average investor buy high and sell low (the exact opposite of what they should be doing)? What makes them invest wh…
- July
  - The Fed and It's Powers
    How did your investment portfolio do during the months of May and June? How about into July thus far? Did you see the Fed train …
- June
  - Investing for Dividends, the GBU
    Is the party over for the equity markets? Is the US consumer going to stop spending altogether? Will they clamor to sell their h…
- May
  - Investing In China's Growth
    If you’ve been following the dynamics of global trade lately, the statistics suggest that China is leading the world as an expor…
- April
  - Family Wealth: Managing Time
    Todays life styles have most of us pressed for time. We are constantly on the run, multi-tasking, trying to get more done in a d…
- March
  - Retirement Plan Legislation
    Depending on your vantage point, I guess this question could be debatable.
- February
  - Managing Asset Allocation
    If you want to build a top-performing mutual-fund portfolio, you should start by hunting for top-performing funds, right? Wrong,…
- January
  - Preparing To Plan
    Anyone will tell you that estate planning, succession planning and retirement planning are important elements for protecting, gr…
2005
- December
  - Private Family Foundations
    Is it the winter holiday season, or is it me? Last months newsletter about philanthropy and the use of charitable remainder trus…
- November
  - Charitable Remainder Trusts
    Giving is, perhaps, the most basic expression of personal and family values. However, not enough people seem to comprehend the v…
- October
  - Your Most Valuable Family Asset
    If you said your house or your car or your investments, you'd be wrong. Your family's most valuable asset is its members.
- September
  - Investing vs Trading
- August
  - Business Succession Planning
    Sooner or later, everyone wants to retire. But if you own a family business, retirement isn't just a matter of deciding not to g…
- July
  - About Wealth: Family Psychology
    Which do you think comes first to be comfortably wealthy or to be wealthy and comfortable? It depends!
- June
  - What Is Wealth Management?
    What does it really mean? What does it involve? Are there specialized firms for this? Can I get these services from my accountan…
- May
  - Personal Budgeting Basics
    Which do you find more fun, spending or saving? If you answered saving, I'd be very surprised! Most people, me included, love to…
- April
  - Investing Basics, Part II
    In part one of Investing Basics, I opened by discussing: What color is your parachute? Richard Bolles book seemed an appropriate…
- February
  - Managing Health Care Costs
    According to health care studies conducted by the Cato Institute and National Coalition of Health Care, health care costs have i…
- January
  - Selling A Business & ESOPs
    Either you built it from the ground up, or maybe you bought it. If your business has been a success, you've probably invested si…
2004
- December
  - Optimistic Stock Market?
    An Article in this months Investment Advisor magazine reflects the title, Advisors Still Upbeat. Investment Advisor magazine rep…
- November
  - Why Estate Planning Matters
    For many clients and their planners, the central goal of estate planning has long been to pass as much wealth, net of taxes, to …
- October
  - Is a House a Good Investment?
    Whether it is a penthouse in New York City, a beach house in Corolla, NC or a farmhouse in central Virginia, owning your own hom…
- September
  - Rebalancing Investments
    Rebalancing - using new cash or shifting money to bring your investment portfolio's target allocations back in line annually - i…
- August
  - Making Financial Decisions
    Do you make decisions by weighing the possibilities so as to increase your chances of achieving a desired result? More often tha…
- July
  - The Housing Market
    Did you know that the percentage of U.S. households that now own, rather than rent, is at an all-time high nearing 70%? This is …
- June
  - Setting Retirement Goals
    Even if you work long and hard enough to afford the standard vision of a "perfect" retirement, you will almost certainly be bore…
- May
  - Where Should I Invest?
    Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, said the Che…
- April
  - Venture Philanthropy
    Most of us learned as children that sharing is a good thing. We didn't know we were practicing philanthropy -- we just knew that…
- March
  - Investing Basics, Part I
    What color is your parachute? Answer that riddle, and you will have opened the door to understanding your life, your work, and p…
  - College Planning
    Do you feel badly about considering or expecting your kids to pay for at least some of their own college education? But wait a m…
- January
  - Financial Experts?
    If you were seeking dental care, it isn't very likely that you would call on a cardiologist, or an ophthalmologist, or a pharmac…
  - Estate Planning for Parents
    From late fall through New Years, for many, this is a time to be with and care about family. It can also be a time when emotions…
2003
- December
  - Year End Tax Tips
    Our Wealth Management business is special because we are not only in the Return on Investment business, but we seek to improve o…
- November
  - Selecting A Financial Planner
    When you think of financial planning it may be helpful to think about your desire and feelings regarding wealth. From creating i…

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