W.I.T. #40 – September 27, 2023
Loneliness Can Be Deadly
Surgeon General’s report highlights the importance of maintaining strong social bonds in retirement.
W.I.T. #39 – September 13, 2023
Investment Performance: Market Trends and Diversification Strategies Explored
An inside look at investment specifics in 2023.
W.I.T. #38 – August 23, 2023
The Best Way to Evaluate How Our Investments Are Doing
Using a values-based approach to benchmarking investments is a more useful way to measure success.
W.I.T. #37 – August 9, 2023
How Exactly HAS the Stock Market Done This Year?
How you view stock market performance depends on how you look at it.
W.I.T. #36 – July 26, 2023
The Great Disappearing Mutual Fund
Trends in the longevity of mutual funds indicate how picking investments is as much an art as a science.
W.I.T. #35 – July 12, 2023
Life is Short: Tools to Make the Most of Your Time
Taking a big picture view of our lives can bring perspective and help us focus on what is truly important.
W.I.T. #34 – June 28, 2023
U.S. Recession on the Horizon?
While the leading economic indicators in the current U.S. economy remain positive, there are a few potential red flags to keep an eye on.
W.I.T. #33 – June 14, 2023
Vacation Emergency: 3 Things You Must Do To Prepare
If you had a medical emergency while on vacation, would you know what you need to do? One person's experience of having a stroke in Mexico points out some useful things to consider when you travel.
W.I.T. #32 – May 24, 2023
Make $800k Flipping One House?!
How much return can you expect from flipping one house? According to one article, you could make $800k! Lets take a deeper look.
W.I.T. #31 – May 9, 2023
S&P 500 After Rate Increases Stop
Now that the Federal Reserve is considering stopping rate increases, what will happen to the S&P 500?
W.I.T. #30 – April 26, 2023
How Has Rent Changed in the Last Year?
Rent is one of the largest expenses for Americans. With all the inflation we've had recently, how much has rent been affected?
W.I.T. #29 – April 11, 2023
Are You Above Average?
What percentage of your day is spent indoors? How do you compare to the average American?
W.I.T. #28 – March 22, 2023
Did Treasuries Cause Silicon Valley Bank to Fail?
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has many people pointing fingers. Some say that U.S. treasuries are to blame, but is this the whole story?
W.I.T. #27 – March 8, 2023
Looking Back at Stock Returns
After last year's decline in the stock market, it is easy to assume things will continue trending down. Looking at the bigger picture can help us avoid falling into the trap of recency bias.
W.I.T. #26 – February 22, 2023
What Are You Missing In Your Opinions?
Everyone has opinions about all sorts of things. But odds are, your opinions aren't accounting for 99.99% of everyone else's experiences.
W.I.T. #25 – February 8, 2023
Index vs Active Investing - Can Your Manager Beat the Market?
Wall Street sells us on their ability to provide above average returns. Based on historical evidence, what are the chances that your mutual fund manager can outperform the market?
W.I.T. #24 – January 25, 2023
Predictions for 2023
As we kick off 2023, here is a look at some predictions for the year from 'experts' in the financial world and otherwise.
W.I.T. #23 –January 11, 2023
The Past Three Years in the S&P 500
If you knew in advance - three years ago before COVID-19 - everything that was to come in our world, would you have kept your money invested in stocks? Take a look at how the S&P 500 has fared through the pandemic, inflation and the market crash.
W.I.T. #22 – December 29, 2022
What a Difference a Year Makes - Earning Interest on Savings
Inflation this year has been tough on our wallets, but 2022 also brought unique earnings opportunities for savers!
W.I.T. #21 – December 14, 2022
The Game of Risk & Decision Making
How do we feel when we made "the right decision" versus the "wrong decision", and how can we tell the difference?
W.I.T. #20 – November 23, 2022
Market Returns After Midterm Elections
History shows that political events have an impact on the economic outlook. How does the stock market usually react after midterm elections?
W.I.T. #19 – November 8, 2022
Where Do Fund Managers Put Their Own Money?
Fund managers are respected and trusted by their investors, but do they follow their own advice?
W.I.T. #18 – October 27, 2022
The 35th Anniversary of "Black Monday"
On October 19th, 1987, the Dow Jones fell 500 points. How would you react if you heard that happened today?
W.I.T. #17 – October 12, 2022
What If You Were the World's Worst Market Timer?
No one wants to see their money go down soon after they invest, but how bad does it get if you always invested right before market crashes?
W.I.T. #16 – September 30, 2022
The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Wheat Prices
The war in Ukraine has caused all kinds of problems. One of the big ones expected in spring (see W.I.T. #3) was a disruption of grain supply and high prices for things like wheat. How has that played out so far this year?
W.I.T. #15 – September 14, 2022
How to Think About this Year's Market Volatility
It sure feels different this time, but is it? We take a look at how this crazy year in the stock markets fits into history...
W.I.T. #14 – August 31, 2022
Does the Money Supply Matter More Than Interest Rates?
The economist Milton Friedman highlighted the impact that the money supply has over inflation, more so than interest rates. The sudden increase in the money supply over the last two years may help explain the inflation we are dealing with today.
W.I.T. #13 – August 11, 2022
How Does Income Inequality Affect YOU?
Income inequality has been a hot topic of discussion recently, but why do you care? Research shows it may be an instinct that has been wired into us by nature...
W.I.T. # 12 – July 27, 2022
The Terrible First Half of 2022 for the S&P 500 Isn’t Quite as Bad as It Seems
This year’s terrible market performance has many people feeling overwhelmed. Here's some good news you likely haven't seen elsewhere...
W.I.T. # 11 – July 15, 2022
Is the Shrinking Middle Class Really a Bad Thing?
Many of us have heard about the shrinking middle class in America, that doesn't tell the whole story...
W.I.T. #10 – June 30, 2022
Do the Best Days of Stock Returns Occur During Bear Markets?
Bear markets are something we all wish we could avoid, but is it possible that over half of the best days in the stock market happen in the middle of a bear market?
W.I.T. #9 – June 9, 2022
What I Learned at Disney
At his first-ever trip to Disney World, my son decided to try a rollercoaster that scared him. He ended up loving it, but this reminded me that evaluating the whether a decision was a good one does not involve results...
W.I.T. #8 – May 25, 2022
When Will the Market Bottom?
Account values have been dropping all year; when will it stop? Here is an answer to that question that you might not have heard before...
W.I.T. #7 – May 11, 2022
Warning: Recession Ahead?
Some of the brightest minds in finance are predicting a coming recession; but at the same time many very smart financial pros are seeing no evidence of recession on the horizon. Both can't be true...
W.I.T. #6 – April 29, 2022
Will Inflation Ruin Your Financial Plan?
Will sky-high inflation throw your financial plan off course? Proper planning already has this baked into your analysis...
W.I.T. #5 – April 22, 2022
Retirees Are Seeing Their Income Skyrocket
That’s probably not a headline you've seen. But if bonds are paying better interest rates than they have in years, doesn't that help folks living on a fixed income?
W.I.T. #4 – March 30, 2022
Is The U.S in a Debt Crisis?
American households took on record amount of new debt in 2021, but one headline doesn’t tell the whole story...
W.I.T. #3 – March 23, 2022
How Will the War in Ukraine Affect YOUR Money?
This is a scary time with the war going on in Ukraine. Research shows that geopolitical events typically have a negative impact on stock market returns, but how long should we expect that to last?
W.I.T. #2 – February 28, 2022
Inflation is Up! Has the Cost of Living Increased?
We all know about rising inflation as reported by the government, but does it really cost more to live?
W.I.T. #1 – February 21, 2022
Stock Market is Falling! What Should I Do?
What should we expect for the stock market in 2022...and more importantly what should we DO (or NOT do) about it?