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Welcome to our Insights Blog.

 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Sometimes investing is easy, sometimes it is more difficult. The last decade, except for a handful of temporary corrections, has been relatively easy. It consisted of very low interest rates, low inflation, and lots of fiscal and...

 

Thursday, May 26, 2022

This is a very challenging moment for many market investors.  They are feeling the stress and, likely, watching their accounts.  Furthermore, they might be letting too much doubt, fear, and anxiety creep further into their...

 

Thursday, May 19, 2022

 

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

 

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

 

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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

 

Thursday, October 28, 2021

It may seem like a misnomer to discuss the wisdom of being ignorant. Ignorance, defined as a lack of knowledge or information, is not generally viewed as a positive attribute. But it is absolutely essential for our individual success...

 

Thursday, October 14, 2021

The news keeps getting better for Social Security recipients.It's now projected that benefits will increase 6.1% in 2022, up from the 4.7% forecast just two months ago. That would be the most significant increase since 1983.1...

 

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Build-Monitor-Adjust In my 20+ years consulting business owners, I identified a certain “framework” that sets successful business owners apart from others. Even more importantly, I see how this 3D framework can be applied...

 

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Humility, or I should say the lack of humility, is quality that is easy to identify in others, yet difficult to see in ourselves. Humility is a difficult quality to develop because it may threaten our sensitive egos. Ego is important;...

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The color green is attributed to many positive things in life. Green is often used as a symbol of prosperity and even represents life itself. But not all green is good. Being green with envy is a characteristic we should avoid like...

 

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Many people love surprises. A surprise party. A surprise gift. A surprise visitor at the front door. These are often viewed as joyous and memorable events. However, not all surprises are positive. Many negative surprises occur in life,...

 

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Tis the season of gratitude. Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the most underappreciated holidays, but most needed. Given the year we have endured it may be difficult to be naturally thankful. This year may require us to purposefully and...

 

Monday, September 14, 2020

Investment performance over the short term, including during election season, is largely driven by emotions and randomness The economy is much larger and influences markets much more than a certain political party in power Political...

 

Friday, September 11, 2020

As we enter emotionally charged presidential campaigns, we should prepare ourselves for an onslaught of pessimism. Election talking points tend to be more slinging mud about the other candidate than a candidate’s outline for...

 

Friday, August 14, 2020

As we face increased uncertainty about our lives, work and the markets, it can be easy to become anxious and fearful. We may face more surprises as we learn to live with the pandemic and figure out how to manage the economy through...

 

Monday, June 1, 2020

The Holy Grail in investing, if there was one, is an investment that provides equity-like returns without the discipline and stomach often required to achieve such returns. This is what every investor hopes for. We want the short cut....

 

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Last week I summarized how past buying opportunities emerged after previous VIX levels reached various extreme levels. This week, I am sharing a chart I built back in 2011. Over the last eight years I have used this chart to kept track...

 

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The challenges we face today are unique and significant. The Coronavirus has unleashed uncertainty, economic pain and shelter-in-place for much of the population. Any one of those alone can impact our mental health; the combination of...

 

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

What is the one belief that both a buyer and a seller have in common? This is a question that I love to ask new and seasoned investors we work with. Take a minute and think about that question, I’ll circle back to it a bit later....

 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Top 10 1. Am I being critical enough of my “gut” instinct? (Availability/Confirmation Bias) Questioning your intuition will help avoid overestimating the perceived skill from other. 2. What can I control about this...

 

Thursday, February 27, 2020

We have our first surprise of the year: The Coronavirus. Just last month I wrote in my annual forecast that we will be surprised by something this year. This is likely the first of several unexpected, unpredicted events we will...

 

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

If you read my forecast for 2019, you will notice it was spot on. This is because it was not a forecast of the economy or markets (which is like trying to predict a casino game). No matter how much we wish, no one can predict the...

 

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Oftentimes we look at others’ success and see some circumstance that may have contributed to said success. While circumstances may make it easier or more difficult to achieve success, they do not create success on their own....

 

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Tis the season of gratitude. Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the most underappreciated holidays, but most needed. Because Thanksgiving is not marketable, there is not publicity on it. Instead, it’s all about consumerism. The...

 

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Growing a Happy Tree People aren’t born happy. There is no known gene for happiness. Happiness is often the result of small, daily activities compounded over time. Imagine your happiness is a sapling and you want it to grow into...

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Humans are very good at adapting to our changing world. Adaptation is a change in behavior that allows us to be better suited for our current environment. Anticipation of change is often more powerful than the long-term effect of the...

 

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Order is a powerful and underappreciated aspect of life. Without order, we may experience increased uncertainty, anxiety and frustration. Order requires deliberate effort. It is not a “natural” state. When we leave things...

 

Friday, August 16, 2019

Whenever markets move drastically and the media is promoting fear, it is best for investors to take a step back and ask themselves a few reflective questions. Reflective questions are a powerful antidote to making knee-jerk, hasty...

 

Monday, July 8, 2019

Time is an interesting dimension. It is a fixed measurement, yet our perception of time varies greatly depending on what we are doing. It has been said that the longest eight seconds in life is riding a bull. I never rode a bull and...

 

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Last month, a single bet on Tiger Woods winning the Masters resulted in a $1.2 million payout. This was not a bet made by a wealthy individual or professional gambler. Rather, the bettor was a self-employed day trader saddled with a...

 

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

What’s Your Number? In the financial world someone may ask you, “What’s your number?” Odds are they aren’t trying to pick you up. Rather, they are referring to the amount of money in which you achieve...

 

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

 

Friday, May 10, 2019

I’m from Iowa, a heavily agricultural state. I myself grew up on a farm, helping my Dad raise corn and beans, and we had a cattle operation. And still today I’m still involved with ownership and management of that farm. A...

 

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Below you will see a copy of a letter and the envelope I recently received in the mail. At first glance, I saw it was from “Aviva” which is a known insurance company located in the Des Moines area, however quickly I saw the...

 

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

It’s common practice for the president or CEO of a company to include a letter to shareholders in the annual report. Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman and CEO, Warren Buffett, doesn’t buck the trend. His annual letter...

 

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Have you ever heard someone say that experience is the best teacher? Well, I would like to take a slightly different tack. Experience isn’t the best teacher. Someone else’s experience is. Learn from other peoples’...

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Change. We spend much of our time thinking about, predicting and anticipating it. Several years ago, the founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, turned the question of change on its head. He said it is more important to consider what...

 

Friday, January 4, 2019

Before I get into my market forecast for 2019, I want you to consider why forecasts are so alluring to investors like ourselves. What is the force that influences us to make decisions based on forecasts? There is ample evidence that...

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

I was on an airplane yesterday and want to share an experience I had that reminded me of my value to you, our clients. My family and I took off and within 20 minutes the pilot came over the intercom and told us to expect some air...

 

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Happy October Everyone, October is National Financial Planning Month and this month I wanted to share some insight and generate awareness into a something that I have occasionally observed while consulting with clients. Catoptrophobia...

 

Monday, September 17, 2018

The month of August 2018 marked an important milestone for the long-running bull market. It was 10 years ago this month, that the worst financial recession since the great depression reared its ugly head. Fast forward to this past...

 

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Have you ever embarked on any kind of improvement project? You are confident you can complete the task, but you are unfamiliar with the details. If any of you are like me, a “how to” clip is usually available on YouTube,...

 

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Congratulations! I know you’ve already heard that from family and friends, but after four years of high school or college – or more if you have obtained an advanced degree, you deserve it. And the well-wishing cheers go...

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Last year, stocks marched higher with only minor pullbacks. When the year ended, the largest peak to trough decline for the S&P 500 Index was just under 3% (St. Louis Federal Reserve data on the S&P 500).

 

Monday, March 5, 2018

Market Month: February 2018 The Markets (as of market close February 28, 2018) Despite some positive economic signs, rising consumer confidence, and favorable corporate earnings reports, February marked the end of the 10-month winning...

 

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Well, here we are. We are into the final lap of 2017, and it has been quite a year for stocks not just in the U.S. but around the world. But of course, it is also FORECAST SEASON! You see, this is the time of year when all of the...

 

Thursday, September 14, 2017

I have had the pleasure of assisting many of you for years. Others are newer clients. Our paths crossed via referrals, or we met through various professional organizations. There are many reasons why you’ve reached out to me for...

 

Thursday, August 10, 2017

If you're thinking about joining a 529 plan, or if you've already opened an account, you might be concerned about how 529 fundswill affect your child's chances of receiving financial aid. Of all the areas related to 529 plans,...

 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

The steady diet of headlines pouring out of the Trump administration has been unsettling for most Americans, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum. We know equity markets loathe heightened uncertainty. Yes, what is...

 

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Picture this—it’s Friday afternoon, your work is done, and you have the weekend ahead of you. But what makes this weekend different than any other weekend is that two-week vacation following it. You wish your colleagues...

 

Saturday, June 3, 2017

We’ve all heard the stories. If not first hand, at least in various news reports and anecdotes.  Some “lucky” person picks the winning numbers, prances before the cameras in what can only be described as a media lovef

 

Friday, April 28, 2017

It's nice to own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Nice, that is, until it's time to fill out your federal income tax return. At that point, you may be left scratching your head. Just how do you report your investments and how a

 

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

How has the ambitious agenda of the new presidency influenced the market? 

 

Friday, September 23, 2016

When it comes to successful investing, what is critical and what is not?  We believe there are really only two reasons people invest.

 

Thursday, March 3, 2016

I recently had a great volunteer experience with Junior Achievement of Central Iowa.  The career path lessons I shared with the middle school students can also be applied to the creation of a long-term retirement plan. &

 

Thursday, February 18, 2016

When Congress unexpectedly eliminated two Social Security claiming strategies as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, retirement planning got a little more complicated for people who expected to use those strategies to boost their ret

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Peace of mind is knowing that you have a limited number of cards to play when planning or rebuilding your financial future after a spouses death and that you are playing those cards the best you can giving any situation.

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

If you're thinking about joining a 529 plan, or if you've already opened an account, you might be concerned about how 529 funds will affect your child's chances of receiving financial aid. Of all the areas related to 529 plans, financial ai

 

Friday, February 5, 2016

Many parents or grandparents struggle to find that “perfect” gift for a hard to please youth or young adult.  What if there was gift that did not require you to know their size, favorite color, music tastes, doesn’t require batteries, gasol

 

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Charitable giving can play an important role in many estate plans. Philanthropy cannot only give you great personal satisfaction, it can also give you a current income tax deduction, let you avoid capital gains tax, and reduce the amount of

 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Gladbrook, Iowa is a charming, small Midwestern community.  I can recall as a child taking the long drive with my family to visit my Great Aunt Lillian at her home.  Her modest brick home had a warm charm to it, much like she did.  Aunt Lil

 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

When I was young and growing up I would watch my Dad crisscross the field in the Spring in his tractor planting corn and soybeans. Long days of back and forth work only stopping to refill the planter with seed or to refuel the tractor, he