Is Your Smartphone Making You a Not-So-Smart Investor?

In a recent WSJ article, they talk about the how smart phone “investment apps” are causing investors to react to short-term market swings and abandoning their long-term established financial plans. Behavioral economists call this tendency, “myopic loss aversion”- and it can be incredibly costly. Click on the link above to read the full article!

Changing Your Domicile from NYS

Would you stop being a fan of the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Bills or the Syracuse Orangemen and root for a team in Florida in order to save on your tax bill?  It might help! Many New York State residents planning for retirement expect to maintain a residence in New York, but claim another state […]

Patience and Perspective

No one likes to see their savings decline in value. Times like these are not much fun for investors, watching markets “correct” in the face of abundant global uncertainties. As investment advisors, one of our most important jobs is to help long-term investors keep hold of their long-term perspective. Here are some things to consider. […]

What is the Value of an Investment Advisor?

Does hiring an investment advisor improve your portfolio returns?  This question is often on the minds of our clients or prospective clients.  The value of an advisor is often easier to describe than define numerically.  Many clients find value in hiring an advisor to provide “peace of mind” and comfort that a professional is watching […]

SURPRISES AT TAX TIME

As a volunteer tax preparer for the AARP, I often review tax statements from many different brokers and investment companies. The Income Tax preparation process always seems to identify examples of the value of working with a trusted investment advisor.  Here are some examples from my experiences as a volunteer tax preparer for AARP from […]

Auto Insurance: When Was The Last Time You Got A New Quote?

This is a topic that has been relevant in my life and also a recently asked question by a family member.  Am I paying too much for auto insurance?  If you haven’t received a new quote online recently, the answer is probably YES. When I moved down to Texas, I found out auto insurance rates […]

Golf and Investing

I know this might be hard to imagine for most of us golfers, but which of the following scenarios would you rather choose: 1.   Shooting par every time you go out and play a round of golf. 2.   Shooting below par 25% of the time you play and failing to reach par the remaining 75% […]

Market Commentary July 2013

Volatility returned this quarter in both stocks and bonds as fears about the central-bank actions across the globe made investors nervous about the future.  Large Cap U.S. stocks, represented by the S&P 500 Index, returned 2.9% in the second quarter, bringing the year-to-date return up to a lofty 14.0%.  By contrast, the EAFE Index, a […]

A Dozen Benefits of Financial Planners

Recently, I read a blog article by a Bob Seawright titled, “Financial Advice: A Top Ten List”.   The article describes how financial planners provide clients with a far greater benefit than just investment returns.   Bob provided an excellent list of ancillary benefits.  His list is spot-on and a worthy read by anyone considering a financial […]

Control Costs: They Matter!

You get what you pay for, right? Actually, when it comes to investing, it’s what you don’t pay for that really counts. Vanguard’s latest ad’s have all revolved around “at-cost” investing for this very reason. Check out the link below where Vanguard explains “at-cost” investing and how it can help investors reach financial success over time. Vanguard’s At-Cost […]