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Role Player
I promise I do not make this stuff up. This is a conversation that occurred earlier this week. No names, of course. Not only are the actual words included, but my thoughts are thrown in for a little...
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Smart Beta is Stupid
Ok, let’s simplify this. Beta is “market return,” while Alpha is “value added return.” In the active vs passive debate, these two terms are relatively simple to understand. Allow me to explain: Assume...
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2013: The Year in Review
I’ve always enjoyed reading “year in review” pieces. Probably because things happen so swiftly in my world, that I literally forget all of the things that happen in a year. I find myself saying “I...
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Intentional Habit
According to Merriam, a habit is “a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.” If there is one piece of financial advice I could give all of you in...
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Fire In Your Belly
Two weeks ago, our local school bus driver decided to move on to another career. Although it was a great move for her, as she got the opportunity to do what she has always wanted to do, it was a BIG...
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Leverage: The Eighth Wonder of the World
I know that financial experts say it’s best to be debt free, but when it comes to paying off a mortgage, that may not be the best move. Here’s why: RECOVERING REAL ESTATE MARKET Whether or not you...
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Don’t Miss the Forest for the Tree
Dow 3,000! The end is near!! Get out while you still have time! Now that we have gotten the scare tactics out of the way, let’s have a knowledgeable conversation. The long term performance of the...
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The Poor Man’s Trust
Many attorneys are doing a phenomenal job of scaring people into creating trusts. Truthfully, unless some unusual requests are to be made as part of your estate plan, very few people actually need...
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Playing Catch(Up)
Playing Catch Up According to a new Winthrop University survey, 40% of the retired people in SC are living below the level that they would like. When CN2 news called me for a comment on these results,...
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My Wall of Worry
OK, so about a year ago, I decided to get into cycling. I was in NY/NJ visiting a friend, and he showed me the bike he had purchased that was meant to be “for bigger guys.” I was hooked, but just...
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Montauk To Me
I am flying to NYC this evening to ride in the “Ride to Montauk” cycling event. Each person who has asked me about this trip is both intrigued and confused. They are interested in the fact that the...
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The Housing Farce
“I only buy real estate because it is REAL.” “They aren’t making any more land.” “I can feel it, touch it, see it, so I know it has value.” ”People with real money buy real estate.” I have heard...
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Case Study: At Your (Secret) Service
My job is to be a good steward of my clients’ assets. Whether that means encouraging them to make a decision or exhorting them NOT to make a decision, it is all part of the gig. However, another part...
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Case Study: Fire Me
In the month of July, we had a very minor stock market pullback. Nevertheless, it was enough to cause a bit of worry for conservative investors. What I am about to describe actually happened, but of...
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Born To Run!
I do not remember the last day where I didn’t hear at least one person call for a major stock market correction. Sometimes, it comes from normal, every day folks….and other times, it comes from so...
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Remember My Name
I’ve got a bit of a confession to make. I am horrible with remembering names. This is not a rare phenomenon, as many struggle with this same thing, but recently it has bothered me more so than usual....
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Don’t Freak Out
It is rare that I write a piece meant mostly for clients, but I think this is a good time to do so. My advice is simple: don’t freak out. I know the stock market has corrected, and even though the...
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