The Right Estate Plan for Your Life Stage
As a former estate planning attorney, this important aspect of financial planning has always been on my radar. But, I tend to be the exception to the rule. The vast majority of people simply don’t think about creating an estate plan; it just doesn’t seem relevant or at the least not pressing. Read more…
The Importance of a Fiduciary Standard of Care vs. Suitability
Today the Department of Labor released new rules regarding retirement savings advice. We will post a more detailed analysis in the future, but today I want to explore the different standards in place and provide an initial reaction to the new rules. Read more…
Definition of Key Terms
Index Fund An index fund is a mutual fund whose portfolio seeks to replicate the performance of some financial benchmark either by owning a representative sample of the stocks contained in that benchmark or by owning all of them. An index is passively managed which means, unlike actively managed Read more…
5 Things to Know About Greece's Financial Situation
Stock volatility has picked up this week in response to the breakdown in Greek debt negotiations over the weekend. Because the situation is fluid, any written commentary in this environment can become outdated as quickly as it is published. Read more…
Do It Yourself or Hire an Advisor?
A common dilemma that everyone faces at one time or another is the choice of whether to manage your own investment portfolio or hire the help of a financial professional. As an investment professional myself, I am biased towards seeking out help, but I’d like to share a story to help frame this Read more…
How to Analyze Risks and Returns in Investing with Plancorp
Smart investment decisions are necessary on the road to financial security, but it's important to understand how to analyze the risks and returns associated with investment decisions. Knowing how to analyze risk and return properly can help you build a successful portfolio. Read more…
Defining Risk
We frequently say that risk and return are related, but many people don’t understand exactly what we mean by the word “risk.” Read more…
Growth of $1.00
The data below, which shows the growth of $1.00 in various asset classes (listed from least risky to most risky), reinforces rather dramatically the fact that the best returns in the stock market do indeed come from owning the riskier parts of the market. Using this type of data to determine the Read more…
