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February 19, 2019 in Financial Life Planning, Mindful living, Money Management, SAGE Reads
The Geometry of Wealth: How to shape a life of money and meaning  Last night I finished reading The Geometry of Wealth and wanted to share a few choice excerpts from this thoughtful book by behavioral finance expert Brian Portnoy. A description of the book: How does money figure into a happy life? In The Geometry of Wealth, behavioral finance expert Brian Portnoy delivers an inspired answer, building on the critical distinction between being...

February 12, 2019 in Expenses, Financial Life Planning, Tax Management
Shrinking Tax Refunds 1.  The U.S. Cut Taxes. Why Will Fewer Folks Get Refunds? (Washington Post, 2/10/2019) This article has Q&A taking you through the reasons why. Hint: Some of the explanation is because of changes to the tax code, but also because less taxes were withheld from employee paychecks than in prior years due to changes in the withholding tables, and in the lower rate withheld from bonuses and employee stock compensation...

February 4, 2019 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
Déjà Vu All Over Again February 2019 Investment fads come and go. Letting short-term trends influence your approach may be counterproductive to pursuing your financial goals. Copyright ©2019 Dimensional Fund Advisors from Dimensional Perspectives Blog Investment fads are nothing new. When selecting strategies for their portfolios, investors are often tempted to seek out the latest and greatest investment opportunities. Over the years, these approaches have sought to capitalize on developments such as the perceived relative strength of particular geographic...

January 30, 2019 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
Today we’re taking you to visit Dimensional’s blog, “Dimensional Perspectives,” and specifically their article titled “Key Questions for Long-Term Investors.” Key Questions for Long-Term Investors “Whether you’ve been investing for decades or are just getting started, at some point on your investment journey you’ll likely ask yourself some of the questions below. Trying to answer these questions may be intimidating, but know that you’re not alone. Your financial advisor is here to help. While...

January 22, 2019 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing, Year In Review
2018 Market Review January 2019 After logging strong returns in 2017, global equity markets delivered negative returns in US dollar terms in 2018. Common news stories in 2018 included reports on global economic growth, corporate earnings, record low unemployment in the US, the implementation of Brexit, US trade wars with China and other countries, and a flattening US Treasury yield curve. Global equity markets delivered positive returns through September, followed by a...

January 15, 2019 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing, Year In Review
  2018 Market Performance It’s a wrap! 2018 market performance numbers are now available for the fourth quarter and the year. Today, we share Dimensional Fund Advisor’s latest Quarterly Market Review, along with its 2018 Annual Market Review. We hope you’ll use these summaries to reinforce the importance of staying with your own financial goals and risk tolerances, no matter how terrible one year of returns may seem. Please pay special attention to “Why Should You...

December 19, 2018 in Behavior/Psychology, Investing
The One Constant 1.  The One Constant in the Stock Market (A Wealth of Common Sense, Ben Carlson, 12/11/2018) Ben Carlson, always with the best charts and words of wisdom. “I’ve used this chart before but it’s worth reposting because we all need reminders during a market correction that they’re perfectly normal and should be expected: The average intra-year drawdown since 1950 is -13.3%. And more than half of all calendar year drawdowns have...

December 11, 2018 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
Why Should You Diversify? December, 2018 When international stock returns lag, investors may feel tempted to double down on their home market. Historical data suggests the long-term benefits of diversifying globally. For more, visit this week's Dimensional Post Why Should You Diversify or click here for a PDF version. Click image to enlarge SAGE Serendipity: The "Best of 2018" lists are coming out.  Here we've curated a list of lists; a place to start and maybe pick-up...

December 5, 2018 in Identity Theft, Technology
As we covered in our last post, one of the best ways to avoid falling prey to cybercriminals is to “think before you click” within incoming emails, to avoid reacting to an increasing abundance of phishing scams arriving in your inbox. Once you’re in the habit of watching for suspicious subject lines before even opening an email, how can you further differentiate legitimate queries from phishing most foul? BE ON HIGH ALERT...

November 28, 2018 in Identity Theft, Mindful living, Technology
As it turns out, a timeless technique for managing your temper is equally excellent advice for safeguarding your online security in today’s fast-paced world. Just as we’re advised to “count to ten” in the heat of an argument, it’s increasingly imperative to “think before you click” on incoming emails, to avoid falling for email phishing scams on the rise. After all, we’re all human; none of us is immune from occasionally...