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What is a Fiduciary? Demystifying “Fiduciary” Financial Advice

May 4, 2016 in Advisor Role, Fiduciary

So, have you heard about the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) new fiduciary rule, now governing the advice you receive for your retirement plan assets? If so, congratulations, you’re in an elite group. Maybe the news would have received wider coverage if the election year weren’t in full swing. Maybe not. As one of my colleagues observed, “Sad to say, ‘fiduciary’ is boring.” The word alone causes eyes to glaze and...

What is a Financial Advisor Worth? A Nerd’s Eye View of an Advisor’s Value

April 26, 2016 in Advisor Role, Financial Life Planning, Investing

The credentials alone may say it all about Michael Kitces and his Nerd’s Eye View on financial planning. With two master’s degrees in financial services and taxation, a CFP® mark, and five other financial certifications to his name, that’s some serious nerd power. But what’s decidedly cool about Kitces is his passion for sharing his “journey of continuous education” with fellow advisors as well as with investors looking for a...

You and Your Investments: How Are You Doing? Part II: Your Portfolio and Its Parts

April 20, 2016 in Evidence-Based Investing, Investing

Part II: Your Portfolio and Its Parts In our last post, we discussed why it’s best to avoid comparing your own investment returns to “the market” or the latest popular portions of it. There’s one more misleading measurement that can trip up an investor: [message_box title="Your Portfolio" color="gray"] = Pursing the market’s expected returns (by investing in asset classes with higher expected returns but higher volatility) + Managing the risks involved (by investing in asset classes with more...

You and Your Investments: How Are You Doing? Part I: Coveting Your Neighbors’ Returns

April 12, 2016 in Evidence-Based Investing, Investing

Part I: Coveting Your Neighbors’ Returns It’s ironic. One of the biggest questions we ask ourselves as investors is: “How am I doing?” While the question is a good one, if the answers are off-base, you risk changing course when you should be sitting tight, or sitting tight when you should be considering a change. This is not only frustrating, it can detract from … how you are doing. It’s a...

What Sheri’s Reading and “2016 Reading Challenge” Update

April 5, 2016 in Mindful living, SAGE Reads

“2016 Reading Challenge” Update This year I set a challenge to read 38 books in 2016 by reading at least 25 pages a day (Fast Company’s Stephanie Vozza thinks I should Read 50 Books this Year. Maybe next year.) So far I’ve read 15 books. Some Young Adult fiction. (Yes I’m a YA fan along with the likes of Gretchen Rubin, the author of “The Happiness Project”.) I re-read “The Remains of...

Inspiring Insights, Invigorating Ideas

March 29, 2016 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Fiduciary, Investing

One of the reasons I read as much as I do is to be inspired by others. There’s nothing I love more than discovering an intriguing new way to frame an old idea, and then sharing what I’ve learned, hoping to inspire others as well. On the flip side, there’s nothing more demoralizing than falsehoods or opinions being spread as facts. They remind me of a shopping channel infomercial. Watch it...

You, Your Wealth, and Some Springtime Playtime

March 22, 2016 in Investing, Mindful living

Whether or not the weather is entirely on board with the program, the calendar never lies: Spring has sprung! As we prepare to shed a layer or more of winter-wear, let’s take a moment to peel back the layers of your busy life as well: Do your financial plans include making time for some playtime? The subject may seem lighthearted, but I’m very serious about this. It’s a question we pose...

Want Success? Emulate Successful People

March 15, 2016 in Investing, Mindful living

With his worth estimated at around $40 billion (as of mid-February), at least as measured in dollars, Michael Bloomberg is among the most successful people alive. How does this sort of success happen? It’s unlikely there is a single recipe for amassing billions. (And personally, we’d be okay with, say, a mere $500 million to our name.) But this recent post by Gillian Zoe Segal describes seven traits that successful people...

What Sheri’s Reading About Reading

March 8, 2016 in SAGE Reads

If there were a 12-step program for weaning someone off of her reading addiction, you’d turn blue in the face if you held your breath waiting for me to enroll in it. In fact, I’ve taken my compulsion one step further from “recovery.” Lately, I’ve been reading a good deal about reading. Here are some highlights. Why You Should Read 50 Books This Year (And How To Do It) (Fast Company’s...

Dimensional Fund Advisors: Why Should You Diversify?

March 7, 2016 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing

Still Going Global We’ve said it before and we’ll no doubt say it again. In fact, because it’s so important, we dedicated one of last summer’s Investment Basics Series installments to global diversification, “your super power to help you manage that market risk by spreading it around, widely and globally.” In this year’s markets, the message bears repeating so disparate global returns don’t tempt you to concentrate your holdings too close to home....