chart shows the percentage of funds that underperformed the S&P 500 in the last 12 years.

S&P 500 Wins Again

This chart from an article in today’s Wall Street Journal shows the percentage of funds that underperformed the S&P 500 in the last 12 years. Again,..

Chart of the Day Managing your Wealth

Car Dealer Profits

I am reminded of this chart every time I drive by a car lot. Before the pandemic, financing and insurance profits made up 70% of the dealer’s..

Chart shows that over the last 15 years, if you missed the top 10 best days of market gains, your return would have gone from 10.66% to only 5.05%.

Chart of the Day Managing your Wealth

Stay Invested

Below is a great chart from Putnam, which shows that over the last 15 years, if you missed the top 10 best days of market gains, your return would..

Chart of the Day Managing your Wealth

Vanguard vs. iShares by BlackRock

Since we use both Vanguard and iShares by BlackRock Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) extensively, one of my pleasures over the last few years has been..

two story home with palm trees blowing in the wind

Managing your Wealth

Best Practices for Financial Planning in Florida: Include Hurricane Season

If you’ve lived in Florida for any length of time, you know what happens every summer: Hurricane season. Longtime residents know the drill – protect..

Man looking at a laptop and using a calculator

Business Managing your Wealth

5 Financial Planning Strategies Business Owners Can Use to Control Expenses

Before you can begin to control expenses en route to lowering them, you must know where your money is going. Numerous financial management programs..

chart shows the levels in cash spiked during COVID and has not returned

Chart of the Day Managing your Wealth

Too Much Cash

In a compelling article by BlackRock, they make an argument that even though we are facing higher than normal inflation and turmoil, that fear is..

Chart of the Day Managing your Wealth

Rising and Falling Rates in Relation to Real Estate Prices

“A 1% decline in real interest rates should lead to a spike in home prices in certain cities in the U.S. ranging from 19% to 33%.” -Bloomberg (Feb...

Young woman helping older man navigate laptop

Managing your Wealth Retirement

Take a Strategic Approach to Your Retirement Planning Today

Thinking about retirement? The average retirement age in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, is 63 for women and 65 for men...

Online Banking Economy Managing your Wealth

Cryptocurrency Becoming Less Cryptic

The creation of cryptocurrencies or digital currencies such as Bitcoin has bankers, financiers and governments pondering the long-term potential..

Estate Planning Market Update Business Savings Economy Managing your Wealth

Initial Market in President Biden's First Days

The S&P 500 Index was down 1% in January based on investors’ revised expectations of corporate revenue growth and earnings. First, the COVID-19..

Modern housing development surrounded by water with a sun flare in the top right corner

Market Update Business Real Estate Managing your Wealth

Market showing resiliency in some sectors

Despite the concerns about strained relations with China, increased COVID infections, social protests, weaker earnings, high U.S. unemployment and..

Estate Planning Managing your Wealth

Highlighting Highlighters

I normally do not make a practice of working from home, but with safe distancing and travel limitations sparked by the pandemic, staying home was..

Estate Planning Taxes Managing your Wealth

Happy (SECURE Act) 2020!

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, better known as the SECURE Act, is so new that estate planners and accountants..

Estate Planning Savings Managing your Wealth

“Be Prepared” for Hiking the Investment Trail

Samuel A. Kiburz, who serves as Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop in Punta Gorda and Chief Financial Officer for Crews Bank & Trust, sees several..

On Our Minds

List Grid

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

03/16/22

This chart from an article in today’s Wall Street Journal shows the percentage of funds that underperformed the S&P 500 in the last 12 years. Again, passive indexes beat 85% of the active managers last year, and the majority have done so for 12 consecutive years. This is one of the reasons why we champion passive index funds.

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

03/14/22

Car Dealer Profits

I am reminded of this chart every time I drive by a car lot. Before the pandemic, financing and insurance profits made up 70% of the dealer’s profits. Now, due to price appreciation of their inventory, that percentage has changed. However, the dollar profits from financing and insurance continue to increase. Car dealers have become more like finance and insurance companies.

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

03/12/22

Stay Invested

Below is a great chart from Putnam, which shows that over the last 15 years, if you missed the top 10 best days of market gains, your return would have gone from 10.66% to only 5.05%.

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

03/9/22

Vanguard vs. iShares by BlackRock

Since we use both Vanguard and iShares by BlackRock Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) extensively, one of my pleasures over the last few years has been seeing each company try to outdo the other by lowering costs. As they continue to lower costs, they gather more and more investments. As referenced in a recent Bloomberg article, together they account for 64% of the ETF market as Vanguard is getting close to the size of BlackRock.

Managing your Wealth

03/8/22

Best Practices for Financial Planning in Florida: Include Hurricane Season

If you’ve lived in Florida for any length of time, you know what happens every summer: Hurricane season. Longtime residents know the drill – protect yourself and your loved ones in terms of shelter, safety and supplies.

Business, Managing your Wealth

03/8/22

5 Financial Planning Strategies Business Owners Can Use to Control Expenses

Before you can begin to control expenses en route to lowering them, you must know where your money is going. Numerous financial management programs are available to help you keep track of your expenses, but they won’t help unless you or your business manager enters the proper information.

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

03/1/22

Too Much Cash

In a compelling article by BlackRock, they make an argument that even though we are facing higher than normal inflation and turmoil, that fear is driving investors to hold too much cash.

Chart of the Day, Managing your Wealth

02/23/22

Rising and Falling Rates in Relation to Real Estate Prices

“A 1% decline in real interest rates should lead to a spike in home prices in certain cities in the U.S. ranging from 19% to 33%.” -Bloomberg (Feb. 23, 2022)

Managing your Wealth, Retirement

11/17/21

Take a Strategic Approach to Your Retirement Planning Today

Thinking about retirement? The average retirement age in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, is 63 for women and 65 for men. While you may not actually retire until your late 60s or 70s, you should start thinking about it as soon as you start working. Some experts suggest you start saving in your 20s, when you begin earning paychecks, because the sooner you begin saving, the more time your money has to grow.

Online Banking, Economy, Managing your Wealth

04/13/21

Cryptocurrency Becoming Less Cryptic

The creation of cryptocurrencies or digital currencies such as Bitcoin has bankers, financiers and governments pondering the long-term potential economic and political ramifications for the future. While the increasing use of digital currencies demonstrates the power of a secure, secretive payment transfer system, it also has created a loophole from government control.

Estate Planning, Market Update, Business, Savings, Economy, Managing your Wealth

02/2/21

Initial Market in President Biden's First Days

The S&P 500 Index was down 1% in January based on investors’ revised expectations of corporate revenue growth and earnings. First, the COVID-19 vaccine distribution and inoculation process is proceeding slowly while the virus is mutating. The new strains appear to be slightly more virulent and the vaccination timeline will take longer and delay economic normalization.

Market Update, Business, Real Estate, Managing your Wealth

08/3/20

Market showing resiliency in some sectors

Despite the concerns about strained relations with China, increased COVID infections, social protests, weaker earnings, high U.S. unemployment and the November election, the S&P 500 Index is up 1% for the year while the Nasdaq Index is up 19.7%. The increasing spread of the virus is suppressing a healthy economic recovery as consumers and businesses remain conservative in their spending.

Estate Planning, Managing your Wealth

07/8/20

Highlighting Highlighters

I normally do not make a practice of working from home, but with safe distancing and travel limitations sparked by the pandemic, staying home was something many were following.

After setting up my home office and starting some projects, I reached for my yellow highlighter, then laughed because I didn’t have one at home, then resorted to using Post-it Notes.

Estate Planning, Taxes, Managing your Wealth

01/16/20

Happy (SECURE Act) 2020!

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, better known as the SECURE Act, is so new that estate planners and accountants are still learning ways to plan around it to minimize the impact on existing and future clients. Following are some items to ponder as you review your estate plans through the year.

Estate Planning, Savings, Managing your Wealth

11/27/19

“Be Prepared” for Hiking the Investment Trail

Samuel A. Kiburz, who serves as Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop in Punta Gorda and Chief Financial Officer for Crews Bank & Trust, sees several similarities between the two callings. He described those parallels in a column he wrote after taking his troop to a summer camp in the Ocala National Forest.

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