In financial planning and investment management, process is far more important than product. There are no good rules of thumb when it comes to managing wealth. Every individual has various traits, family situations, educational and work experience and goals which, when taken as a whole, make each of us unique. There is no formula for […]
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ABA WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND TRUST CONFERENCE
LEARNING NEVER ENDS With dynamics affecting the wealth management and trust industry, our advisors make constant efforts to stay on top of all changes. Our continued education helps us put you in the best possible position to grow your wealth and protect your legacy. This month, Chairman & CEO Stephen English and Vice President & […]
Read MoreASK A TRUST OFFICER: LIVING TRUSTS
Dear Trust Officer: My parents are retired, living in another state. They have a sizeable investment portfolio and are financially comfortable. However, as they are getting older, they are having trouble keeping up with their paperwork. Last year they were late in making tax payments, very unlike them. I would help them, but I just […]
Read MoreWHEN GOOD FORTUNE COMES YOUR WAY.
Whether expected or not, an inheritance, divorce settlement, severance package or pension payout, proceeds from the sale of a business, life insurance, legal judgments, or even lottery winnings—all can put in your hands the equivalent of several years of earnings. NOW YOU’RE AT A CROSSROADS — suddenly called upon to switch from wealth-building mode to […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 02-27-17
Market Fluctuation Due to multiple requests, we are going to rerun some market statistics we previously provided in our Weekly Updates. The first chart shows the frequency of historical market declines. Such declines are normal occurrences in public markets. So, when is the next correction going to begin? No one can consistently predict the start, […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 02-21-17
Rule Number 1 A frequently repeated piece of advice from Warren Buffett is, “Rule Number 1: Never lose money. Rule Number 2: Never forget Rule Number 1.” As simple and useless as this piece of advice sounds, it points out an important money management and personal management starting point for every investor. It directs attention […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 02-13-17
From Warren Buffett’s Letter to Shareholders in 2010: Throughout my lifetime, politicians and pundits have constantly moaned about terrifying problems facing America. Yet our citizens now live an astonishing six times better than when I was born. The prophets of doom have overlooked the all-important factor that is certain: Human potential is far from exhausted, […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 02-06-17
Wall Street analysts and media are rightfully criticized for putting too much emphasis on quarterly earnings. What investors want is for managements to build the value of their businesses over time. One quarter’s results are seldom make-or-break events. Earnings, however, are what ultimately determine stock prices so without putting too much emphasis on a single […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 01-30-17
Accumulating wealth for retirement involves more than investment returns. Much of one’s good work in this area can be lost if the account owner does not understand rules for retirement accounts spelled out in the tax code. The penalties are steep. Chris English begins an explanation of these concerns in his piece, Q & A […]
Read MoreWeekly Update 01-23-17
BTN Research recently pointed out the worst day for the S&P 500 last year generated a loss of 3.6% which was a greater loss than the worst year for the bond market at any time over the last 40 years (1977 -2016). That statistic points out the usefulness of an allocation to fixed income categories […]
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