Back to the Basics: Return Policy
As more and more shopping moves from brick-and-mortar stores to the internet, the risk of getting it wrong escalates. A pair of pants bought from a website, without trying them on first, is something that would have seemed insane 25 years ago. Will they even fit? I recall the back-to-school ritual of trying on jeans while seeking Mom’s approval (since …
Briefcase Study: Now That I’m Retired
“Now That I’m Retired, I Wonder How I Got Anything Done When I Was Working!” “How’s retirement treating you?” – I asked. “I’m failing miserably at it. I’m so busy now that I wonder how I got anything done when I was working. “ If I had a dollar for each time I’ve heard something to this effect, I’d be …
70/100 Retirement Vision
I don’t know what a perfect life looks like or a perfect retirement plan either. What I can say is that it would be really fun to plan a life that was built upon a 70/100 model (I just made that up, it’s not a thing). That is, a person would enjoy their work enough to retire from it at …
2021 Summer Newsletter: Kansas City
We did it. With the mask mandates being lifted, and vaccinations on the rise, we’re headed into summer of 2021 with full faces and full hearts. The last year-and-a-half has tested us on so many levels. Fortunately, we can begin to discuss this in past tense, and I couldn’t be happier. I only hope that the perspectives that we gained …
Briefcase Study: House Fever
Home is where the heart is. There’s no place like home. When the house is a rockin’ don’t bother knockin’. There’s no questioning the fact that a home is a critical piece of our lifestyle and identify. Where we live has a lot to do with whom we associate and spend time as well as how we perceive our standing …
Team Spotlight: Jacque Hayes
Fun Facts About Jacque Where were you born? Kansas City Mo. What’s your biggest pet peeve? People licking their fingers and touching something before handing it to you. Favorite vacation spot? Toss up between Mexico for relaxation and Disney for family fun! What was the first concert you attended? Lyte Funkie Ones (LFO) Cats or Dogs? Dogs My favorite candy …
Back to the Basics: The Choice Challenge In Retirement
The Choice Challenge In Retirement If you were to ask me what is my very favorite thing, I think I’d say it’s choice. I suppose it’s like declaring that freedom is good. The very ability to make choices with our time, money, relationships, careers…these all make life so much richer than the alternative, having few choices. An uncluttered view of …
Is It Possible To Over-Save For Retirement?
There are countless studies that reveal how underprepared baby boomers are for retirement. As a group, it’s said that boomers are doomed to poverty lifestyles during retirement, that is, if they can ever retire at all. Sobering, indeed. While I can’t comment on all people approaching retirement, I often consider how much saving is “too much.” So I ask you: …
Diversification: Always Something To Celebrate (And Apologize For)
This may feel like an old, well-worn topic, but please bear with me; I hope to present a new twist. Diversification is a time-tested way for investors to manage the inherent risks of investing by owning lots of different kinds of assets. Diversification takes many forms, but often looks like this example: owning 60% of a portfolio in stocks and …
Cash: The Glue That Holds It All Together
Have you ever gazed upon an heirloom-quality piece of furniture, a new gourmet kitchen, or a stunning sports car and thought to yourself, “The glue-work is simply exquisite.” Probably not. I know I haven’t. But what would that object look like if it wasn’t fastened together correctly, or at all? It’d be little more than a pile of individual parts …