What it costs to attend college in New Jersey
SFA Advisor, Leslie Beck, with Compass Wealth Management in Rutherford, NJ, discusses what it costs to attend college in New Jersey. Read more…
blog posts
It’s About Job Growth, Stupid!
Contributed by Lewis J. Walker, CFP® “History repeats and it may even rhyme,” continues as an apt observation in today’s political back-and-forth. In the 1992 presidential election a relatively unknown Democratic Governor of Arkansas emerged victorious over President H.W. Bush and independent Ross Perot. While Perot drained votes from both candidates, much of Bill Clinton’s…
Only Ten Years to Live
Contributed by Lewis J. Walker, CFP® Writing about the death of Roger Ailes, Jenny Stanton, Dailymail.com, referenced the 2013 biography, Roger Ailes Off Camera by Zev Chafets. Ailes was a controversial political consultant who became a master of television news and opinion. He passed away on May 18, 2017, just after his 77th birthday. Roger…
Earnings are Back in the Driver’s Seat
By Mike Boyle, CFA, Executive VP, Asset Management – May 30, 2017 Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (AAM) We believe it goes without saying that the current economic recovery and accompanying bull market run for equities have been little appreciated and much maligned. Unfortunately, once again we are seeing an uptick in headlines and media…
Bond Ladders: An Oldie but Goodie
By JB Golden, CFA, First VP, Portfolio Manager – Jun. 5, 2017, Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (AAM) While investment fads tend to come and go, one strategy that has had remarkable staying power is the bond ladder. Laddering bonds is a methodology that is especially useful for investors looking to own a portfolio of…
Travel Dreams 2017
Contributed by Lewis J. Walker, CFP® Money is no fun unless you use it at times to have fun! Travel can be fun, as long as you have the right attitude and plan the trip with realistic expectations. We saw the Vietnamese doctor being dragged off of a United Airlines flight. Before I started my…
Springing Forward
Contributed by Lewis J. Walker, CFP® The joys of spring. We celebrated Passover and Easter, paid our income taxes or filed for an extension, and now thoughts turn to summer activities. Whatever you are planning or anticipating, a review of financial planning strategies may be in order, especially if a significant life transition event is…
A New World of Reflation
Contributed by Lewis J. Walker, CFP® Prior to the presidential election on November 8, 2016, many economic commentators predicted a stock market rout if Donald Trump won. As election night results pointed to a Trump upset, Dow futures plunged. Observing sinking futures, at 12:42 a.m. on 11/9/16, Dr. Paul Krugman, New York Times economic columnist,…
A Taxing Vexation
Contributed by: Lewis J. Walker, CFP® Remember Wendy’s advertising catchphrase, “Where’s the beef?” The line now is used to question the substance of an idea, proposal, product, etc. With potential tax reform buoying the stock market, the better question may be, “Where’d the beef come from?” During the stock market trading week ending 2/10/17, meeting…
Set Goals for 2017? Groan…
Contributed by: Lewis J. Walker, CFP® ‘Tis the season for setting goals. New Year’s resolutions. To-do lists. For some, such urgings, whether from a spouse, parent, boss, or adviser, are a groaner! As a kid, my mom, teachers, and mentors would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a teenager,…