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For a finance nerd like myself, it doesn't get much better than listening to two investment icons debate about the best way to invest money. I got the chance to do just that yesterday between the "old school" Yale professor Roger Ibbotson and the "new school" researcher Robert Arnott. The title of the debate "Can Markets be Timed?" did not actually stir much arguing. Both agreed that it is impossible to time the markets by knowing when to buy and sell at the exact right times. They also agreed that investors should avoid the most "popular" stocks in the media because they are often too expensive.…

Achieving Work-Life Balance By: Matt Roberts, Sherpa Investment Management As my wife and I prepare for our first child, it has me thinking about how I allocate my time. Like many people, much of my time is spent working and with family (some weeks it's more work than family). In a survey done by Harvard Business School, 94% of working professionals reported working more than 50 hours per week and 50% reported working more than 65 hours per week.…

Retirees are desperate for investment income to cover their living expenses. Low interest rates have caused retirees to chase after higher yields in riskier investments. A few years ago this pushed the price of high yield bonds up causing the yields to be lower.…

As the turn of the millennium approached people began to realize that computers around the world only counted the last two digits of a number for any given year (computers used xx99 for the year 1999, for example). This meant that computers didn't know the difference between the year 1900 and the year 2000. People thought that computers everywhere would reset on 01/01/2000 and mass chaos would ensue.…

We are so grateful that the Hope Ministries staff is enjoying our donation of cubicles. They look great! Thank you for the great pictures, Hope Ministries! …

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Our hearts go out to all of the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We honor all those who lost their lives 14 years ago and those who continue to serve to protect our freedoms. #NeverForget #911Memorial #Honor911 …

Every financial planning client has a return requirement and a risk tolerance. When a prospective client meets with an advisor, the two outline what return is required from the client's portfolio to meet the client's goals and the level of risk which can be tolerated by the client. Once the return requirement and risk tolerance are determined, assets are then allocated in a manner which would generate that return while adhering to the clients risk tolerance.…

For the last few years we have been living in a low interest rate environment. The Federal Reserve has not seen the kind of economic improvement necessary to justify an increase in the federal lending rate. This has made chasing bond yields difficult in a market that contains an abundance of low yield options for investment grade bonds. To complicate the matter further, there is always the lingering debate of tax-managed bonds versus taxable bonds.…

Discussions are often brought to us regarding the appropriate assumptions for investment returns on retirement accounts or the sustainable withdrawal rate that retirement resources can maintain for a lifetime. These two topics appear to be the bottom line for retirement financial success, but history has shown us that a number of other factors also influence financial success in retirement. Most notably the sequence of investment returns can have a substantial impact on the level of income that a retirement nest egg can support, and strategies are available to protect against this risk.…

Congratulations to our very own James Mantosh for completing the CFA® Program and earning his Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation! The CFA Program curriculum connects academic theory with current practice and ethical and professional standards to provide a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. Congratulations, James, on this accomplishment!…