June 21, 2024
It is said that anger, joy, and fear are some of the most powerful human emotions. I have been thinking about these emotions for some time, and it has become clear that anger has been what has fueled me since I was a child. Whether it was not having all that I wanted and going to work at age 12, Or when I moved to a new school and town for 10th-12th grade and did not know anyone, a new place, and new people, and I had to assimilate to that. Or, while in high school, never being quite good […]
June 14, 2024
This week, I had the pleasure of seeing a client I had not seen in some time. They moved to Australia a few years ago, and while I continue to manage their money, we have not really connected in a while. While at lunch, Mike shared a recent story while visiting with one of his friends back here in the states. “You should move your money to a bigger firm. Like a bank,” Mike’s friend suggested. “With all the money you have, a bank or a Merrill Lynch would take great care of you.” Mike then looked at me and said, “Jeremy, […]
June 7, 2024
Recently, I have been having some real feelings about mortality. Doing so draws out some of the biggest questions of the human experience. What are we doing this all for? Am I actually making a difference? Is there more to life? My daughter will soon be 11 and graduating fifth grade. That means we’ve been living in a new home, a new city, and a new state for about two years. Honestly, it’s been a struggle. Some have even said that I seem on edge more than usual. Why do I share this? Well, I am closer to 50 than […]
June 3, 2024
Stock Market May brought the sixth winning month in seven for the market’s major benchmarks. For the month, Wall Street’s three major indices performed as follows: The Dow +2.3% S&P 500 +4.8% Nasdaq +6.88% All three indices set records for the month of May; the Dow had its best May performance since 2020, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq haven’t had a better May showing since 2003. Inflation May’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) report revealed that prices rose 0.3% in April, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a 12-month basis, the Consumer Price Index […]
May 31, 2024
It seems like it would be so easy, and yet it’s something that proves so hard. It’s way too easy to focus on the negative rather than all that is going well and all of the good around us. My son’s team lost their little league baseball game this week. It was the playoffs; they were one win away from going to the championship game. After the loss, at first, I was upset. I was frustrated with several calls by the umpires and how poorly the manager of the other team spoke to us. Just a very poor showing of sportsmanship. […]
May 24, 2024
“Making everybody a winner means nobody has to learn from losing. And let me tell you, losing is what makes winning fantastic.” “Removing the struggles, the failure, and the barriers does two things in the long run: It weakens people, and it takes away the meaning of joy from their lives…” “Life has more discomfort than comfort. But that’s what makes the highs of life feel so fantastic.” These are small excerpts from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s weekly blog. I love his perspective. I also can’t help to think that some of what we are seeing in society today is due to making […]
May 17, 2024
As a household, we’re very cautious with technology and too much screen time for our kids. We’ve seen how they change when they’re on their tablets, video games, and in front of the computer too long. Their attitudes and actions are just simply not the same. So, as a household, we’ve made the conscious decision to limit screen time and not allow much at all. While I am certain that’s the best decision for their health, at the same time I’m conflicted. You do not want your children to get behind in the world of technology. You do not want them […]
May 10, 2024
“She is in a lot of pain,” he said. “On so many different drugs that she can’t eat and just doesn’t feel normal.” “When was she diagnosed? What happened?” I asked. “We were at this flea market, and she kept fainting. So, we went into the emergency room, and they saw the tumor. ‘Stage 4 colon cancer. But now it has moved into her liver,” he shared, starting to cry. Tim and Sue have been clients for a very long time. Good friends, great people. This is not supposed to happen to them. As we spoke more throughout the evening, there was a sense […]
May 3, 2024
Have you ever called someone that you thought you had a good relationship with, only to not have them never return the call at all? Call after call. Months after months, they never call back or even respond. But finally, Joshua called me back. “Dude, where have you been?” I answered the phone when I saw his name on my caller ID. “I thought either I was getting fired or would have to pay a death claim!” “I am so sorry, Jeremy,” he said. “I know I’ve owed you a call for a while now.” I assured him that I […]
May 1, 2024
Stock Market Stocks fell on the last trading day of April to cap a losing month. The stock market’s three major indices performed as follows in April: S&P 500 -4.2% Nasdaq -4.4% The Dow -5% It was the Dow’s worst monthly slide since September 2022, while all three major indices ended five straight months of gains. Disappointing wage data and a new round of inflation fears capsized markets on the final day of April. But despite a brutal month for equities, the S&P 500 is still up more than 20% from its recent low as of October 2023. Of […]