<p>If you were like me as a kid, you may remember the epic tug-of-war battles by the big oak tree over a mass of mud. The winner got to stay clean, albeit with a few rope burns, and the losers, well, they got that sticky mud all over them. It was all about bragging rights, but in the long term, we all knew we would be clean before long. We would pull with everything we had, teasing each other as the rope strained. Ultimately, it didn’t m...

<p>As you stand on the shore watching the ocean for a few minutes it can be difficult to determine if the tide is coming in or going out. Over a bit more time things become a bit more apparent and you can look at frames of reference to determine what is happening a little quicker than just letting it happen. The economy and the markets can be similar, albeit much more complex.</p>

<p>If you were like me as a kid, you may remember the epic tug-of-war battles by the big oak tree over a mass of mud. The winner got to stay clean, albeit with a few rope burns, and the losers, well, they got that sticky mud all over them. It was all about bragging rights, but in the long term, we all knew we would be clean before long. We would pull with everything we had, teasing each other as the rope strained. Ultimately, it didn’t m...

<p>Bulls and the Bears have great points, and intelligent people are firmly on both sides of the debate. The key is how to position yourself to profit no matter what happens, and that depends upon your personal situation, which only you and your financial advisor know about. </p> <p>• The Bearish Crowd<br /> • The Bullish Crowd<br /> • Positioning Yourself to Profit</p>

<p>Three Burning Questions </p> <p>What is the next “next big thing”?  I have been asked this question regularly over the past few decades, and there is always a “next big thing”.  We introduced AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a clear, investable theme in this monthly blog as far back as 2019, and we are still far from seeing its full impact on our economy and world.  Now that it is “old news,” the words artificial intelligence have seemingly ...

<p>Three Burning Questions </p> <p>What is the next “next big thing”?  I have been asked this question regularly over the past few decades, and there is always a “next big thing”.  We introduced AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a clear, investable theme in this monthly blog as far back as 2019, and we are still far from seeing its full impact on our economy and world.  Now that it is “old news,” the words artificial intelligence have seemingly ...

<p>Emily, a seasoned executive in the construction industry, seamlessly transitioned between the office and construction sites, donning her hard hat and boots.  With a successful career spanning decades, she retired at 65, relocating to sunny Stuart, Florida.  Trusting her retirement accounts to sustain her, she remained invested in stock funds, convinced that the strategy that worked so well while working would do the same in retirement.  Ini...

<p>While Everyone Runs in One Direction, Careful Analysis May Yield Better Long-term Results</p> <p>. . . . Demetrius realized the value of independent thinking and the folly of surrendering one&#8217;s critical thinking skills to the crowd.  </p>

<p>&#8220;The best you can do is read these words and find someone who thinks and researches these things daily and has done so for many years to help you use the raw material you call money to build what you define as your best life.&#8221;</p>

<p>&#8220;Nearly 100% of us have dreams, 60% of us have goals, three percent of us write them down, one percent have a written plan, and less than that execute on the plan consistently.&#8221;  </p> <p>If you want to be a &#8220;one percenter,&#8221; doing all three things is a great place to start.    </p> <p>This month, we will take a glance back at 2022 and look forward to 2023<br /> Much like driving a car, it is good to glance in the rear...

<p>&#8220;Nearly 100% of us have dreams, 60% of us have goals, three percent of us write them down, one percent have a written plan, and less than that execute on the plan consistently.&#8221;  </p> <p>If you want to be a &#8220;one percenter,&#8221; doing all three things is a great place to start.    </p> <p>This month, we will take a glance back at 2022 and look forward to 2023<br /> Much like driving a car, it is good to glance in the rear...

<p>&#8220;Nearly 100% of us have dreams, 60% of us have goals, three percent of us write them down, one percent have a written plan, and less than that execute on the plan consistently.&#8221;  </p> <p>If you want to be a &#8220;one percenter,&#8221; doing all three things is a great place to start.    </p> <p>This month, we will take a glance back at 2022 and look forward to 2023<br /> Much like driving a car, it is good to glance in the rear...

<p>Have you ever worried about something? I mean really worried about it as it kept you up at night. I know I have.</p> <p>Even though I know logically that worrying about a thing does not change things, I often do. This is the human condition. We worry, and sometimes that worry pushes us to act even when doing so is not in our best interests.  </p> <p>When I graduated college, the United States was in a recession. A new grad with a business d...

<p>&#8220;Nearly 100% of us have dreams, 60% of us have goals, three percent of us write them down, one percent have a written plan, and less than that execute on the plan consistently.&#8221;  </p> <p>If you want to be a &#8220;one percenter,&#8221; doing all three things is a great place to start.    </p> <p>This month, we will take a glance back at 2022 and look forward to 2023<br /> Much like driving a car, it is good to glance in the rear...

<p>Have you ever faced down two thousand pounds of raw muscle bearing down on you in the ocean? a rock face to your right and open ocean to your left. How do you position yourself? </p>

<p>It was HOT! My head was swimming, and my mouth took in massive lungs full of air. I had two walking sticks and a lot of water on my back. My 50+ out-of-shape body had pushed through a whopping four miles of straight uphill rocky terrain. My ultra-marathon runner 20-something son waited patiently for me, not even breathing heavily, and encouragingly said, Dad, just another mile to go, and it is all downhill from here! (I begged to differ wit...

<p>Have you ever read stories about professional athletes?</p> <p>I recently watched a video series about one. These stories fascinate me, even though they all have three things in common. They all practice, watch historical tapes and have multiple coaches in specific areas of their craft. (a throwing coach, a strength coach, an endurance coach, a physical therapist, a dietician, and the list goes on).  </p>

<p>Have you ever been in a situation where you know something is wrong but need a professional to tell you just how bad it is? &#8216;So, Mr. Mechanic, how bad is it? So Doc, how bad is it?   </p> <p>One of my sons recently called with a car issue, and from 1,800 miles away, he said to me so how bad do you think it is? Just from having him describe the issue, my best guess was a $1,500 to $2,000 repair, but I am far from the actual problem, so...

<p>What matters is what will happen, not what is happening right now, yet that is where most people focus. I am teaching my daughter (the last one of six I get to teach.) how to drive, and we talk about keeping her focus further out because if she doesn&#8217;t, she is constantly correcting and going way over to one side of the lane or the other. Investing can be a lot like that. Keep your focus out in front. Sure, glance in the rearview mirro...

<p>Have you ever made a poor decision based on fear, only to learn of your mistake later?  </p> <p>One of the things I learned about helping people in water rescue is that, as painful as it may be, you must wait for a panicked person to drown before you can save them nearly. Their fear causes them to make poor decisions like grabbing their would-be rescuer and drowning them both!  </p> <p>I also learned that the more you understand something, ...