In January, while headlines swung from optimism to alarm almost daily, Mark paid little attention. Mark is a founder who sold his company several years ago and relies on his portfolio to support both his lifestyle and long-term goals. His portfolio did not change much during the month, at least not in any dramatic way. But beneath the surface, it continuously moved with intention, generating cash flow, rebalancing risk, and positioning capital for long-term success....

Last month a long-time client stopped me after a review meeting and said, "this finally feels good again" . . . and that is what worries me.

A client once told me about a covered wooden bridge near his childhood home. Each winter, fierce storms would shake it and rattle every board. Yet it never collapsed. As he grew older, he learned the secret. The bridge was designed with flexible joints that allowed it to bend under pressure instead of breaking. 

When Marjorie ordered her usual morning latte, she did a double-take; the price was higher . . . again.  This was her one thing, however small that she really enjoyed a coffee at her local coffee shop, a quiet moment alone reading a book but even that was getting more expensive.  Her Social Security check would arrive on schedule, but it wouldn’t stretch quite as far. That small moment captures something much bigger: .....

Tom (name changed for privacy), became convinced that a particular tech stock was destined to keep soaring. Tom was so sure he insisted we double down despite our repeated advice to maintain a more balanced portfolio. The headlines seemed to validate his conviction: analysts were bullish, quarterly earnings sparkled, and the stock reached new highs month after month. Then, the company was hit with a surprise legal issue that sent shares tumbling, erasing a year’s worth of gai

It was just past 7 a.m. on a Monday when a longtime client, a seasoned and busy executive with two decades of C-suite experience, called during his commute. “I skimmed three headlines about the Fed, inflation, and some bad news about chip stocks,” he said, “but I don’t have time to connect the dots. You’ve got this right?” 

If you’re a Gen-Xer like me, you probably have put more than a few quarters in pinball machines in your time.   Something about that was just a lot of fun.  Now, imagine yourself inside that machine, and that is what the markets have felt like so far this spring, and as we head into summer, it may not get much better. 

April demonstrated the importance of being prepared for market uncertainty. The month began with the White House’s April 2 tariff announcement on nearly all trading partners. These tariffs were far higher than investors had expected, leading to fears of rising inflation, a global economic slowdown, and a trade war. Stock markets reacted with the sharpest declines since the pandemic.

In today's volatile market, even seasoned investors can fall prey to knee-jerk reactions that erode long-term returns. Our latest article,

Warren Buffet has said that we will see who is wearing a bathing suit when the tide goes out. We have enjoyed two years of remarkable growth in the equity markets while the bond markets have languished for many years. Much as innovation is often slow to be adopted in the tech space, it is much slower in the investing space.

Warren Buffet has said that we will see who is wearing a bathing suit when the tide goes out. We have enjoyed two years of remarkable growth in the equity markets while the bond markets h

December 3, 2024 John Browning, MBA and CSA® | CEO, Principal I hope all who read this have had a good Thanksgiving holiday and that you enjoyed many things that money cannot purchase,

Throughout history, widely held beliefs have been proven incorrect. In the 19th century, for example, Scurvy was believed to have been caused by bad weather, poor hygiene, and a number of other things.