Fully Invested & Prepared.
Articles to help you navigate the markets and plan your future finances.
Breaking down the Social Security Fairness Act: Fast and simple.
How to Invest in an Election Year
After a strong start to the year, the markets have hit some turbulence.
Hotter-than-hoped-for inflation data, continuing military operations in the Middle East and heartburn surrounding the looming Presidential Election are the most frequently-cited concerns heading into April.
What a difference a year makes. How about 30?
A year ago (January 2023) we were licking our wounds after one of the worst years ever in both stocks and bonds.
At the time, we wrote a newsletter that said in part, “If you suspect that you won’t touch the money until 2028 or beyond, you might continue to consider stocks as a powerful path to building wealth.”
If we could teach our girls only one thing about investing, it would be this.
Last month, Sara reunited with some of her basketball friends playing in the Austin Women’s Basketball League:
The last time she was able to play basketball in person with them was the week of March 12, 2020, just before her twice-weekly games were shut down due to Covid.
Silicon Valley Bank and FDIC Insurance
The NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo had dozens of accounts at different US banks with $250,000 in each one. He knows that $250,000 is the per person limit at each bank to qualify for FDIC insurance. Why did this young athlete take the time to learn US banking regulations? Because Giannis was born and raised in Athens, he witnessed Greece’s 2008 financial crisis up close and personal. As a result, financial regulation was probably more important to him than the average investor.
To 2023, and beyond.
I am delighted to announce that Kacie Swartz, CFP®, CIMA®, is joining Black Barn as our newest Managing Partner and wealth advisor.
Kacie has been in the financial services industry since 2001 and has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner since 2012. For over 20 years, Kacie has been committed to simplifying financial concepts and making financial literacy accessible to everyone. You will be receiving additional information about this expansion to our team in the weeks ahead. I’m thrilled to welcome Kacie to the Black Barn team!
Silver Linings of a Market Downturn
As I’m writing this email, we’re at, or near, this year’s lows. The underlying causes are still the same: The Federal Reserve is fighting inflation with higher interest rates, and markets are having a hard time adjusting. Trading algorithms are also kicking in, leading to a mass selloff across stocks, bonds, energy and real estate. When different investments all fall at the same time, it can be demoralizing.
Three Strategies to Withstand the Bear Market
We’re investing for the long run, which means now is still not the time to panic. Here’s what you can do right now.
Hitting the Pause Button
Uncertainty in the markets could continue to churn in the near term, and that makes it especially hard to plan for the future with confidence. How can we deal with near-term risk and still constructively invest for long-term growth? I've put together a very simple framework that helps me cut through the complexity of current events.
All Eyes Are On Ukraine
The news of war in Ukraine is being digested by global markets. While we continue to focus on the long-term, we’re steeling ourselves for continued volatility as the crisis unfolds.
Market Pullbacks
The markets are in the middle of a pullback, and while it can feel like unprecedented times, the truth is that declines like this happen fairly frequently.
Series I Bonds - The Perfect Stocking Stuffer?
For those of you looking for higher yields on your cash or cash-like holdings, read on for more details.