Blog

09 Dec 2016

Posted at 13:06h in The Friday Brief by
One of the most overlooked and yet most important aspects of long term investing is efficiency. The concept of efficiency touches our everyday lives in so many routine ways we take it for granted. We set the thermometers down or up when we are away to conserve money and energy use. We recycle to reduce the waste going to landfills and slow the drain on our natural resources. We are more gentle on the accelerator when gasoline prices are high. We might even think to remove unnecessary weight of stuff on the seats and in the trunk that serve no purpose in our daily commute.

02 Dec 2016

Posted at 12:54h in The Friday Brief by
We are getting a lot of questions about things like the 'Trump Rally,' inflation, and owning bonds in the face of rising interest rates. These are all reasonable concerns given all the changes being openly discussed by the new administration and congressional policy makers. But aside from an unexpected and unprecedented victory like Mr. Trump's, markets, economists, and policy makers are reacting pretty much as they should.

18 Nov 2016

Posted at 14:22h in Briefs about our Process, The Friday Brief by
For most folks, the idea of financial planning sounds like as much fun as doing lab work, going to the dentist, or creating a budget. And in truth, the way it is widely practiced only amplifies the perception that it is a painful exercise in all things uninspiring. As sensual creatures, we enjoy things that appeal to our senses and instinctively avoid the things that affront them.

11 Nov 2016

Posted at 12:20h in The Friday Brief by

Whether or not President-elect Donald Trump has a mandate to pursue the huge changes he aspires to make is a matter of debate. He won impressively from an electoral standpoint, but the popular vote looks razor-close. What is practically inarguable is the fact that the...

09 Nov 2016

Posted at 10:18h in The Friday Brief by

Donald Trump's victory proved a shock to pollsters, gamblers, and stock & bond traders. Stock futures swooned 4.5% last night, but have since mitigated most of their losses. As of this writing the S&P 500 is down only 0.5%. On the bond side, fears that Mr. Trump's...

04 Nov 2016

Posted at 12:46h in The Friday Brief by

As the election draws near, stock and bond markets have been divided as to the significance of the outcome. A Trump victory injects policy uncertainty -  something markets generally dislike. And a Clinton presidency provides more policy certainty, but with recent revelations from the FBI,...

28 Oct 2016

Posted at 11:33h in The Friday Brief by

This year's presidential race has destroyed any remaining remnants of normalcy in our country's quadrennial 'peaceful' transition of power. The breadth of its chaos has shattered precedents in civility, legality, political polling, expectations, and reporting. Both candidates have survived what almost certainly would have led...

21 Oct 2016

Posted at 10:32h in The Friday Brief by
langley-cumbie We are pleased to introduce you to Langley Cumbie, our new Director of Client Relations at Beacon Wealthcare. She is busy invigorating our communications, event planning, marketing, and new client on-boarding processes.

14 Oct 2016

Posted at 15:03h in The Friday Brief by

Ever notice after a hurricane how some trees remain standing while others have fallen? More often than not it’s the rigid, unyielding trees that have fallen, while the more flexible survive. This fact of nature provides an important lesson for anyone who wants to plan for...

30 Sep 2016

Posted at 09:09h in The Friday Brief by
Among my fondest memories are those late Sunday night drives back to Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, listening to Casey Kasem’s Top 40 Countdown. The music was great, but it was Casey’s back stories of the songs and singers that made the experiences so much richer. It felt like Casey, with his melodic baritone voice, was riding beside me in the car as he told his colorful stories of those early 70's artists and their music. He had a way of penetrating the mystique of those mighty rock stars of the day, making them seem real and approachable. The music took on new meanings when Casey described how it was inspired, how it fit into the history of the genre, and how it impacted millions of fans as he shared their letters.