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01 Jul 2016 Efficiently Using the Capital Markets for Lifetime Savings

Posted at 11:26h in Briefs about our Process, The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

It is a myth that people saving for life purposes need actively managed funds to comfortably reach their financial goals. In fact, it can be argued that actively managed funds significantly slow progress and reduce their lifestyles, both now and later, compared to efficient portfolios. Technically defined, an efficient...

24 Jun 2016 BREXIT

Posted at 11:09h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

The latest reminder of how divided we are around the world and how poorly our political systems understand and have adapted comes this morning as British citizens voted yesterday 52% to 48% to leave the European Union. The referendum itself was the result of a risky campaign pledge Prime Minister David Cameron made in order to gain re-election. He calculated the referendum was the only way he could placate anti-EU Conservatives in his party, while holding off the growing threat that the U.K Independence Party might fracture his majority in Parliament.

17 Jun 2016 Do You Have Options?

Posted at 13:37h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

Are your options wide enough? Have you ever noticed when filming activities like children playing, school plays, or sporting events, how difficult it is to capture the whole story? There's so much going on outside the tight focus of the camera's lens we can't possibly capture it all. Regrettably, the phenomenon also explains a significant part of our lives and how we make decisions and plans. Chip and Dan Heath, in their book Decisive, use teenagers to illustrate how narrow our frames of reference can be for most of our decisions, even the most important ones. They are called single-option decisions. For example, 'should I break up with my boyfriend or not?' is a single option decision.

10 Jun 2016 Should You Count on Social Security?

Posted at 12:04h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

A frequent question from both young and old clients is “Will I get my benefits?” You might be surprised to learn that the Social Security Program is not as bad off as you might think. That said, the program will be changing in the next 20 years, so it behooves the thoughtful planner of every age to consider and be ready for possible worst cases, while there's time to replace possible gaps in retirement income.