01 May 2015

Posted at 13:39h in The Friday Brief by
Who doesn't like the word guarantee? It gives us a comforting feeling when we exchange our money for a product or service to know that we will get our money back if our expectations are not met. But when it comes to most guaranteed financial products, like CD’s, bond funds, and annuities, owners unfortunately don't realize their expectations have not been met until it’s too late because there's another guarantee these products fail to address - inflation. If inflation continues at just 2% for the next ten years, $100 worth of groceries today will cost $122 ten years from now.

24 Apr 2015

Posted at 12:40h in The Friday Brief by
[caption id="attachment_7006" align="alignnone" width="1024"]Turner Field. Atlanta, GA. Turner Field. Atlanta, GA. -- https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/[/caption]   I talked to my friend Brian on the phone the other day, and among other things we discussed his desire to go see the Atlanta Braves play at Turner Field this summer. Brian is a diehard Braves fan, but has never been able to get down to Atlanta to see them play, and would love to do so before they tear that stadium down and build one way out in Cobb County (suburb of Atlanta).

17 Apr 2015

Posted at 12:09h in The Friday Brief by
I have a good friend who, as a college professor, frequently asks young people this question when meeting for the first time: "what do you think about?" At the moment she considers most opportune, she gently tosses the question into the conversation like a freshly baited hook onto a still pond, and she patiently waits for the cork to bob.