3 Things 6-30-25
Thing One Nobody Knows (But History Tells Us That’s Okay) From an article in marketwatch .com this week three years ago: “…When it comes to bear markets, investors can take comfort from history which suggests that where there’s a beginning, there’s always an end. And according to Bank of America, investors have only got a few months left to endure the bear market that the S&P 500 SPX, 0.33% tumbled into on June 13, at the start of this week. And then will come the
3 Things 6-23-25
A Letter From Grandma The following is a letter a grandmother wrote to her grandchild (with the some help from her financial adviser): "My dearest grandchild, my heart overflows with love and pride as I write to celebrate your high school graduation. You’ve grown into such a remarkable person, your laughter and kindness lighting up every moment we share. I want nothing but the best for you—a life brimming with opportunity, joy, and success. To honor this milestone, I’m
3 Things 6-16-25
Thing One A "Trump Account" For Every Newborn A recent House Republican proposal, part of the ambitious "One Big Beautiful Bill" championed by President Donald Trump, aims to give every newborn in the United States a $1,000 investment account, dubbed a "Trump Account." These tax-deferred accounts, inspired by state-level baby bond programs, would be seeded with federal funds for children born between 2025 and 2028 and invested in a stock market index fund. Parents could f


3 Things 6-9-25
Thing One Timing Isn’t Everything, Staying The Course Is When the stock market goes down it means people and institutions are selling out of their positions. Such has been the case on many days during the last few months. The experts have categorized much of this activity as panic selling, which is generally based on some extraordinary news item. The current headline grabber and selloff instigator is the is the regional banking crisis. Investors have not liked most of wha
3 Things 6-2-25
Thing One The Pros and Cons of the 4% Rule The 4% rule is a widely recognized guideline for retirees to manage withdrawals from their savings, aiming to ensure funds last throughout retirement. Introduced by William Bengen in 1994, it suggests withdrawing 4% of the initial retirement portfolio in the first year, with subsequent withdrawals adjusted for inflation annually. For example, a retiree with a $1 million portfolio would withdraw $40,000 initially, then increase th
3 Things 5-26-25
Thing One All Gave Some, Some Gave All Happy Memorial Day! And if you’re really knowledgeable about the origins of today’s holiday, Happy Decoration Day! Admittedly, I wasn’t among the most knowledgeable on the topic but I got curious (and felt grateful) enough to do a little searching. I thought I’d share with you some of what I found in the form of an excerpt from an article on study.com . I hope you enjoy and share either this newsletter or your knowledge on this su


3 Things 5-19-25
Thing One The Three Phases Of Retirement Retirement can be broadly divided into three phases: the active phase, the transitional phase, and the later phase. Each phase has distinct characteristics and financial needs, so planning for them requires tailored strategies. Below, I’ll outline each phase and provide guidance on financial planning, keeping the explanation concise yet comprehensive. 1. Active Phase (Early Retirement, ~60s to mid-70s) Description: This is the "g
3 Things 5-12-25
Thing One Got Habits? An article published on gobankingrates.com included a list of the common habits of self-made millionaires. We’ve shared our favorites below: They’re frugal. This doesn’t mean they subsist on beans and rice and never splurge, but they do avoid impulse purchases and they know how much they spend each month on the basics. They invest in stocks. We’ve hit this point often in our newsletter and this article’s author agrees that “…investing in stoc
3 Things 5-5-25
Thing One To Delay Or Not To Delay Your Social Security Benefits, That Is The Question The recent turmoil in the stock market along with shakier job prospects, longevity concerns, and fears of benefits cuts have many older Americans taking social security sooner than they might have otherwise. Below is an excerpt from a Yahoo Finance written by Kerry Hannon, that can serve as a primer on the topic: “…In my planning with clients, I try to keep emotion, political posturi
3 Things 4-28-25
Thing One Investing Lessons From An Old Fisherman Long before I developed the bad habit of spoiling a good walk by bringing along golf clubs, I had developed a fondness for what can be an equally frustrating hobby, fishing. Early on, I was so obsessed with the sport that I would spend Saturday mornings watching fishing shows on TV and Saturday afternoons in bait and tackle shops buying what the pros were using. Then I’d spend Saturday evenings on the bank of a pond some



