We’ve posted some of David Hultstrom’s thoughts before and here we go again since he says “Feel free to pass this along.” The following, from his November, describes why he doesn’t try to predict movement in the financial marketplace: You may have noticed that I rarely comment on the market or economy in this monthly […]
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Warren Buffett The following video clips are from Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meetings where Warren Buffett fielded questions regarding estate planning: 2013 Annual Meeting: 2023 Annual Meeting:
Sometimes you just have to say No “No” isn’t a four-letter word. Saying “no” isn’t necessarily bad and you shouldn’t feel bad when you say it. Part of saying no means taking a stand. It can mean standing up to injustice. For example, our legal system is, for the most part, dependent on people saying […]
Some people want to control others. This reminds me of the Bible story in Genesis 27 where Jacob stole Esau’s blessing. We’re not going to focus on Jacob. Instead, we’re looking at his mother, Rebekah. That’s why this is under the heading of control, not greed. Isaac and Rebekah were unhappy when Esau married two […]
Fear is a powerful motivator. The Bible tells us to fear not. Stonewall Jackson (and others) are attributed as having said “Never take counsel from your fear.” Nonetheless, people act based on fear. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had executed all of the false profits leading Israel astray. King Ahab whined to his wife, Jezebel. […]
Tradition can be a powerful motivator. Traditions can be like laws, meaning the group following them will not accept any change or departure from their custom. Traditions can also be a way of acting that varies with life changes. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul urged the Church to stand fast and hold to the traditions. […]
This is the first in a series of posts exploring why people do what they do. In this post, we’re discussing certainty. When I was a young lawyer, I worked on a corporate team where Fortune 500 companies paid tens of thousands of dollars for certainty. When they signed a contract, they wanted to know […]
If you’re concerned about protecting your resources, here are a few thoughts on how to protect Inherited IRAs. First, define the risk you’re planning to minimize or avoid. Some States might treat all retirement accounts as exempt resources for Medicaid eligibility purposes, while others do not. If you’re worried about nursing home expenses, find out […]
David E. Hultstrom, President of Financial Architects, recently explained why past-performance is not a great way to evaluate financial advisors. Essentially, no one has a working crystal ball. Hultstrom wrote the following in the May, 2023 edition of Financial Foundations. Why would I leave out past performance in selecting an advisor, or current performance for […]
Today the Office of Financial Research announced that it added a third data source to it’s Financial Instrument Reference Database. The full press release is below: WASHINGTON –The Office of Financial Research has added a third data source, the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) Protocol, to its Financial Instrument Reference Database (FIRD), an important enhancement that will allow […]
