Watch the Right Market

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This is a blog I’ve wanted to have for a while now. The chart above shows average returns for various asset classes over a period of time. As you can see, the longer the time frame, the smaller the columns get. This means the range of returns narrows.

Here’s where it matters to us. Part of our job is helping clients make decisions about how to invest their money in order to reach their goals. An early conversation about investing will often include a discussion about “the market” and the potential direction of a particular part of that market. This conversation is heavily influenced by the left side of the chart. That’s where the financial press finds stories. If there is volatility in the returns, that means there may be a way to turn that into a story, “Stock A has unexpectedly gone down, or up. Stock B has done the opposite!” That’s where the drama comes from.

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Taking a Step Back to Move Forward When Retirement is Around the Corner

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The Story

Charles and Lisa had been clients for years. We had an exemplary advisor/client relationship: open, clear, and regular communication, and mutual trust. We had long maintained a plan that everyone had confidence in when we suggested taking part in a new exercise.  

As trusted stewards of others’ money, we prioritize regularly participating in professional development opportunities. We had recently completed a refresher on the Financial Life Planning program. Our relationship with Charles and Lisa pre-dated this approach, so although we felt we knew them thoroughly, we knew that going back to basics could only strengthen their financial plan. They agreed.

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Retirement For a Planner, When the Plan Changes

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The Story
We met Steve when he was in his late 50’s. He had worked as an engineer for all of his life, and he was starting to think about the next chapter. With an excellent pension and an IRA, he knew he was set for a secure retirement – five to seven years in the future. But Steve was ready to
make that future his reality much sooner. We became his partner in figuring out how to help Steve retire on his terms.

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Retirement For a Person Who Loves to Travel – and Will Work to Get There

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The Story
Alicia and her husband, Leon, both found careers in real estate. She’s a broker; he worked with mortgages. But if you met them at a party and were to ask them about themselves, this is not the first thing they would tell you. Instead, they’d likely tell you about their bike tour of The Netherlands last month, and their planned trip to the French Riviera they are currently planning. For them, work has always been a means to an end – not the end itself. This is where our conversations with the couple started.

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