Pay Attention to the Little Things

Dana Point is a beautiful place for a vacation, but I wasn’t there for the beach. It was just one of many due diligence trips I take as I research investment options for my clients.  You can learn a great deal about a company if you spend time face to face with the principals. On…

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Beware of the 30-Second-Expert 

When someone learns that the person they just met is a doctor, it is not uncommon for them to roll up their sleeve and say, “Well hey doc, since you’re here can you take a quick look at this thing?” All doctors reading this know exactly what I’m talking about. As a financial advisor I…

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If It Doesn’t Work – Stop Doing It 

I was being entertained one day watching my daughter’s dog “Drax” play fetch with a grandchild. He was repeatedly retrieving a red ball until one toss bounced it straight into the swimming pool. Without hesitation, Drax leapt into the pool as he often does, although this time he was confused by a complication. Unlike the…

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Will Artificial Intelligence Replace You? 

Nearly 600 years ago Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press and in so doing, sent thousands of hard-working scribes to the unemployment line. This was not the first or the last time new technology would replace human laborers.  Today, massive John Deere tractors do the work formerly done by hundreds of farm workers, and they…

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Welcome to the St. George News

Seventeen years ago, I began writing a weekly financial column for a local paper. The editor at the time cautioned me that few appreciated the challenge of producing a weekly column and predicted that I would tire out after about three months. Since then that editor has been replaced three times, the paper sold twice…

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Choosing Investments in a Politicized World

Most of us were taught by our parents to be careful where we express our religious and political views. We seem to be living in a corporate world where some executives are not remembering their parents’ advice.  A political hot topic being discussed on Wall Street and elsewhere today is DEI – Diversity, Equity and…

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Can I Afford to Retire?

I’ve been writing a pamphlet on the questions people most frequently ask us. Today I came to, “Can I afford to retire?” This may actually fall in the top three right alongside, “How can I spend all my money so my kids won’t fight over it?” I will save that one for later. Asking your…

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An Interest-ing Opportunity

I promised when I discontinued writing my long-time newspaper column, that I would continue writing exclusive articles for our clients and friends. I want to share today an opportunity that has presented itself that I feel many will want to take advantage of. For many years we lived with very low interest rates. During that…

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MEASURE CORPORATE AMERICA BY THEIR ACTIONS

(Reprinted from 2018) I attended an airplane convention a couple weeks back and, as usual, I looked for the economic aspect of all I saw. Airplanes are expensive machines and the revenue numbers from the manufacturers can be a strong indicator of our economy. When times are bad, sales can be dismal since businesses not…

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REAL VS PERCEIVED RISK

I visited a high-rise hotel with floor to ceiling windows. As I looked out the window, I was suddenly hit with my fear of heights that had me quickly stepping away. After a moment I slowly approached again, trying to overcome my fear so that I could see the beautiful view. The following day, I…

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