Thoughts On Money [TOM]

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/446kXz1 Turns out, the path to a prosperous retirement is not too different than learning to line-dance. The steps you take, and the sequence of those steps, can either carry you to the finish line or leave you woefully out of place. Without spoiling the surprise, join us today as James Andrews unpacks the steps to securing your retirement. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3VNPHTq Lately, bonds have been behaving a lot like stocks. This can become a major issue for investors. The growing correlation between stocks and bonds challenges the historical diversification benefits that investors have relied on. What is an investor to do? Join me today as I unpack diversification via dividends and present a classic solution to a modern problem. You won’t want to miss it… Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3vzmbWH The stock market has quite the win streak going. I submit that this in itself should not concern investors, but it is something investors should be aware of. Markets are indeed unpredictable, and markets are multi-directional. Sometimes win streaks can lull us to sleep allowing us to forget that markets are… multi-directional. Join me today as I discuss this current win streak, kids on roller coasters, and the importance of healthy expectations. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3Tr9Ag4 If you know me, you know I love cycling. If you know me, you know I love personal finance. Today was a treat for me, as our author Blaine Carver allowed my two favorite topics and hobbies to collide. Today, cycling meets financial planning in order to explain the importance of recognizing the drag taxes can have on returns. Furthermore, Blaine explains to us the necessary planning we can do to combat that drag. Without spoiling all fun of the article, I’ll leave you there and encourage you to listen and hear all about it! Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3uQ2RnS Leverage is debt. Is leverage good or bad? Neither. As is applicable to most things, leverage can be prudent in some cases and it can be misused in others. Debt can allow us to enjoy something today, while we stretch the cost over a defined time period. Debt can also be the culprit behind many stories of financial ruin. Join us today as James Andrews unpacks the dos and don’ts and ins and outs of leverage. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3P61dFn When stock prices (valuations) feel stretched, it can be a bit scary.   Elevated market prices can lead to high peaks, which precede deep valleys (drawdowns).   So, when euphoria starts to become contagious, it’s important to steep ourselves in the lessons of history.   I will unpack all of this and more as we introduce today’s topic with a comical Girls Scout cookie fiasco that took place last week. You won’t want to miss it.  Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/49EildP Today, I will discuss how both chefs and investors are influenced by their experiences, and I will share my personal recipe for designing an investment portfolio and financial plan.  I hope you will enjoy the personal side of the article, as well as the wisdom and humor I sprinkle in along the way.  Enjoy! Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3uqi2DW Please join us today as James Andrews explains how something even as minute as rainy days can be so incredibly disruptive and frustrating. James dives into the intangibles of financial planning and leads us back to what matters most. An article and a podcast you won’t want to miss. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/42rcKV3 Often, we are our own worst enemies.  To grow/mature as an investor, it is helpful to watch game film to slow down, reflect, and understand how things played out last year.  Please join me as I unpack why the markets in 2023 were a lot like fishing.  I will also conclude with some guidance on why (1) constantly refining your process and (2) controlling your emotions are such a key to long-term wealth accumulation.     Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/429YLTH What is Risk? Seems like quite a philosophical question, no?  Yet, one we must wrestle with when it comes to investing.  A misunderstanding of risk can be costly.   Blaine Carver uses this analogy, and I think it’s perfect: We need to adjust our financial binoculars. We need to focus less on the blurred foreground and more on the horizon. The short-term gyrations in the market are anything but clear. But focusing on the horizon (10, 20, 30 years from now) allows us to look past the blurry foreground. With that said, please do come join us – binoculars in hand – for Blaine’s Thoughts On Money. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3RXvTZY The temptation to overcomplicate wealth management in the name of sophistication is strong. Financial advisors are especially prone to fall into this category as we seek to add value to our clients. I encourage our readers to focus on the north star, not to be pulled away by the clever gimmicks that pop up every year, and to exercise discipline in our process. I encourage our readers to build wealth that withstands the test of time so that many generations can benefit from the strong foundation you have created. James Andrews Private Wealth Advisor jandrews@thebahnsengroup.com Trevor Cummings PWA Group Director, Partner tcummings@thebahnsengroup.com Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3tDVijt Last week, we discussed the short life spans of New Year’s Resolutions. Blaine Carver offered some simple and profound wisdom around setting goals first by defining WHO you aspire to be prior to defining WHAT specifically you plan to do. This is a great segue for our dialogue today on what are the key attributes and/or traits of a successful investor? This question gets me to an article for you on WHO you should aspire to be as an investor. I hope you will find this article to be thought-provoking, impactful, and, most importantly, applicable. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3H0IPt9 Today Blaine Carver shares his Thoughts On Money. We know that gyms and juice bars will be as busy as ever in January; why? New Year’s Resolutions!  Yet, come February those trends tend to normalize as resolutions are ditched and old habits return.      Some of us have become disenchanted with these resolutions because we know historically these commitments fade and fail.  I’d encourage you to dive into Blaine’s article today, as he will share more on how to frame these goals in a manner where you will stick to them and you will achieve those aspired resolutions.   Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3RBuYOT Yoda tells the young Jedi, Luke Skywalker, “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”  I can’t think of a better piece of wisdom for investors, both young and old.  When you start to be drawn in by the seductive results of unsustainable returns, you have set a course to the dark side, a path to financial ruin.  Join me today for my Thoughts On Money as I further unpack this concept and how a lifetime of ordinary returns will compound to produce life-changing results. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/47WPz7e Today we welcome back James Andrews to share his Thoughts On Money. I won’t spoil it, but the opening story alone is worth a read. James goes on to talk about decision making and the importance of thinking beyond just the initial benefits or consequences.  Whether it is a rippling pond or a tipped over domino, we get this idea that one decision can set off a chain reaction of other intended or unintended outcomes.  Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3sZxIgP Today we will discuss the importance of understanding the why behind the what.  Too many financial decisions are made in a manner where the action gets more attention than the intent.  Understanding the why is one of the keys to financial success.  To unpack this truth I will share some funny stories, including one from my childhood – you won’t want to miss it.  Please do join me today for my Thoughts on Money.  Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/49XwxPv Imagine trying to build a 1,000 piece puzzle without the box cover – nearly impossible, right? Today, Blaine Carver unpacks this analogy of coverless puzzles and aimless financial plans. Words of wisdom that are pertinent for investors both young and old. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/47gGZj8 Growing up, it’s normal to dream about your future. As we grow up, our career aspirations shift, morph, and evolve. Perhaps in 3rd grade, you dreamed of being an astronaut. By 5th grade, you settled on being a pro baseball player, and by college, you find yourself two years into an art history major when your dad nudges you to pivot to something more practical. In these years of maturation, it is totally normal and probably healthy to leave your options and dreams open. Yet, at some point, setting a direction and sticking to that direction is important. A good friend of mine was having trouble with this concept. He had tried a number of different career paths and found himself in constant flux. Each path lasted about 18 months, and then he’d shift, restart, and head in a new direction. This can be a tiring endeavor – both for my friend and for his loved ones who were walking alongside him on this journey. Here was my advice – stick to something, anything. I told him that he wasn’t getting through the learning curve stage of any career, and he wasn’t benefiting from the momentum that one gets when one sticks to something. Time in the chair is meaningful, and you pick up a lot along the way – whether as a plumber or a lawyer – and that tribal knowledge is valuable. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3MAS2vx Today, we welcome back guest author James Andrews. Also, please remember to join us for the podcast where we riff on the article and offer some extra insights on the topic. I especially enjoyed James’ section today on what he calls unforced errors and the unnecessary detriment these missteps can cause to investors. I am sure you will enjoy this and much more, so please join us today for James Andrews’ Thoughts On Money. Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com