Artemis II & Navy SEALS

The Artemis II mission, even for those not interested in space travel, was exhilarating to follow. History was made on multiple levels. In addition, boundaries of AI-powered tools were expanded and tested with success. And yet, amidst all the AI, science and super-computing power, a very manual, while highly-skilled, aspect was necessary to retrieve the astronauts’ following their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean: US Navy SEALS and dive teams were called upon to recover and skillfully airlift — by hand — the four astronauts from the space capsule as it floated in the ocean.

An observant colleague of mine at Farther recently equated this scene to the financial planning relationship between clients and a highly-skilled financial adviser. Before dismissing this comparison, consider a few insights: Continue reading “Artemis II & Navy SEALS”

Second, Third & Fourth Acts in Life

One of the distinct joys of serving as a Certified Financial Planner® is the opportunity to explore goals, dreams and experiences with diverse groups of people — as well as designing specific strategies and investment plans that align with those ambitions. It is the dream part that struck me most recently. Dreams can form a foundation for future financial — and life — success. Attitude, discipline and perseverance are necessary ingredients as well! Continue reading “Second, Third & Fourth Acts in Life”

Tribute to Lou Holtz

Lou Holtz, Coach Lou Holtz or simply, “Coach”, to many, transcended more aspects of life than can be counted. His values, imparted to football players and athletes at the highest (and all) levels, CEOs of global companies, military men and women, and even panhandlers, may at times have been received with a slight sting. But Coach Holtz managed to make the “sting” worth it and almost always gave pause to those lucky enough to have listened to him — through his famous lisp!

There are parallels in Coach Holtz’ values to investing, global investment portfolios and asset management. C-suite executives at worldwide consulting firms would agree, as loads of them were coached and developed by Lou Holtz. Coach Holtz’ foundational values were three:

Continue reading “Tribute to Lou Holtz”

Gut Check in Rocky Markets

From the Archives of TGIF 2 Minutes comes one of the “Top 5 most read of all time” editions – updated for 2026.

Have you asked yourself lately…

    • “Is this the market downturn everyone has been cautioning about?”
    • “Is now the time to sell my stocks?”
    • “Should I be unloading my bonds?”

Continue reading “Gut Check in Rocky Markets”

Down to the Wire Tax Tips

Tax season is entering its final stretch — or “crunch time”. The IRS filing deadline for 2025 is just over a month away — Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Even if requesting an extension through October 15, 2026, an estimated payment must be made by April 15th to avoid penalties and interest for tax payments due when the return* is ultimately filed in October.

There are a handful of last minute actions that may still be taken for tax year 2025, if completed by April 15th (or September 15th and October 15th, where applicable). Continue reading “Down to the Wire Tax Tips”

Dow 50,000… What Next?? – Saturday Edition (Repost)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average pushing past 50,000 for the first time last Friday, February 6th deserves recognition. The DJIA average spent a few days above that record level and now hovers just below at 49,500. Where does the US stock market go from here?* Continue reading “Dow 50,000… What Next?? – Saturday Edition (Repost)”

Speeding Up & Slowing Down in Financial Decision Making

It is still close enough to the start of the year to step back and be intentional about how to approach:

    1. a new year — and beyond — of sound financial decision-making
    2. portfolio management
    3. broader financial and investment strategy.

It starts with slowing down. There are a handful of truly wise books written on the topic. Two come to mind: Continue reading “Speeding Up & Slowing Down in Financial Decision Making”