Headlines — and even a few world leaders — might suggest that lowering short-term interest rates from current levels — now — would be a sweeping solution or fix for markets and the world economy. Current reality seems to differ. Low interest rates often do make it easier for individuals and businesses to borrow money, buy homes, launch small businesses and make various investments. For the moment though, interest rates seem to be delivering balance in the US economy. Economic and market conditions are relatively healthy. And there’s always a “but”. Continue reading “Why Low Rates Aren’t the Complete Answer”
Category: Investing
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”
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…
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- “Is this the market downturn everyone has been cautioning about?”
- “Is now the time to sell my stocks?”
- “Should I be unloading my bonds?”
Tempering the AI Hysteria
To borrow a word from a Wall Street Journal columnist*, there are parts of the hysteria around AI that can be calmed with perspective, while acknowledging the world as we know it will continue to evolve unpredictably. Continue reading “Tempering the AI Hysteria”
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:
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- a new year — and beyond — of sound financial decision-making
- portfolio management
- 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”
Tax Items that Matter Now
Taxes matter, sadly, all year long. With this said, there are a handful of tax related items that matter more heavily at the very beginning of the year (read: important to “action” as early as possible in the new year).
Who Would Have Thought?
Very short note to ring in 2026! On the topic of last year’s stock (& bond) market returns, which were surprisingly impressive, who would have thought?!
AI & Tech (I Tried) Using in 2025
Brewing a cup of coffee using Siri and Grok was one of my biggest “AI & tech victories” of the year. (Please read below for a handful of more sophisticated versions of AI use.) Dedicated TGIF 2 Minutes readers may recall back in July the story that could happen to anyone — of being a guest at someone’s home and encountering Continue reading “AI & Tech (I Tried) Using in 2025”
Tax Strategy & a Silver Lining to Losses
With the caveat that there are still 13 trading days remaining in the year, 2025 has been surprisingly — if not shockingly — a decent year for US and global equities. Especially in years with investment gains it can make sense to search for investment losses in taxable investment accounts. Taxable accounts are non-IRA and non-retirement accounts where realizing a capital loss can offset realized capital gains in the current year, OR– capital losses can be carried forward indefinitely to offset future capital gains. A small amount, or a maximum of $3,000, of realized capital losses can be used in a tax year to offset ordinary income. Continue reading “Tax Strategy & a Silver Lining to Losses”
Heavyweight Financial Decisions
Everyone experiences times when there are more decisions to be made and times when matters coast along with relatively less decision-making required. There are various types of “big decisions”, some of which are financial and others that fall in the category of life decisions. Certain of the heaviest decisions combine financial and life aspects. This last type requires research, thought and patience.
“Heavyweight decisions” range from: