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How We Provide Advice: A 150-Point Inspection

One of the most common questions we’ve heard from prospective clients over the years is “If I become a client how will you help me?” It’s a good question and reveals the fact that it can be very hard to understand the services that a comprehensive wealth advisor will provide or the process they will ... How We Provide Advice: A 150-Point Inspection

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401(k) Millionaires in the U.S. Reaches New High

In a bit of promising news for U.S. retirees, Fidelity released a report this week detailing a record number of 401(k) and IRA millionaires in the U.S.  Fidelity estimates that the number of U.S. workers who now have more than $1 million in their 401(k) or IRA to be at approximately 375,000.[1]  Due to a ... 401(k) Millionaires in the U.S. Reaches New High

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Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part III) – It’s Not About Cash; It’s About Cash Flow

This is the last in a three-part series of articles designed to help you better understand how to create a sustainable stream of income in retirement. Here is how we’ve organized the sections by topic: It’s not about returns; it’s about your account balance (read it here) It’s not how much you earn; it’s how ... Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part III) – It’s Not About Cash; It’s About Cash Flow

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The Latest on U.S. Inflation

U.S. inflation remains relatively low, with the latest monthly reading of the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) coming in at an annual rate of 1.8% in July. To put this number into context, since World War II the annual U.S. inflation rate has averaged above 3%.* Currently the U.S. Federal Reserve is targeting a 2%+ ... The Latest on U.S. Inflation

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Global Interest Rates Turn Negative Yet Again

Over the course of the past decade as part of the recovery from the Global Financial Crisis, we have witnessed an economic phenomenon that has been most unusual—negative interest rates.  Indeed, interest rates on sovereign bonds in Europe have once again fallen below zero in 2019. The German 10-year bond has now spent a record ... Global Interest Rates Turn Negative Yet Again

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Plan B™: Retirement Planning for the Unexpected

We know that as life happens, plans change. Nothing works out exactly as planned. Whoever thought the entire world would be shut down for a virus? Plan B™ is an important part of Brown and Company’s personalized financial analysis and retirement consulting services, custom tailored to help you deal with the ‘What if?’ scenarios life ... Plan B™: Retirement Planning for the Unexpected

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Nothing Costs More Than Cheap Advice

There is an old saying in business that “nothing is more expensive than cheap advice.”  This maxim articulates an important truth—that sometimes in our attempt to save on fees we reduce the quality of advice that we receive, leading to potentially much higher costs down the road.  It is another version of the adage of ... Nothing Costs More Than Cheap Advice

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Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part II) – It’s Not What You Earn; It’s What You Keep

This is the second in a three-part series of articles designed to help you better understand how to create a paycheck in retirement. (CLICK HERE to read the first one.) To answer that question, we’re addressing the following three topics: It’s not about returns; it’s about your account balance It’s not how much you earn; ... Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part II) – It’s Not What You Earn; It’s What You Keep

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Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part I) – It’s Not About Returns; It’s About Your Account Balance

One of the main questions people want to know as they approach retirement is “how am I going to get paid once I stop working?” Saving and accumulating wealth is much different than trying to figure out how to create a stream of income that’s going to last for several decades and keep up with ... Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part I) – It’s Not About Returns; It’s About Your Account Balance

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Socially Responsible Investing: Allianz Conference 2019

Martin Walsh attended the Allianz Global Investors “ESG University” conference in New York on June 20th.  ESG stands for “Environmental, Social and Governance,” an acronym that is a filter for evaluating socially responsible companies.  The conference was a detailed update for the investment advisor community on socially responsible investing, including the latest research and trends ... Socially Responsible Investing: Allianz Conference 2019

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3 Types of Questions Every Financial Advisor Should Ask You

A financial plan is only as good as the questions being asked when creating it. But beyond the platitude of needing to ask “good” questions, what does this really mean? After all, does anyone think the questions they ask are not good ones? What ARE the questions a financial advisor should ask you to create ... 3 Types of Questions Every Financial Advisor Should Ask You

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U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits New Low

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate in the U.S. has remained close to all-time lows in recent months.  The most recent non-farm payroll data indicate an unemployment rate across the broad U.S. working population of 3.6%: a 50-year low.  The news is part of a broad trend of improving economic fundamentals in ... U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits New Low

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