Articles

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Lessons on Dying from Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett often says that he wants to be remembered as a teacher. “That would be very flattering, I would feel, if that was on my tombstone,” he said in an interview in 2018. He is the world’s greatest investor, but he has the uncanny ability to break things down in such a way that they can be understood in the living rooms of ordinary Americans. Like my colleague Sarah Swan wrote last week, his wisdom is timeless. At age 94, Buffett recently shared his strategy for how to pass wealth on to the next generation while minimizing family conflicts. His advice is applicable, he says, even if you aren’t a billionaire like he is.

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Investment and Life Lessons from the Greats: Buffett, Munger, and Berkshire

I set a goal for myself to read more in 2024. This felt equal parts lofty (where will I find the time?!) and obvious (perhaps less doomsday scrolling, and online shopping would serve me well). I had never been a big reader before, and I wasn’t proud of that. This year, though, something was unlocked for me—admittedly, and embarrassingly, many years overdue. I gave myself permission to drop anything that wasn’t thrilling to me, and I figured out what I love to read. The result? Twenty-nine completed titles in 2024, and eight dropped titles. Life is, in my opinion, too short to suffer through books I don’t like.

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Understanding the SECURE Act Inherited IRA Rules 

This legislation significantly reshaped retirement savings laws, particularly concerning how distributions are managed for beneficiaries of retirement accounts inherited in 2020 or later, especially non-spousal ones. The new rules, effective in 2025, address longstanding questions about the interpretation of the 10-year rule, which mandates that most retirement plan and IRA beneficiaries must fully deplete the inherited account within ten years of the account holder’s death. These regulations impact beneficiaries and their strategies for managing inherited retirement accounts. Here’s a detailed look at the finalized RMD regulations for inherited retirement plans and IRAs.  This piece is only applicable to accounts inherited

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How Political Change Impacts Markets (and Why It Doesn’t Define Your Portfolio)

We manage money for hundreds of families, and to say that these individuals span the full political spectrum is not an exaggeration. We are proud of this fact, and we’re proud that our own employees offer diversity of thought as well. Our job as financial advisors is to know our clients, meet them where they are, and do our part in helping them to be better off financially tomorrow than they were yesterday, proverbially speaking, in accordance with their unique and personal goals.

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Things I’ve Learned

I have a habit of jotting down the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and while they might not always be captivating to others, I find them valuable. I think this habit goes back to my time in the Army, where we carried small, hardcover green notebooks in our cargo pockets. These “green notebooks” became repositories for countless notes, lessons learned, mission plans, and guidance. In fact, carrying a green notebook and a pen was an unspoken expectation for every leader—always ready to capture the insights of the moment.

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Money is Weird: The Psychological Side of Our Financial Choices

What I shouldn’t do as a financial advisor is wax poetic about the ways a person should spend their money. We give a lot of informed advice as advisors, and much of that advice is centered around data and modeling and educated extrapolating about a person’s specific circumstances, but one thing that’s less straightforward is advice about how people should spend their hard-earned money. Money is so personal.

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Don’t Bet Against America, We’ll be Okay

We are at the time of the cycle where talk turns to the election. If this update is too long, we have a simple message: regardless of who wins the election, don’t bet against America, we’ll be okay.

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Insights: Let the Market Be a Gut-Check 

I recently met with an impressive 90-something-year-old client of mine who’s been managing his own investments for most of his life. It’s only recently that he decided it’d be a good idea to give up [some of the] reins and lean on an advisor. I have to commend a decision like that.

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Being a Financial Athlete: Applying an Olympic Mindset to Help Reach Your Financial Goals

The Olympic Games gathers attention from around the world and billions of eyes turn their attention to one stage where the top athletes compete for the title of being the best. These athletes are committed to improving every part of themselves and their routine to ensure victory. But not everyone can be the greatest athlete of all time, some of us just need to find a way to save for the next vacation or pay off student loans. Many people feel anxiety about their financial situation but there might be something to learn from these athletes who rise to the top. Their mindset shapes how they live and compete. They have clear goals, are disciplined in their approach, are open to learning, are ready to overcome setbacks, and know how to reward themselves for victory. Just as Olympians train for years to compete at the highest level, you too must prepare and make a holistic plan with the hope of achieving financial success because each pillar of an athlete’s mindset can also be applied to your financial strategy.  

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