Blog
The First Six months of 2023
As we finalize the log on the first six months of 2023, we believe there’s some value in reflecting on recent months gone by. Doing so can help crystallize key learnings and help chart a course through the rest of the year. Looking...
Read MoreAsk The Experts: Vanguard's Outlook on the Bond Market
One of the perks of my job is the opportunity to meet with experts from the world’s most respected investment firms right from the comfort of my Waterville, Maine office! I recently met with Edward Saracino, Senior Portfolio...
Read MoreOffense and Defense
If our family had a trophy case, my section would no doubt be the smallest…BUT one of my small trophies will always stand out to me amongst all of them... Pine Tree Basketball Camp Best Defensive Player Middle School Division...
Read MoreThe Pessimist curses the winds…
The Pessimist curses the winds….the Optimist hopes it will change….…The Realist adjusts the sails.—William Arthur WardThere can be no doubt that the seas we are sailing in now look and feel much different than...
Read MoreShould we feed the bear?
“The market is the most efficient mechanism anywhere in the world for transferring wealth from impatient people to patient people.” ...
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Why You Shouldn’t Try to “Get Rich Quick” in the Stock Market
For the rest of our lives, we’ll be comparing “pre-pandemic times” and “post-pandemic times.” We’ll reflect on how we spent our days in quarantine; the hobbies we picked up and quickly abandoned, and...
Read More... The other side
In April of 2020, with the stock market down over 30% and COVID-19 raging throughout the U.S. and all around the world…we told you that although we had just fallen off an economic cliff, that a soft landing which would be aided...
Read MoreSECURE Act 2.0
In the past two years there have been several pieces of legislation that affect your retirement including the SECURE Act of 2019 and the CARES Act of 2020. We have written about these previous two changes and now we are evaluating the...
Read MoreMarket Insights: “A Tale of Two Cities”
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it...
Read MoreDon't Let Hindsight be 2020: Planning Strategies for Year-end
The end is near (year-end that is) and a new year is about to begin. Where do you stand financially? What are your goals for the next year? What did you accomplish this year? Where do you want to be in five or ten years? It is always a...
Read MoreWhat’s Missing from Your Budget?
It’s November in Maine, which can only mean one thing: snow is on the horizon. While this is good news to skiers and snowmobilers, it also means a handful of expenses that don’t come up in the summer: Oil/propane. Snow...
Read MoreAn 8,000- Day Journey on a Mountain Bike at 8mph
A couple of years ago, I shared with you my first experiences as a new mountain bike rider. On my very first ride, my brand new bike made it to the bottom of the first steep hill before I did (mountain bike disc brakes are quite...
Read MoreDiapers, Rattles and... Saving for College
As most of you know, we welcomed our first child, Charlotte, to the family in July. At Maine General, we learned all about newborn care: feeding, diaper changing, swaddling… the tasks that have consumed most of my days lately!...
Read MoreWho gets the family camp? Revisited
It was recently pointed out to me that in my 2018 article - “Who Gets the Family Camp?” I neglected to talk about Dynasty Trusts and the role they can play in preserving a family’s treasured places. That place could...
Read MoreAn IPS is Like a GPS for Your Investment Portfolio
If you drove a car to Boston prior to the invention of the GPS (Global Positioning System) you can probably recount horror stories of missing turns, getting off the wrong exits, heading down one-way streets the wrong way, trying to...
Read MorePlanning Opportunities
Over the last few weeks we have been updating you on market volatility, our outlook going forward, and portfolio adjustments. The goal has been to keep you informed on what is happening in the markets. Many, if not most of you, are...
Read MoreWe can see the other side
Last week I listened to a research call with one of the top portfolio managers at Capital Group, who has over 40 years of experience. He started the call by comparing the recent sharp downturn in the markets and economy to the...
Read MoreWe can keep our distance AND meet in the middle
My message to you today will not be filled with boring graphs, charts and statistics about the financial markets, but instead with inspiring examples of people, companies and the government partnering together, to keep the American...
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