Last month many of us in Chattanooga experienced the worst of it as we were all hunkered down “safely” at home, keeping our distance from others who could possibly pass on the sickness that has infected the entire planet. Our family has found ways to enjoy the time together, playing games, working outside and taking long walks and bicycle rides…
This week we choose to honor our fathers and our founding fathers prior to Independence Day. I choose to remember my father for the great things he taught me. He taught me to learn from my mistakes, to continually make improvements and to learn and grow personally and professionally. He taught me that learning does not end after college or…
The Franklin wealth Team (above) of Innovative Advisory Partners is proud to be acknowledged by Forbes as one of the best advisory firms in the state of Tennessee. Last week, Robert Pragnell and I attended an LPL conference in Florida rewarding its top advisors. I was looking forward to some time spent learning about upcoming developments and reconnecting with old…
Are We Too Obsessed with Our Weight and Waistlines? All too often the media and even medical professionals tell us that thinner and lighter is better. As can be seen from the pictures above, most would agree this is not always the case. Many world class athletes regularly weigh in at levels considered moderately overweight by height weight charts with…
Just about every month I come across someone who claims that their investments don’t cost them anything or someone who doesn’t seem to understand all they are paying in internal expenses. All too often (in the case of those buying commission based products) they have been told that something they bought does not contain any fees or expenses and they…
Even when Not Playing Monopoly Thinking more like a banker can provide us many benefits from a tax re-positioning perspective and a loaning vs borrowing / cash flow perspective. Not too long ago, I and a client were interviewed by a reporter at Forbes about the benefits of making serial conversions to Roth IRAs over time and how his conversions…
A few weeks back, Jennifer and I took our kids to Boca Raton for spring break. This break just happened to coincide with an LPL Financial trip rewarding its top ten percent of financial advisors and it was the kids first trip of this kind since Sydney and Jack were little. I enjoyed getting to explain to them a little…
What a Difference a Year Makes! Those who thought the S&P 500 would be the best place to invest in 2016 may have been surprised to find that “the beef” was to be found in many other types of investments last year. Some of the most unloved asset classes recovered well after February with Energy, Commodities, Emerging Markets and Smaller…