In the investment world, we normally think about risk as volatility or how much a particular investment fluctuates in value. In general, the more risk we are willing to take, the higher the potential reward could be in the long-term. But is that all there is to risk? Lately, I’ve been looking at risk through a different lens, the lens of trade-offs. Every decision we make involves a trade-off, some… Read More
The Master’s Minute – The Alignment Model, Part 1
The Master’s Minute – Five Financial Strategies for the Current Interruption
As with most things in life, you can look at the glass as half-full or half-empty. Humans have a built-in retreat instinct when facing a situation that causes fear; however, most crisis situations provide some opportunity for gain. We believe the current Covid-19 interruption is no different. What financial opportunities are available now that could benefit you? Invest More Money – The objective of any successful investor is to buy… Read More
The Master’s Minute – What Would Your Words Be?
Last week, a friend brought the latest craze in the quilting world – Proverbial Quilts – to my attention. Proverbial quilts are inspired by early “talking” quilts which were often quotes from Scripture. However, some early quilt artists used words to touch on politics and the social issues of their day. I was intrigued. I learned that the first step in creating a Proverbial Quilt is to discover a gathering of words that… Read More
The Master’s Minute – The Alignment Model (Video)
Transcript: GARRY: So Lyle, today we want to talk a little bit about maybe a new concept for some of our clients. Its a concept called the Alignment Model. And the Alignment Model is a way of thinking about the financial decisions we made and making sure that they are consistent with what’s most important to us or a particular client situation. And one of the exercises that we learned through… Read More
The Master’s Minute – The Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn
Have you heard this saying before? It was used in one of my favorite movies, The Dark Knight, spoken by politician Harvey Dent. After some further research, I discovered two things: This quote is not original to the movie. In fact, it traces back to the year 1650 and is also linked to a historic Irish song. There is no scientific evidence that supports the saying. The darkest part of night… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Shoveling Smoke
Are you worried about any of the following? – The economy – Your loved ones’ safety – When you will hold your grandchildren again – The worldwide pandemic – What the new normal will look like A good friend compared worry to shoveling smoke. What a great comparison! When you shovel smoke, you’re using up a lot of energy and getting nothing done. But worry is our natural response when… Read More
The Master’s Minute – The Giant Pause Button
In case, with everything in lockdown mode, you forgot, this Sunday is Easter. It certainly won’t be the typical Easter Sunday with sunrise services and family dinners after church. But it’s still going to be Easter. I find the timing of this virus pandemic in the USA very fascinating. The Christian Church for centuries has observed the 46 days prior to Easter as the Lenten Season. During these days it… Read More
The Master’s Minute – What Can We Do?
It is human nature for us to crave control when we face uncertainty. Think about those extra few inches you move your car forward when sitting in standstill traffic! You aren’t changing the equation, but you are doing something, which feels better to us than not moving and having those extra inches go to waste! Anything we can do to make us feel more in control gives us a sense of security… Read More
The Master’s Minute – Challenges & Changes + Faith & Optimism = HOPE!
The past month has brought some significant challenges, and subsequent changes, for all of us. In today’s blog we’ll discuss three different levels of change: drastic changes, subtle changes, and little-to-no change. More importantly, we’ll look at our reaction to these changes. First, let’s consider two of the more drastic changes. Our lifestyles have been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 virus. The term “social-distancing” is now familiar to all of us. Beginning this… Read More
