The Master’s Minute

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” But is that really true? As the tax code has grown more complex, fewer people understand how the U.S. tax system works. In fact, according to a recent survey, fewer than half of all taxpayers know which tax bracket they fall into. To better understand our federal tax system, let’s explore a metaphorical story. First, we’ll go out for… Read More

Throughout the past 30 years, we have determined that two human emotions are typically the main culprits behind significant financial mistakes: Fear and Greed.   Today’s blog post will focus on the potentially negative impact of “listening to the voice” of fear.  On November 5th, we will mark the 2024 Presidential Election Day. If the polls are accurate, this race is extremely close—a toss-up! Hopefully, the election results will be finalized… Read More

As we turn another page on our 2024 calendar, we now find ourselves in October, which is recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month.   Unfortunately, hacking scams surround us, and we must remain vigilant as these schemes become more sophisticated with advances in technology. Some common schemes include simple phishing attempts that target large numbers of people and targeted techniques designed to infiltrate the finances and private information of corporations.   However,… Read More

When it comes to investments, perspective is everything. As advisors, one of the questions we are often asked goes something like this: “In light of the [insert scary news headline of the week here], would you recommend any changes to our portfolio?” Let me be clear upfront: I am by no means diminishing the importance of this type of question. As an advisor, if my client is concerned or curious… Read More

Last week, our family had the privilege of hosting two boys, aged eight and ten, from Uganda, along with a young adult chaperone. They are part of the African Children’s Choir and performed at our church. With full transparency, we didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to host them. It wasn’t until a heartfelt plea from our church leadership—who needed more host families—that we reluctantly agreed. With the challenges we… Read More

In last week’s blog, Managing Debt as Interest Rates Rise, Garry reminded us of some fundamental decision-making regarding debt payoff versus seizing the opportunity to get meaningful interest rates on our cash accounts, or “safe money.” Let’s agree to define cash accounts as money markets, high-yield savings, and CDs. Today’s blog post will discuss the fallacy of “falling in love” with these cash accounts. We begin today’s discussion by looking… Read More

One evening recently, I was reading a book to my kids that, unintentionally, offered valuable money management insights. The plotline is about two squirrels trying to find food to save up for winter. One squirrel spent his year having fun and not bothering to store up anything. The other squirrel was obsessed with storing up any food he could find and had accumulated more food than he would ever need,… Read More

You don’t need me to tell you that we are in the midst of another presidential election year. The leading news stories over the last few weeks have been filled with major developments for both parties and their respective candidates. From the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and the Republican National Convention, to President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential election race, significant election race happenings have dominated the… Read More

Investing in a diversified portfolio is a cornerstone of our investment philosophy at Master’s. Extensive academic literature suggests that diversification not only reduces risk but also smooths returns and, over time, tends to outperform individual stock, sectors, or indices. However, diversification comes with its challenges. One significant drawback is that in a diversified portfolio, there will always be investments that do not perform as well as others. This might seem… Read More