The Master’s Minute

When we put together an investment model, the primary factor we consider is risk. The amount of potential investment decline one can withstand will determine the mix of investments we use to build the diversified portfolio. When we build a financial plan, we match the risk of the portfolio to the goal it is intended to achieve and, typically, the further out the goal is the more risk you can… Read More

Clients of Master’s tend to have a similar mind-set when it comes to finances and the future. Many of our clients believe they have accumulated and stewarded assets wisely so they could use God-given resources for God-given goals. As the next generation of investors enters the market, I can only hope that these values are being taught and carried forward. After experiencing many years of various mistakes and victories, parents… Read More

This year’s Tax Day, April 18, 2022, is now in the rearview mirror. Rare is the person who enjoys prepping for the filing of their tax return, much less, writing the checks! I am thankful it only occurs once per year. Sometimes the best way to counteract an unpleasant situation is to add a bit of levity. Here is some tax-time humor for your reading enjoyment. Q – Why didn’t… Read More

You are probably aware that interest rates have increased substantially over the last several months. Since the beginning of the year, the 10-year treasury bond yield has increased from 1.52% to 2.85% as of this writing. That’s an 87.5% increase in less than four months. Similarly, 30-year mortgage rates have increased since the beginning of the year from 3.11% to 5.0% as of this writing. That is a 60.7% increase…. Read More

We are fortunate to experience the change of seasons in Lancaster County, and the one that is my favorite is the change from winter to spring. The longer, warmer days are a welcomed reprieve, and it is always fun to see the trees and flowers begin to bloom once again. For many of us, spring is also the time of year when we clean up around the house, engaging in… Read More

Habit 2 in Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is to “begin with the end in mind.” I have found it extremely helpful when starting something new to take time to envision what I really want in the end. It might be tempting when we reach an ending point in some aspect of our life to fill the void with whatever is comfortable and straightforward. However,… Read More

My wife, Hannah, and I have known for a while that we wanted to start a family after being married for a certain number of years. After our wedding and purchasing a home, we knew we had to keep this goal of ours in mind as we made decisions. We were intentional about enjoying the stage of life we were in, while making choices that would set us up for… Read More

In last week’s blog post, Charlie wrote about the value of pivoting your plans when the circumstances of life cause a surprise change to be necessary. One underlying skill behind the concept of pivoting is decisiveness. The ability to be decisive comes easier for some people than it does for others. Decisiveness is comprised of two key components: being able to make a decision quickly and effectively. Being able to… Read More