As you may have noticed, last week was quite the ride in the stock market. For the week, the S&P 500 returned -11.47% [1]. It was the fastest correction (defined as a -10% return) since July of 1933. Even for the normal ups and downs of the stock market, this was a volatile week. I’m sure none of us roots for the market to decline. In fact, it can be a… Read More
This is part 4 of a 4 part series. If you missed part 1, 2 or 3 you can read them here, here & here. In 2002, Pastor Rick Warren authored the book, The Purpose Driven Life. It became one of the all-time best sellers as over 30 million copies were sold in just the first five years of its existence. Obviously, the pursuit of “Purpose” struck a deep chord in the emotions of… Read More
This is part 3 of a 4 part series. If you missed part 1 or 2, you can read them here & here Wealth is an abundance of valuable possessions or money. It is neither positive nor negative. It’s our attitude toward wealth that determines whether wealth will enable our self-indulgence or enrich our lives and the lives of others. Consider Abraham in in the book of Genesis, a man of immense wealth…. Read More
I’m one of those crazy people who enjoys yard work; however, my least favorite chore is trimming the shrubs. From experience I know that if I don’t keep the landscape manicured on a regular basis, it can quickly get out of control. Our yards and landscape are like other areas of life which, when not actively managed, can quickly become disordered and unruly. Finances can fall into this category. It… Read More
Over the next few weeks, we will be writing a blog series on our client mission statement, “Managing Wealth for A Life of Purpose”. Even though this statement was established more than 10 years ago, we believe it is more relevant today than it ever has been. The rise of social enterprises, b-corp certifications and business-as-missions organizations show the thirst for meaning that exists in today’s business culture. On the… Read More
I’m not much into New Year’s resolutions anymore. No big surprise, especially since I have never been successful when it comes to keeping resolutions. And apparently, I am not alone in this. Instead, this year, I’ve created a list of encouragements that I want to practice throughout the year. Each month I am choosing three from the list to focus on that will help me invest in both myself and… Read More
I recently discovered this quote from motivational speaker Tony Robbins. “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” The power of positive routine and rhythm is often subtle but highly effective in delivering results. Why is routine so powerful and effective? Routine creates efficiency. When we don’t need to spend time thinking about what to do next, we get more… Read More
What happened to 70½? It’s gone! Well, almost. Because of the provisions in the new Secure Act, people who turn 70½ on or after January 1, 2020, will not be required to take minimum distributions from their IRAs until age 72. This new law also affects Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – the way to give to charities via your required minimum distributions (RMDs). Since this giving method is advantageous when… Read More
A new year is a traditional time for reflection, perhaps even more so as we enter a new decade in 2020. Resolutions vary, as there are things we should start doing, some we should stop doing, and others that we need to continue. This last category reminds us of a long-standing and resolute commitment at Master’s. When Master’s Advisors incorporated 20 years ago, we committed to contributing a portion of… Read More
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” – Mark Twain Do you have your essential legal documents? No? You’re not alone. Aretha didn’t have them. Prince didn’t have them. Many of us ordinary folks don’t have them. So why do we put off getting them? Various reasons. Cost. Is it worth what I will have to pay to have them drafted? Feeling more than… Read More
