Q3 2021: The Value of the Five-Minute Warning
When my girls were younger, and we were at a playdate or birthday party, I found it very helpful to give them a five-minute warning that we were about to leave. As a parent, you can usually…
Q2 2021: A Campfire Economy: Shifting Toward the Heat
Cooking over a campfire is challenging. If you’ve ever done it, you know what I mean. The fire can be difficult to start, the flame heat varies, the cooking surface is often uneven and the…
Q1 2021 – The Economic Bloom: Recovery Post COVID-19
My daffodils and crocuses bloomed on the same day this spring. This was unexpected. Usually the crocuses are first, and the daffodils follow. This flower rotation is a simple reminder that each spring is a…
2021: Finding the Right Balance
Dark chocolate with sea salt is a decadent treat. Before trying it, I skeptically asked, ‘Why would you ruin a delicious piece of chocolate with salt?’ I soon learned that the balance between the extremes…
Q3 2020 Quarterly Letter – A Pandemic, Politics and Your Portfolio
Navigating a raft in tumultuous white water seems an apt metaphor for what we are likely to experience in the markets coming into the election. Markets, like most individuals, hate uncertainty. The current election during…
Why the Cash Couch Isn’t the Place to Settle
Two years ago, amid rising interest rates, trade wars, and concerns that the longest economic expansion in history had to come to an end sometime, market volatility made a comeback. At the time, many investors…
Q2 2020 Quarterly Letter – Managing Through the Uncertainty
We are living in times of unprecedented uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. How and when the pandemic ends, allowing us to get back to our typical routines, is still completely unknown. There are lots…
Q1 2020 Quarterly Letter – Navigating COVID-19 Crisis
Before embarking on a journey, every ship’s captain is legally responsible for developing a voyage plan. A proper voyage plan is prepared by the captain or an experienced crew member and maps out each segment…
Q4 2019 Quarterly Letter – I Love the Rolling Stones!
I love the Rolling Stones! The first Rolling Stones concert I saw was 30 years ago. At that time, I remember thinking, Wow, these guys really rock. And they are kind of old. At the…
Tug of War Economy Between Growth and Recession
As a big guy, I usually get picked early any time there’s a game of tug of war — and I’ve had my fair share of pulling contests over the years. When the teams are…