Account Qualification

By Paul Hundley | March 1, 2018 | Comments Off on Account Qualification

Question: I want to start investing but I don’t know how to take the first step? Believe it or not the first step to investing is not finding an investment itself but the path to the investment. What type of investment account should you open? Let’s walk through the different investment accounts available and their […]

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Modern Portfolio Theory

By Paul Hundley | February 5, 2018 | Comments Off on Modern Portfolio Theory

When I begin working with a new client, I get asked many common questions by the client. What’s my investment style? How do I decide an investment is a worthwhile investment? And what should they expect from my firm? I could spend an inodorimate amount of time answering each one of these questions, but I […]

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Understanding Economic Phases

By Paul Hundley | January 16, 2018 | Comments Off on Understanding Economic Phases

  When assessing investment portfolios, we often discuss the economy and its impact on your investments. Questions typically arise about the stages or phases of the economy and how to assess where the economy is sitting. The stock market has been on a record run since the great recession of 2008 with the S&P 500 […]

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8 Tips for Financial Success

By Paul Hundley | October 25, 2017 | Comments Off on 8 Tips for Financial Success

As a financial advisor I thought I would share with you my personal favorite 8 tips I believe all individuals, couples or families should be practicing.   There are no get rich quick schemes. Embrace this mindset. Once you realize the path to prosperity is through a slow methodical plan of attack the better off […]

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Impact of Trump’s Tax Plan on Your Family Income

By Brian Foley | October 24, 2017 | Comments Off on Impact of Trump’s Tax Plan on Your Family Income

  Below is my analysis of how the Trump Administration’s tax proposal may impact American families. I have outlined the dollar amounts the Trump plan may save families in each of the four specified income categories below. Keep in mind that the Trump tax proposal is just that – a proposal, and not law. Furthermore, […]

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Discussing Life Insurance

By Paul Hundley | October 13, 2017 | Comments Off on Discussing Life Insurance

Life insurance: this is a topic I avoided for most of my professional career. I always liked to view myself as an “investment” guy. I would rather focus on equity, fixed income, asset allocation, macroeconomics, and how the world around us can affect your investments. However, when I became a father almost a year and […]

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Hundley: Investment Risk, Fees, & Diversification

By Paul Hundley | September 13, 2017 | 2 Comments

Today is a big day, my first blog post for Lighthouse Capital, LLC (I think the lawyers make us include the LLC). When the Managing Director of Lighthouse, Brian Foley, approached me regarding blog posts I thought to myself, “but I’m a financial advisor, not a writer?” Well, I have never turned down a chance […]

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Amazon Furthers Quest for Retail Dominance

By Brian Foley | August 30, 2017 | Comments Off on Amazon Furthers Quest for Retail Dominance

This week Amazon took over as owner of Whole Foods, which is arguably the most noteworthy merger of the summer. It was an intriguing move by Amazon, and one which may prove to be very savvy. Or it could be a bust and set them back many years in their quest to take over Wal-Mart […]

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Five Simple Steps to Improve Your College Savings

By Brian Foley | August 21, 2017 | Comments Off on Five Simple Steps to Improve Your College Savings

Organize a budget. Determine how much your family can contribute monthly to college savings. And make it a priority. As you line-item your monthly budget you will likely find expenses which you could eliminate or reduce, which are additional dollars that you can direct towards your college savings. Open a 529 college savings account. Saving […]

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GENDER PAY GAP ISSUE COMPOUNDED BY IRS REGULATIONS

By Brian Foley | August 17, 2017 | Comments Off on GENDER PAY GAP ISSUE COMPOUNDED BY IRS REGULATIONS

This month, the authors of our Monthly Newsletter shed additional light on the gender pay gap issue and the impact it has on women saving for retirement. Citing statistics from the US Department of Labor, women are more likely to work part-time jobs than men, and part-time jobs are far less likely to offer a […]

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MANY ACTIVE MUTUAL FUNDS OUTPACING THE RETURNS OF INDEX MUTUAL FUNDS, ACCORDING TO RECENT DATA

By Brian Foley | August 15, 2017 | Comments Off on MANY ACTIVE MUTUAL FUNDS OUTPACING THE RETURNS OF INDEX MUTUAL FUNDS, ACCORDING TO RECENT DATA

Over the past several years there has been an on-going debate over whether investors benefit more from using index mutual funds or actively managed mutual funds. Most of the published news on this subject has supported the case for index funds. Heck, even Warren Buffet is on record supporting index funds, even though he uses an active […]

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Five Simple Steps To Improve Your Retirement Savings

By Brian Foley | June 20, 2017 | Comments Off on Five Simple Steps To Improve Your Retirement Savings

Create a Budget. Being organized and sticking to a monthly budget is essential to maximizing your retirement savings. As you line-item your monthly budget you will likely find expenses which you could eliminate or reduce, which are additional dollars that you can direct towards your retirement plan. Maximize Your Employer Match. If your company provides […]

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Many Fidelity 401k Plans may be in Violation of New DOL Fiduciary Rule

By Brian Foley | June 13, 2017 | Comments Off on Many Fidelity 401k Plans may be in Violation of New DOL Fiduciary Rule

According to a report, Fidelity, the largest 401k provider in the country, will now act as a plan level investment fiduciary to certain 401k plans. However, many advisors feel as though Fidelity has an inherent conflict of interest in acting in this capacity which may expose plan sponsors to a violation of the new DOL […]

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Strategy: Considering downsizing your home to boost your retirement income?

By Brian Foley | June 6, 2017 | Comments Off on Strategy: Considering downsizing your home to boost your retirement income?

(Source) – It’s a seller’s market in much of the country. Real estate is a hot commodity, with properties in some areas being snatched up virtually as soon as they are listed.  That’s good news for sellers who can command a higher price for their homes. At closing, they may find themselves with extra money in […]

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Another 401k Lawsuit Denied by Federal Court

By Brian Foley | June 5, 2017 | Comments Off on Another 401k Lawsuit Denied by Federal Court

(Source) – A federal judge has for the second time dismissed a lawsuit seeking class action status alleging that Chevron’s retirement plan overpaid Vanguard in recordkeeping fees. The claim, brought last year by Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, asserted that the $19 billion plan violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act in part by paying Vanguard […]

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Study: Many People are Significantly Behind in Saving for Retirement

By Brian Foley | June 1, 2017 | Comments Off on Study: Many People are Significantly Behind in Saving for Retirement

(Source) – While many Americans know if they’re putting money aside for retirement, few can tell with confidence how much money they should accumulate to maintain their lifestyle after they stop working. Over 80% of Americans say they don’t know how much money they’ll need for retirement, according to the final report from a four-year-long study of […]

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Study: Individuals Working With a Financial Planner Add 29% to Their Retirement Income

By Brian Foley | May 31, 2017 | Comments Off on Study: Individuals Working With a Financial Planner Add 29% to Their Retirement Income

(Source) – Research by David Blanchett and Paul Kaplan of Morningstar, Alpha, Beta, and Now . . .  Gamma, has attempted to quantify into real numbers the value that financial planners can provide.  Their research shows that financial planners help individuals generate roughly 1.82% excess return each year, creating roughly 29% higher retirement income wealth.  This […]

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New DOL Rule Requires Financial Advisers to Act in Client’s Best Interest

By Brian Foley | May 31, 2017 | Comments Off on New DOL Rule Requires Financial Advisers to Act in Client’s Best Interest

(Source) – The Secretary of Labor reaffirmed that the fiduciary rule will begin to phase in on June 9. The new definitions of who is a fiduciary will go into effect along with the impartial conduct standards on June 9–60 days later than originally planned….This means that on June 9, IRA advisors and others will […]

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401k Lawsuit Denied by Federal Judge

By Brian Foley | May 31, 2017 | Comments Off on 401k Lawsuit Denied by Federal Judge

Summary: Last Thursday, a federal district court judge in Minnesota dismissed a class-action lawsuit brought forth by participants in the Wells Fargo 401k plan. The suit alleged that Wells Fargo breached their fiduciary duty by including their own Wells Fargo target date funds in the plan. Central to the plaintiff’s argument was that Fidelity and Vanguard offered […]

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