YDF's Blog
The Importance of Financial Literacy
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – Benjamin Franklin
The statistics on financial literacy are eye opening, particularly for low-income students. Many well-heeled families, though, don’t teach financial literacy because discussing money is
Celebrating Two & Thank You
It's amazing how time flies. The Barse family celebrated Delaney's second birthday last month. Watching our "baby" girl full of life, energy, and enthusiasm made me reflect on the last 24 months. Delaney enjoying her 2nd birthday as a rainbow unicorn.Your Dedicated...
Good News, Grit, & Gratitude
This is a special note to clients, family, and friends, which are not mutually exclusive. Our lives have changed dramatically. In one month, we went from a U.S. stock market at an all-time high, record low unemployment, and packed social gatherings, to this.
The Last Decade & The Lost Decade
In mid-2007, I began serving as an alternative investment consultant to leading private wealth and retail financial advisors. In that role, I would introduce alternative investments as diversifiers or “hedges” aimed at delivering portfolio diversification. Many advisors metaphorically told me to pound sand because the economy was “booming”. What was so fascinating is how many of these same advisors were calling me in early 2009 wanting to invest their clients’ money into the very strategies that had weathered the storm of 2008. Looking back, that’s like putting a seatbelt on after a crash.
Key Takeaways from the Inside Fixed Income Conference
Few things in life are more exciting than talking about bonds and interest rates. Just kidding. For most people, it’s about as thrilling as watching paint dry. But, did you know it’s possible to get a big room full of fixed income propeller heads to belly laugh at a conference? It is, because I just made it happen at last week’s Inside Fixed Income conference in San Diego.
An Unforgettable Moment, Nashville, and New York City
The Barse family has some exciting news to share: we welcomed our newest member, Delaney Barse, into the world on March 13th.
5 Common Financial Planning Myths
For nearly a decade, I served as an investment consultant to leading financial advisors around the country. During that time, I learned a lot about financial advisors, the banking system, and the financial services industry. In the transition from consulting advisors to becoming a wealth strategist directly serving individuals and families, I’ve observed five common financial planning myths. I’m here to provide insight that I believe will help you decide what kind of advisor you should work with.
See You at the Toews Behavioral Portfolio Design Workshop
You may know that I have a degree in Neurobiology & Neurophysiology. As you’d imagine, I have a keen interest in how the mind works and the emotions that go into making decisions involving finance. In that regard, I’m happy to be attending the Toews Behavioral Portfolio Design workshop in San Diego, Tuesday, November 6.
Closing the Gap Between Taxes and Investments
One of the head-scratching observations I made during my former career as an investment consultant to leading financial advisors is how few advisors ask for their clients’ tax returns to use as the basis for their planning.