As fiduciary financial advisors, we strive to remain objective and apolitical in our advice. Political bias can lead investors to make poor decisions, and our role is to offer clear guidance grounded in facts. With that in mind, we offer a measured explanation of the market’s response to President Trump’s newly implemented tariffs.
Tariffs and the Economy: A High-Stakes Gamble with Global Consequences
Tariffs have long been a tool used by governments to influence international trade and protect domestic industries. While they might seem like a topic best left to economists and policymakers, tariffs can have real-world economic and market implications. Understanding how tariffs work and how they might affect our financial plans is essential for making informed financial decisions.
Money Flowing Out? Your January Financial Reset Starts Now
As we embark on a new year, there's no better time to take control of your financial future by thoroughly reviewing your cash flow. If having a vision and establishing goals is the touchstone for a financial plan, this essential financial practice sets the foundation for achieving your goals and ensuring long-term financial stability.
Two Strong Years, a Crash Ahead? Debunking Market Myths and Behavioral Biases
Fee-Only vs. Fee-Based Financial Advisors: Understanding the Differences and Choosing the Right Advisor for You
Choosing the right financial advisor is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your financial future. But with so many types of advisors and compensation structures, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this video, Reed Fraasa, a Certified Financial Planner® and founder of Highland Financial Advisors, breaks down the key differences between "fee-only" and "fee-based" financial advisors.
Tax Traps: The Hidden Costs of High-Yield Savings vs. Stock Market Gains
The current interest rate environment has driven many to explore high-yield money market accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) as viable investment vehicles. With interest rates on these instruments at levels unseen in over a decade, it's easy to understand the appeal. However, there is an irony in using these vehicles as long-term investment strategies, especially when compared to the potential tax advantages the stock market offers.
Why Long-Term Investment Strategies Shouldn't Be Driven by Federal Reserve Interest Rate Decisions
As a financial advisor, I often hear clients express concern over the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions and how these might impact their long-term investments. While it's natural to be attentive to such economic indicators, focusing solely on interest rate changes when planning your long-term investment strategy can be a misstep. Here’s why it’s important to maintain a broader perspective.
Unlock Your Financial Future: The Importance of Goal Setting with Highland Financial Advisors
At Highland Financial Advisors, we believe that the foundation of a successful financial plan starts with clear and meaningful goal setting. Our latest video emphasizes why identifying your financial goals is crucial whether you're working with an adviser or managing your finances independently. Through our unique Discovery process, we guide you to connect deeply with your aspirations, ensuring that your financial plan aligns with the life you envision. Join us as we uncover the powerful questions that can transform your financial journey and help you build a future free from regrets.
Essential Tips for Starting a Relationship with a Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Welcome to Highland Financial Advisor's comprehensive video series, designed to guide you through the crucial steps of interviewing and starting a relationship with a fiduciary financial advisor. Whether you're new to financial planning or looking to optimize your current strategy, our clearly defined process and expert advice will help you make informed decisions. In this series, we'll cover everything from understanding fees and value to setting financial goals and creating a personalized wealth management plan. Subscribe now to stay updated and take control of your financial future with confidence.
Decoding Financial Advisor Fees: Your Guide to Transparent Costs
Frogs and Inflation…Perfect Together
The story is well-known: if you place a frog into boiling water, it will jump out immediately. But if the frog is put in tepid water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the impending danger and will eventually be cooked to death. This analogy is a powerful metaphor, cautioning us about the risks posed by gradual changes that go unnoticed—similar to the frog failing to react to the slowly heating water.
This metaphor aptly describes how people often fail to recognize or respond to gradual changes in their environment or circumstances. In financial planning, this concept underscores the importance of regularly monitoring a client's financial status to avoid being metaphorically "cooked."
The Myth of CASH
In personal finance, the attraction of cash equivalents for long-term goals has persisted as a seemingly safe and stable investment strategy. Cash equivalents, including savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and Treasury bills, are often viewed as low-risk options that offer liquidity and "preservation of capital." However, the belief that investing primarily in cash equivalents can secure one's financial future in the long term is a myth that should be challenged.
When Can Investing Resemble Gambling?
I'm reading Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman is the 2002 Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and economist known for his work in behavioral economics. One section of the book discusses how investing can resemble gambling when individuals overestimate their ability to predict market movements, a phenomenon deeply connected to Daniel Kahneman's concepts of the "Illusion of Skill" and "Illusion of Validity." These cognitive biases describe the human tendency to overvalue our ability to make accurate predictions or decisions in situations where chance plays a significant role or the information is unreliable.
What To Ask Before Signing Up with a Financial Advisor
Reed Fraasa, a wealth advisor and founder at Highland Financial Advisors, discusses the evolving landscape of financial services where professionals are increasingly shifting towards independent advisory roles. He emphasizes the importance of understanding a firm's purpose, uniqueness, and process when seeking a financial advisor. Fraasa advocates for a fiduciary approach, personalized wealth management for accredited investors, and a collaborative team structure. He encourages prospective clients to utilize a list of questions provided by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to ensure they find the right advisor to put their interests first.
Using Roth Conversions Between Retirement and Age 73 to Reduce Future RMDs
A Roth conversion is a financial maneuver where you convert funds from a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or 401(k) into a Roth IRA. This process involves paying taxes on the converted amount, as traditional IRA/401(k) contributions are typically made with pre-tax dollars, and Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars.
High Rates Don't Put the Brakes on Stocks
Some investors have asked if stocks make sense in a world where short-term US Treasuries yield north of 5.5%. 1 While a notable relationship exists between high short-term interest rates and stock market returns, it's important to understand that correlation does not imply causation. Here's a breakdown of the dynamics:
Why Stock Valuations Are Not Predictive of Future Portfolio Returns
Financial markets are complex and unpredictable. Valuation metrics, such as price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, enterprise value-to-EBITDA, and the price-to-book (P/B) ratio, have traditionally been seen as indicators of a stock's intrinsic worth and, by some, predictors of future returns. However, the belief that valuations can reliably forecast future markets deserves a deeper investigation into why they may not serve as a crystal ball for investors.
Politics and the Stock Market, Imperfect Together
Solar Energy Tax Incentives: What's New for 2023?
According to the Department of Energy's SETO (Solar Energy Technologies Office), provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar by an average of $7,500, with taxpayers expected to realize an additional average savings of $9,000 on their electricity bills over the system's life.
What Happened to Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)
Revelations around the collapse and government takeover of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) dominated the news over the weekend. Except for the distractions provided by March Madness brackets and the Oscars, the word of failing financial institutions brought back bad feelings for everyone. Ironically, the film Everything Everywhere All at Once not only swept the Oscars but aptly describes the swiftness in which SVB collapsed.