I am sitting here at my desk on another nice sunny July day. With the weekend fast approaching, motivation can be difficult to come by. I’m sure many, specifically in the financial industry, can relate. I’ve always found that the best way to keep myself motivated is to have a little fun so I decided to switch things up from the normal chart blog today.

When times get rough, emotions run high. Babe Ruth goes into a slump. Tom Brady gets intercepted…twice in one game! Bill Russell goes 1-12 in foul shots. Even the best have bad games. Some have bad seasons. There could be a lingering injury, maybe the ball was tipped, maybe the team needs some rebuilding, or perhaps circumstances just turned out that way.

These days I do a lot of travel. I’m writing this at 36,000 feet headed for Phoenix. I’d like to share a story about how we travel versus where we are trying to go. My hope is to give you a different perspective on how you manage clients’ money and your business.

As threats to escalate the trade war loom, BCM Portfolio Manager Dave Haviland has updated and expanded our original piece on “Trade, Tariffs and Tirades: A Primer on What Has the Markets in a Dither” from last month. For the latest on trade concerns, plus historical and current significance to the global economy, read more from the BCM Blog.

Building and maintaining 401(k) plans require a comprehensive array of administrative and investment professionals. They are subject to many rules and regulations from not just the DOL, but from the SEC, and now possibly FINRA too. Do you know the specific roles and duties of the “players” involved in a 401(k) plan? Many advisors, plan sponsors, let alone plan participants, do not.

Why would you buy an umbrella when it’s been sunny every day? Let’s not forget the original use for an umbrella was actually as a sunshade, not for rain, but I digress. Seriously, why would you keep an umbrella in your car, at home or in a golf bag?

The average age Americans learn how to balance a checkbook is 28¹. Age 28! If Americans are not taught about basic finance in high school or college, then how can they possibly be ready to evaluate what debt is necessary, budget for it, and have a plan to pay it off without impairing and impeding their financial future?

Popular sites such as Investopedia and The Financial Dictionary have over 1,885 financial acronyms housed in their shared glossaries. I would challenge you to find anyone — let alone a typical investor — list-off and define the most fundamental acronyms common to our industry.

Can you be honest with yourself? Seriously…completely honest? OK, then please answer this question:
When was the last time you reviewed your portfolios and rebalanced them back to the asset allocation outlined in your financial plan?

Most investment professionals would agree that stock market price movement in the 0-5% range is just ordinary market movement or statistical “noise.”