Financial Planning

Dave Johnson is known for this call, "And down the stretch they come!" Mr. Johnson has been calling horse races since the early 1970s, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. There are few things more exciting in sports than watching horses make the final turn towards the finish line – the stretch run.

The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tragic loss. I learned about her life from the movie On The Basis of Sex, and I've enjoyed reading the recent articles about her accomplishments. She opined on many issues, and one quote from a 2017 interview with the BBC particularly stood out to me.  Justice Ginsburg said, "I am optimistic in the long run.

Hope is in short supply, and people are hurting. We're battling a global pandemic, fires, floods, racial tension, economic uncertainty, and political turmoil – dark days, indeed. It's hard to imagine it getting better, but it will. Try to find the good among the bad. Mr. Rogers once said, "When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.

101 Dalmatians™ was a favorite movie for my daughter, and we often watched it together as the dogs battled their Villain – Cruella de Vil. If you owned 101 dalmatians, I would think you'd learn a thing or two about raising dogs.

The presidential election is coming, and investors are shifting their tired, worrisome gaze towards the fall. We're still battling the virus and dealing with racial tensions. Now we must add the election to the mix. Each political party, and legions of supporters, are convinced that the "other" party will tank the economy and the stock market once the election is over. Is this true? Will stocks fall if Trump wins? What about Biden?

Investors are nervous; despite the recent rally in stocks, and they are looking to sell shares because of the virus or the economic environment. It's forcing some individuals to reconsider their exposure to risk assets. As the market climbs higher and interest rates fall to zero, what else can you do with your money?

If you have children, you probably answered a million what-if questions. What if the sky falls? What if dogs talked? What if I wear my clothes backward? What if I eat my soup with a fork? What if I become a horse?

What if?

It has been a brutal, exhausting year, and people are hurting. COVID-19 and the racial tension has cast a pall on 2020, and people are living with heavy hearts. As a result of the economic, political, and social turmoil, small charities are in a pinch. Local nonprofits are on the ground in your community doing work few people are willing to do, and they need your assistance. What kind of help do they need? Financial support.

Less than three and a half percent of Certified Financial Planners™ are African American or Latinos.