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Steve Coker, CFP
- Jul 11
- 3 min
What is the Difference Between Gain and Return?
How am I doing? It is a common question among investors. We all want to measure how well we are managing our money. Of course, we can...
Carole Meitler
- Mar 11
- 3 min
Understanding Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
Exchange Traded Funds, ETFs, were first developed in the 1990s as a way to provide lower cost indexed funds (a portfolio designed to...
Steve Coker, CFP
- Feb 13
- 3 min
Adding up the stimulus
How could the stock market continue to rise during the pandemic? Why are stocks rising while so many Americans are still unemployed? The...
Steve Coker, CFP
- Aug 21, 2020
- 4 min
Valuation Check: Is the market ready for a fall?
The S&P 500 hit new highs this week and it is natural to start asking, “have we recovered too much too fast”. I have received several...
Steve Coker
- Apr 19, 2020
- 2 min
The Other Side of the Valley
Even as the number of new cases and deaths from Covid-19 continue to rise globally, the stock market is beginning a comeback. Indeed the...
Carole Meitler
- Apr 3, 2020
- 3 min
Coronavirus Tax Relief
In response to the coronavirus crisis, the IRS announced several changes to the tax filing season this year. For those of you who have...
Steve Coker
- Mar 27, 2020
- 3 min
The CARES Act – What’s in it?
As of this writing the Corona Virus Aid Relief and Economic Security (‘CARES’) Act, a $2 trillion emergency fiscal stimulus package, has...
Steve Coker
- Mar 22, 2020
- 2 min
3 Tips to Weather Volatility
We have seen exceptional market volatility during the past few weeks as stocks have fallen quickly, risen quickly and then reversed...
Carole Meitler
- Mar 6, 2020
- 5 min
Investor Basics: Mutual Funds
Whether you are new to investing or already have holdings in mutual funds, you may not fully understand what exactly mutual funds are,...
Steve Coker
- Feb 15, 2020
- 4 min
Downsizing your house in retirement
Downsizing your house in retirement can make a lot of sense, especially when you are looking for ways to make your retirement dollars go...
Steve Coker
- Feb 7, 2020
- 4 min
The High Cost of Variable Annuities
I love the idea of annuities. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if retirees could simply get ‘minimum returns’ or ‘guaranteed withdrawals’ from...
Carole Meitler
- Jan 26, 2020
- 3 min
Investor Basics: Financial Goals and Resolutions
With the beginning of a new year, we hear and think a lot about goal setting. ‘Tis the season for it! Without being cliché, goal...
Steve Coker
- Jan 3, 2020
- 2 min
2019 A Year in Review
By almost every measure 2019 was an exceptional year. Not only did the stock market in the U.S. and globally have their best year since...
Steve Coker
- May 10, 2019
- 3 min
The China Problem
Stock markets around the world sold off this week on rising risks of a trade war between the United States and China. With the worlds...
Steve Coker
- May 6, 2019
- 7 min
Preparing for the next recession: 9 things you need to know
By Jared Franz and Darrell Spence: Capital Group When is the next recession? That’s one of the questions we hear most often. And for...
Steve Coker
- Apr 19, 2019
- 2 min
Staying Diversified
Diversification hasn’t mattered much over the past few years. U.S. stocks have consistently outpaced non-U.S. markets. Even within the...
Steve Coker
- Apr 1, 2019
- 2 min
Is Cedarstone a Fiduciary?
I was asked this week whether Cedarstone is a Fiduciary. The answer is yes, of course. From its origins Cedarstone has been held to the...
Steve Coker
- Mar 25, 2019
- 2 min
Federal Reserve Holds Rates
As most economists expected, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady last week. Despite the uneventful outcome on rates, markets...
Steve Coker
- Mar 11, 2019
- 2 min
The Cost of Chasing Fund Performance
It’s so easy to do and seems so reasonable. If you have a mutual fund that is underperforming, why not simply swap it out for a fund...
Steve Coker
- Dec 3, 2018
- 2 min
What is a Capital Gain Distribution?
During the month of December mutual funds often make large cash distributions to shareholders based on the capital gains that were...
