Moving From Innovation to Trust
The stakeholder-centric lens is an important innovation to the capitalist structure. It is also an important counterpoint to the shareholder-centric profit concerns that dominate the early development stages of the technical innovations that drive economic growth.
Midterms and Markets
While financial markets may breathe a sigh of relief following midterm election results, the present reality is that ongoing concerns about global recession, high inflation, and tighter central bank policies could limit the enthusiasm of any post-election rally.
Staying Safe in a Digital World
Protecting yourself against identity theft and other common scams can be daunting. Identifying ways to stay safe in the digital age can help prevent online threats from becoming a reality.
Empowering Women through Financial Literacy
The YWCA Berkeley/Oakland promotes financial literacy yearly with its Young Women and Money Conference. We're proud to be sponsors of the event.
Raising Financially Confident Kids
Helping kids understand basic financial concepts early in life can give them confidence in their ability to save and spend wisely.
The Role of Relief Rallies
It is human nature to assume that a current trend will continue unimpeded and that equity prices will continue to fall without relief. Reality rarely unfolds in such straight lines.
A Gift Between Generations
Financial situations are as varied as family situations, and bringing generations of families and finances together reveals a nuanced array of issues.
The Essence of Elasticity
Q3 2022 Market Commentary
The essence of elasticity is reversibility. While financial markets don't behave in such simplified ways, the same concept can be helpful to consider during periods of dramatic price appreciation or decline.
For Whom the Earnings Bell Tolls
The question facing investors in the near term is how to interpret the interconnectedness of the broad economy when presented with quarterly earnings data from a single company.
Intentional Spending
Instead of limiting ourselves with a budget, let’s express ourselves with a spending plan. When you have a spending plan aligned with your values, it’s easier to give yourself permission to enjoy the spending and invest in living.
Precarious Expectations
Investors often expect the status quo to continue indefinitely but markets can change course rapidly. There are measurable benefits to balancing historically-rooted optimism and a timeframe that extends beyond the present moment.
Keep Calm and Carry On
While there is always a shortage of certainty about the future, consistent and deliberate planning can ease the discomfort of forced change.
Climate Inflation
Climate change is upending our traditional theories of inflation. The consequences of extreme weather and a degrading environment are now being integrated into financial calculations and may continue to drive prices higher.
The Power of Being Known
A client-advisor relationship can be much broader and richer than retirement calculations and investment strategies. Allowing an advisor to truly know you increases your trust and effectiveness in financial decision-making.
Sustainable Investing: Going Mainstream
Consumer demand for ESG funds signals that the long-term trajectory for sustainable investing is on solid footing despite growing pains and political noise from both sides about imperfections.
Power of Attorney: A Caretaking Role
Being power of attorney for someone is a fiduciary responsibility, and it’s not one we should agree to lightly. We agree to serve because it means taking care of someone we love when they can no longer care for themselves.
A Recession by Any Other Name
Although there’s confusion around the definition of a recession, it’s helpful to remember that periods of economic slowdown – whether they are officially deemed a recession or not – are a normal part of the economic cycle.
Mindful Finance
Periodically taking time to review your financial situation can alleviate stress and give you a sense of control.
Double-Edged Dollar
Similar to other assets, currency markets have cycles and are sensitive to the near and intermediate-term outlook for the global economy. As the US dollar gains strength on global markets the results of the appreciating currency remain complex.
Sharing the Power (of Attorney)
Naming a good power of attorney and sharing your wishes, values, and financials with them will ease the transition into sharing control of critical aspects of your life and provide peace of mind.
The Art of Community
Seven years, and twenty-three shows later, we celebrate the shared experience of love and appreciation for art in our local community and the integral part it plays in who we are as a firm and why the intersection of art and community matters.
The Tedious Middle
Q2 2022 Market Commentary
Reflecting on past periods of economic and political turbulence won’t provide a precise roadmap for the current moment, but it can provide a comforting reminder about the longer arc of progress.
The Patience of Incremental Change
Investments can't change everything, but they provide a form of action when we are otherwise overwhelmed by climate change or the need for equity, and they are the language through which our country expresses itself.
Invested for the Long-Term, Living in the Short-Term
For investors, watching the value of their portfolios decline is often uncomfortable, which highlights a fundamental challenge during periods of market turbulence: we are invested for the long-term, but we live our lives in the short-term.
Illuminating the Next Chapter
At its core, cash flow planning is about helping us make better decisions. It involves organizing our financial life into something comprehensible and then looking into the future to understand the range of potential outcomes.