Lifelong Blog
Our nationally recognized, weekly blog posts.

Coronavirus: The Latest Market Scare
The irony is that just last week I put out a blog on what war does to the markets. When I wrote it, concerns about Iran were elevated. When it posted a few weeks later, it almost felt like dated news. Today no one’s talking about a potential war, rather we have a new headline soaking up our news bandwidth—the Coronavirus.
How War Affects Stock Markets
Over the past month, there’s been some increased risk of an actual war taking place with Iran. I’m not going to opine on the likelihood of that happening or not, but I do think understanding what this could mean for your portfolios is a warranted case study.
If you’re Happy and you know it Clap your Hands!
If you’ve spoken to me or read my blogs over the past year, you’ve likely noticed a trend. I talk a lot about fulfillment. It’s been my obsession lately, both personally and in my client coaching. The point is to understand what makes us truly happy.
Bonus Blog Part 3: The Impractical/Irrational Spends
I’d like to discuss the impractical, or the irrational, spends as the last leg. I’ll tread somewhat carefully here, as it’s your money and you can do with it as you choose. But I certainly see plenty of situations where people aren’t getting the most bang for their buck.

Bonus Blog Part 2: The Fulfillment or Happiness Spend
I’d like to focus on part two of my three-part series on bonus dollars. Depending on your financial situation, and bonus amount, there may not be much leftover for the happiness or fulfillment categories. While financial security is important, so is fulfillment. Therefore, with those remaining dollars, let’s talk about ways I’ve seen individuals spend their bonus to increase their happiness.

4th Quarter 2019 Market Commentary Video
Diversified CIO Mike Horwath provides insight into the 4th quarter 2019 market commentary in this informational video.
Bonus Blog Part 1: The Practical
A new year is upon us and you know what that means? Bonus time! I’ve found most of my clients get their big cash infusion somewhere between January and March. In many cases, these bonuses (from the hard work you and your team have done) can lead to a significant amount of dollars.
2019 Year in Review
The turning of the calendar always presents a good time to reflect on the prior year. It gives me a time to slow down and think of where we have been. Given my chosen profession, it’s only logical that one area I like to reflect is what happened in capital markets, which is certainly something our clients care deeply about. Well 2019 didn’t disappoint as it was one heck of a year to end the decade. Let’s take a quick moment to discuss the general investment landscape for the year that was.

Some Big Changes Coming! Key Points to The SECURE ACT
While you were celebrating the turn of a new year, there have been some very quiet changes brewing on Capitol Hill–probably the largest changes to retirement and college savings in a decade. Effective January 1st, 2020, Congress has passed the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (The SECURE ACT).
Top 10 Blogs of the Year! {Which was your Favorite?}
It’s been another year (and a labor of love) of successfully writing 52 unique blogs. Since I know you’ve read them all, you can attest that some certainly were better than others. In the spirit of reflecting, I thought I’d summarize my top 10. Maybe it’ll give you an opportunity to catch some of the ones you’ve missed as you curl up around the fireplace during these cold months ahead.

Coronavirus: The Latest Market Scare
The irony is that just last week I put out a blog on what war does to the markets. When I wrote it, concerns about Iran were elevated. When it posted a few weeks later, it almost felt like dated news. Today no one’s talking about a potential war, rather we have a new headline soaking up our news bandwidth—the Coronavirus.
How War Affects Stock Markets
Over the past month, there’s been some increased risk of an actual war taking place with Iran. I’m not going to opine on the likelihood of that happening or not, but I do think understanding what this could mean for your portfolios is a warranted case study.
If you’re Happy and you know it Clap your Hands!
If you’ve spoken to me or read my blogs over the past year, you’ve likely noticed a trend. I talk a lot about fulfillment. It’s been my obsession lately, both personally and in my client coaching. The point is to understand what makes us truly happy.
Bonus Blog Part 3: The Impractical/Irrational Spends
I’d like to discuss the impractical, or the irrational, spends as the last leg. I’ll tread somewhat carefully here, as it’s your money and you can do with it as you choose. But I certainly see plenty of situations where people aren’t getting the most bang for their buck.

Bonus Blog Part 2: The Fulfillment or Happiness Spend
I’d like to focus on part two of my three-part series on bonus dollars. Depending on your financial situation, and bonus amount, there may not be much leftover for the happiness or fulfillment categories. While financial security is important, so is fulfillment. Therefore, with those remaining dollars, let’s talk about ways I’ve seen individuals spend their bonus to increase their happiness.

4th Quarter 2019 Market Commentary Video
Diversified CIO Mike Horwath provides insight into the 4th quarter 2019 market commentary in this informational video.
Bonus Blog Part 1: The Practical
A new year is upon us and you know what that means? Bonus time! I’ve found most of my clients get their big cash infusion somewhere between January and March. In many cases, these bonuses (from the hard work you and your team have done) can lead to a significant amount of dollars.
2019 Year in Review
The turning of the calendar always presents a good time to reflect on the prior year. It gives me a time to slow down and think of where we have been. Given my chosen profession, it’s only logical that one area I like to reflect is what happened in capital markets, which is certainly something our clients care deeply about. Well 2019 didn’t disappoint as it was one heck of a year to end the decade. Let’s take a quick moment to discuss the general investment landscape for the year that was.

Some Big Changes Coming! Key Points to The SECURE ACT
While you were celebrating the turn of a new year, there have been some very quiet changes brewing on Capitol Hill–probably the largest changes to retirement and college savings in a decade. Effective January 1st, 2020, Congress has passed the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (The SECURE ACT).
Top 10 Blogs of the Year! {Which was your Favorite?}
It’s been another year (and a labor of love) of successfully writing 52 unique blogs. Since I know you’ve read them all, you can attest that some certainly were better than others. In the spirit of reflecting, I thought I’d summarize my top 10. Maybe it’ll give you an opportunity to catch some of the ones you’ve missed as you curl up around the fireplace during these cold months ahead.