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Blog2023-07-25T12:33:43-06:00

Finishing Strong

I had this amazing blog on ROTH IRAs almost completed and a couple of things happened. First, the Summer Olympic Games in Paris started; and second, there was a slight stock market correction that had been percolating since mid-July. I LOVE the Olympics.

The TANSTAAFL Theory, Part 2

Do you have a “stress tested” plan for what your retirement looks like for you and your spouse? It’s easy to have a retirement account that is based on accumulation only, but what does your plan look like once you start “de-accumulating” or going into withdrawal mode?

The TANSTAAFL Theory, Part 1

TANSTAAFL. Yeah, this is a real thing. It’s an acronym for the phrase: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” No free lunch demonstrates “opportunity cost” which says clearly, to get one thing that we like, we usually have to give up another thing we like. You just can’t have it all!

This One’s for the Ladies

This One's for the Ladies So where am I going with this one, you ask? Simple. There is a distinct difference between the investment traits of men and women. For the sake of this blog, I’m going to focus primarily on single people, as that’s my demographic.

You Are Here

Has someone or something told you that at this point in your life, you should have a net worth of a certain amount or a certain balance in your retirement accounts and other investments. Maybe you thought you would be retired by now. Who knows where you fit in this, but I know you fit somewhere!

Questions In Search of Answers

I had an old friend from my high school days in Knoxville reach out to me late last year. We spent the better part of an hour just reminiscing about people and common memories, but eventually, our conversation came back around to what exactly I do as a Comprehensive Financial Advisor. As my friend is getting ready to retire, he had several questions to ask me.

It’s Hard to Steal Second Base

It’s Hard to Steal Second Base… "It's hard do steal second base with your foot on first!” This is a famous quote by Ty Cobb, a major league baseball player from the early 1900s who was known for his base stealing ability, among other things. Notably, he was

Balancing Your Assets

One common theme I'm seeing with my new clients is that nearly 100% of them have balances in their savings, investment, and retirement accounts. The other "elephant in the room" is that they rarely have any kind of plan or strategy for how to use these accounts. Their savings and emergency funds are earning virtually nothing when they could be getting upwards of 3-5% if positioned properly.

Talk Me Out of This!

When it comes to cars, I’m very brand loyal to Acura. I think I’ve owned eight over the last 30 years. My most recent one, I found while looking on their website four years ago. What made little sense about this decision was the fact that my current car at the time was in perfectly good condition and completely paid for. What was I thinking?

Wisdom from a Cocktail Napkin?

Years ago, at a woman I was dating had a gathering of friends at her home, which of course included a selection of cocktails. I don’t remember what I drank that evening, but I’ll never forget the stack of cocktail napkins on the table, which said, “If you are what you eat, then I’m QUICK, CHEAP & EASY.”

Mailbox Money

Wouldn’t you like to be like my songwriter friend and know that each month that your "mailbox" would deliver you a comfortable income you could not outlive? Getting there isn’t rocket science, but many years of knowing how all of the financial products are structured and how they work together in concert has definitely made an impact on the lives of my clients...

Attention Class of 1976

It’s hard to believe that for many in the class of 1976, we will hit the big 65 this year. I'm now entering an entirely new phase of my personal and professional life. And I have already learned that Medicare is the most confusing, convoluted, frustrating, and challenging insurance product I’ve seen in my entire career. I like to think I’m pretty smart when it comes to "all things insurance and investment" - but not anymore! 

My New Normal

This blog was originally published March 2016. It’s been seven years since we lost Dad and I find myself either referring to him, quoting him, or just thinking of him every day. I’m learning that we all have our stories about death...I hope you enjoy this one.

Junk Drawers

I hope everyone had a great 2022, and it ended with a very peaceful & memorable holiday season. Over the holidays, I had plenty of down time here at home and in my home office. Regarding the home office, the purchase of a newer, better paper shredder was in order and it was definitely put to use. Years ago, Brian Tracy, an amazing professional speaker who I have seen multiple times, gave me “The Four D Rule.” What are the “Four D’s” you ask? Simple...

Seven Things to Do NOW

7 Things to Do NOW August, 2022 I’ve always thought that the saying, “May you live in interesting times” was a blessing or a compliment. However, Wikipedia sees it differently, saying that in actuality it’s a translation of a traditional “Chinese curse” said with irony or sarcasm.

Agnostically Contrarian

I am, as the title says, agnostically contrarian. As an advisor and an individual investor, I do not know what the markets are going to do in the near future. However, I can share some thoughts that I have...

The Times They Are a-Changin’

The Times They Are a-Changin' Happy Spring! I am loving the longer days, warmer weather, trees and plants coming alive again, and getting back out on the golf course with my friends. There’s a lot to unpack in this blog, and as the title says, things are

Random Thoughts for the New Year

Random Thoughts for the New Year Greetings and welcome to the new year! For the record, I cannot stand wintry weather nor it getting dark around 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. Thank goodness for Orange Theory, as I’ve become somewhat of an addict; their workouts 3 to 4 days

Memories of the Sears Wish Book

Memories of the Sears Wish Book Authors Note: I wrote this 15 years ago…the references that were once current are no more. A lot has changed in the Carden family, but the memories remain. What is it about Christmas that creates such nostalgia? I remember when I

Reality Checks & Financial Myths

Reality Checks & Financial Myths Happy Summer! Hopefully, you are all getting your lives back to normal post COVID. I do not miss the solitude of my personal quarantine. I am enjoying going back to my workout classes. I am enjoying concerts and live music again in

Client Conversations…Q&A

Client Conversations…Q&A Long time, no blog! I hope this finds you well, healthy, and a little more relaxed than this time last year. I really do not have a theme for this post, just some random thoughts that might resonate with each of you. I am now

I’m Tired of Seeing 20/20

I’m Tired of Seeing 20/20! I have not blogged much this year, and I am sorry for that. This is one of the strangest years in my lifetime. Every time I open a word document & start writing, I immediately get stuck, for a lot of reasons.

Thoughts During the Quarantine

Thoughts During the Quarantine Well, here we are. Quarantined, working from home, or maybe not working, and dealing with something that only Hollywood could have dreamt up. I think I’ve gotten so many emails with QOVID in the subject line, that I just started deleting them. I’ve

What Got You Here

What Got You Here Happy 2020, by the way! We’re finally through the holiday season and are anxiously waiting for the time change to happen. This is my least favorite time of the year, but I’m blessed to continue to be busy serving current clients and all

Lessons from my Neighbor

Lessons from my Neighbor Happy November…the time change that I so loathe happened the other day & after 2 days of getting dark at 5PM, I’m already over it! 2019 has been a great year for me…am blessed to have lots of new referred clients that have

What’s Your End Game?

What's Your End Game? Today is officially the first day of Spring. Hallelujah! Couple of things going on in my head these days…first of all, I wish the weather would make up its mind as to what it’s going to do…so does my yard! Secondly, I’ve been