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In the last four weeks something near the number of 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment. That is a crazy high number that has led to some eye popping GDP expectations for the quarter. Some reports expecting something...

Were you completely prepared for this? Was your family, your business, or your investment portfolio? I know I wasn’t completely prepared. How could I have been? The current crisis is a reminder to us all that much in life is beyond our control. ...

Over the past month, many different areas of the US economy have come to an almost full stop. This as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and subsequent reaction of government officials ordering people to stay home. To keep people and businesses...

*4/23/20 Update: EIDL and PPP EIDL and PPP checks are flowing. Remember, the EIDL check you receive is a tax-free grant. Make sure you annotate clearly on your books as something like EIDL – Other Income so your accountant can exclude it from...

It’s been over a decade now, and time softens even my most dramatic memories. I was in Chicago for the launch of an intensive year-long coaching program for advisors. My career up to that point had been successful but not focused. This program...

There is no question that viruses are deadly and scary. According to the CDC, the regular, annual seasonal flu quietly kills somewhere between 291,000 and 646,000 people per year worldwide. Viruses are one of the most primitive living organisms...

There was a major selloff in the stock market this week as investors processed information about the coronavirus. As we discussed these events, Austin and I inadvertently found ourselves talking in terms of what we thought could happen next....

Thoughts on Bonds Bonds are a crazy animal. With interest rates trending down bond funds look fantastic, yielding much higher returns than you would normally expect. But the only reason they are higher in value is because interest rates are...

Thoughts on Collaboration and Accountability Accountability is a powerful driver of success that most of us want to avoid like the plague. Just like planning it’s not very fun and sexy. Years ago, I decided it was time to get back in shape. At...

Our client process is designed to guide you successfully thru your financial goals. It starts with the creation of your initial personal financial statement, cash flow, and financial plan. From there, we meet semiannually to update your plan...

Schulz Wealth uses Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) as the basis for all of our portfolio decisions. We strive to identify dimensions of equity returns like momentum, value, and small-cap outperformance. Portfolio tilts are applied toward factors...

Most people trust their financial advisor. Problem is, most advisors should not be trusted. I know that’s a strong statement, but after spending over twenty years in this industry, I know it’s true. I review investment portfolios all of the time....

My sophomore year at The University of Texas, I had a marketing class in the UTC, an annex to the business school, tucked right next to the Perry Castaneda Library, known on campus as the PCL. I remember walking to class past the huge PCL, with...

I was reminded recently how different we are, as Americans, compared to the rest of the World as it relates to financial independence. First off, a wide majority of humans still live in undeveloped regions and subsist at a very basic level,...

It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m worried. Last week, the markets were down hard, with the S&P 500 going from positive double digit territory at the end of the quarter to down just under break-even only 26 days later. Here’s what the week...

How much money do we need to have to begin investing? The truth to this question is a lot less than we think. Many people I have talked to believe that they need to have thousands of dollars saved up to fund their initial investment, however this...

The TINSTAAFL theory is an informal favorite rule among many economists and financial planners like me. TINSTAAFL stands for “There is no such thing as a free lunch”, and means there is a price for everything, whether you know it or not. From an...

Only a very small percentage of Americans will ever experience financial independence. Why? Because just being successful in our professional careers is not enough. We have to know how to translate our professional success into personal...

Shelly and I went sailing for the first time in many years this weekend. I was a little rusty. As we dodged and weaved our way through the 200 or so moored boats out into Narragansett Bay, I was reminded of the importance and power of lift. Sails...

Note: This post is from our intern – Chris Ensch. Chris attended a recent Rotary meeting with me and ran into his old economics professor from High School (College Equivalency), my friend and fellow Rotarian, Mike Gallaher. Chris will graduate...

Today’s post was inspired by the excellent book: Team of Teams, by Gen. McChrystal Modern destroyers use gas turbine engines for propulsion and electrical power. As a young junior officer, I was required to learn all about these marvelous...

Created by Congress twenty years ago, the Roth IRA is starting to show up in seasoned retirement plans in a big way. I remember when the Roth IRA first came out, I thought of it as a tool best suited for younger people in lower tax brackets. Now...

From time to time, clients ask me to comment on what they hear from financial advisors on the radio. The first thing I try to explain is these are paid advertisements. Local advisors pay for their time on the radio in order to generate leads. Some,...

I am sure many of you have experienced a similar moment in the last few days. For me, it was a picture posted on Facebook by one of my old college buddies. A picture of the house he grew up in, where I had stayed many times as a guest, completely...

In June, the CFP Board released proposed revisions to its Standards of Professional Conduct, for public comment. The public forums on these proposed changes just wrapped up last week. I attended the forum held in Dallas and wanted to share a...