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A Simple Estate Plan Review is Worthwhile

We tend to believe once our estate documents are signed, we can lock them away only to be seen again when we are gone from this world. The sense of peace in knowing our wishes have been formally documented is gratifying beyond measure, but it’s...

Finally....A Fiduciary Standard that Makes Sense

With regard to a fiduciary standard for my industry, it’s been a long road so I won’t bore you with the historical details. From the lawsuits (see End of “Merrill Lynch” Rule Leaves BOMs in a Muddle) to the CFP Board in-fighting (see One year...

In Investing As In Golf Instincts Can Lead Us Astray

At the urging of a friend I scheduled a golf lesson last weekend. The instructor patiently watched as balls ricocheted left and right off my 8 iron. With a grunt, he disappeared. I was about to humbly pack up my equipment when he returned with a...

It's Tax Planning Season: 6 Things to Consider Now

It’s tax planning season at Schulz Wealth. From now until Thanksgiving, we’ll have our eyeshades on, reviewing accounts and client files to make sure we close out the year in a tax efficient manner. Most people do their tax planning in March and...

3 Reasons to Get Serious about Your Finances

updated May 1, 2018 For many people, there is a point where things change financially. It’s at different stages of life for different people, but at that point, it’s time to get serious about personal finances. If you’re not sure you’re there...

5 Questions to Consider Before Current Market Conditions

As an investment adviser, people ask me all the time “how’s the market doing”, and I always try to answer politely. Believe it or not, I never watch CNBC and unless I’m trading that day, I don’t monitor intraday volume and pricing. I’m too busy...

Advisors: It’s Time to Drop your Series 7

You’ve still got time. Think of the DOL’s new fiduciary rules as a shot across the bow. Heed the warning, change course, and discover how rewarding this business can be without the glaring conflicts of commission. Loaded mutual funds, variable...

New DOL Regs: Business as Usual?

It’s inevitable, from working over twenty years in an industry like mine, you tend to get a little cynical. The ink is hardly dry on the new “fiduciary” standard promulgated by the Department of Labor so it’s hard to know exactly what’s in it,...

Security Measures - Your Investment Adviser and You

Like all Registered Investment Adviser Firms, we maintain cyber security policies and procedures to protect sensitive client data from theft and fraud. Many of the measures we take can be extended to you and your computers for the greatest level...

Sea Stories on Leadership: Part II

On the Fo’c’sle of the USS John Rodgers in the warm sun of Valparaiso, Chile we watched as command passed from one captain to another. We knew little and had learned less about our new CO in the two weeks he had been aboard. Quiet and unassuming,...

Sea Stories on Leadership: Part I

This is a two part series about two Captains I served under consecutively aboard the USS John Rodgers, a Spruance Class destroyer, shortly after the Persian Gulf War. The first came to us from a shore tour he had just completed at the Pentagon in...

Greek Economic Crisis is a Democracy Crisis Too

World markets shuddered today as the Prime Minister of Greece acted in a very unpredictable manner. Prime Minister Tsipras called for a vote by the Greek people on whether or not to accept bailout extension terms from their creditors. The crazy...

Bachelor of Free Swim

The Schulz family will be proudly in attendance at College Park Center in Arlington today for our oldest daughter’s graduation from college. One down…….three to go. Our daughter has grown and changed tremendously over her college years from a shy...

5 Tips Towards a Successful Retirement

In most of my recent client meetings I am being reminded that retirement is an outdated term. We try to use the term “transition” but that does not fit as a good description either. However; finding the right word is not the real issue rather...

Willpower is Way Overrated

When it comes to saving and investing money, many times we are our worst enemy. Successful people learn to rely on good systems and processes to achieve their goals, not willpower. Life hits us from all directions so it is hard to be consistently...

Feel the Burn

Ten minutes into my spin class last night, clipped in with beads of sweat forming along my forearms, Dianna our instructor said exactly what I was anticipating: “add significant resistance and feel the burn”. I turned the evil red knob below me...

Situational Awareness

Over twenty years ago, I remember standing on the bridge wing of the USS John Rodgers, a US Navy Destroyer. As Officer of the Deck, I was in charge. We were cruising at 15 knots, receiving fuel and supplies from a tanker alongside just 150...

Eight Years of Innovation

It’s hard to believe the iPhone is eight years old this month and it’s hard to imagine daily life without it or the Android technology that was spurned by its invention. I conduct nearly all of my banking from my phone now, it’s my only camera,...

Fiduciary Overkill

by Rob Schulz, CFP® April 20, 2011 The SEC is currently looking into authorizing a universal fiduciary-duty regulation under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. If carried out this would subject large conglomerate financial services firms to...

Love and the Stock Market

by: Rob Schulz, CFPSeptember 13, 2010 I read an interesting article in the New York Times the other week. The article by Graham Bowley entitled: In Striking Shift, Small Investors Flee Stock Market, the first line states “Renewed economic...

Financial Markets Q&A

by Rob Schulz, CFP® 09/22/08 Q. The financial world is in a panic. Exactly what is going on? A. In addition to a recession and bear market, we are now experiencing a massive deleveraging as financial institutions that have lost access to capita

If it Sounds too Good to be True.........

May 2009 It was almost one year ago when the mortgage meltdown came to roost in my head, and it’s been there ever since. Like many in my industry, I had been watching mortgage foreclosures mount since the fall of 2007. However; I didn’t fully ...