The Coronavirus has infected our life in many deeply personal ways. Our lives are disrupted by quarantine, a stay-in-place order, and more people are getting sick. The stock market has been incredibly volatile. The kids are out of school. Restaurants and shopping malls are closed. More than three million unemployment claims were filed in one week. At the Brown household, we've been dealing with the myriad of new changes rippling through our community. Suddenly, our kids are home from school, … [Read more...]
9 Reasons Why Dimensional Fund Advisors and Vanguard is Smart Investing
What is smart investing? In a nutshell: take cutting-edge financial science and apply it to real world investing. The best mutual fund companies that apply this intelligent, evidence-based strategy are Dimensional Fund Advisors and Vanguard. While many people have heard of Vanguard, Dimensional Fund Advisors ("Dimensional" or "DFA" for short) tends to fly under the radar for most investors. Maybe it’s the firm’s laser-like focus and steadfast approach to applying academic research into the … [Read more...]
2018 Year in Review: Market Volatility Happens
If there’s one thing Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) is unlikely to ever be accused of, it’s having a flair for the dramatic. Then again, that’s why we find their objective insights so appealing, such as this lead-in to their recently released 2018 Market Review: After logging strong returns in 2017, global equity markets delivered negative returns in US dollar terms in 2018. – Dimensional Fund Advisors 2018 Market Review In under 20 words, DFA offers us a marvelously compact context for … [Read more...]
3 Damn Good Recipes for the Upcoming Holidays
Well, you won’t find any financial advice in this post, but with the holidays fast approaching, chances are you could use a recipe for a killer appetizer, or a good side dish. I love to cook, and I enjoy sharing good recipes I’ve discovered over the years. The three recipes below are some of my all time favorites. Added bonus: they are pretty easy. I promise you won’t need to Google “port wine reduction” for any of these. So, in the name of brevity—we are all extra busy this time of year—here … [Read more...]
Feeling Scared About Ford Layoffs? Implement These 5 Strategies Now.
Recently, there’s been plenty of rumblings about potential layoffs at Ford. As someone who was born and raised in Michigan, I know all too well that the instability of the auto industry can make or break the residents of this state. Jim Hackett, Ford’s CEO, has come forward to announce a $25.5 billion restructuring of the company in an effort to cut costs, and to remain competitive in an economy when auto sales are down. It doesn’t help that recent trade tariffs on metals and other required … [Read more...]
Cryptocurrency and Your Money: Should You Bite the Bitcoin Bullet?
Tickle Me Elmo, Troll dolls, Pokemon Go, Fidget Spinners. What do these things have in common? They were fads that caused an uproar then died away just as quickly. Many times we can spot a passing trend a mile away, but sometimes--especially with kids--it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and give in. When that happens, we can usually just laugh it off. It probably didn’t cost us much and we can get over the 10+ fidget spinners in various colors littered around the house (speaking … [Read more...]
2017 Year in Review: A Surprisingly Robust Year in the Stock Market
With 2017 in the rearview mirror, we’re pleased to reflect on – and share with you – a newly released Dimensional Fund Advisors 2017 Market Review. Overall, the view is quite pleasant for most global and domestic returns alike, even though few financial forecasters were predicting this sort of slam dunk at the outset of the year. If you think back to last January, there were plenty of reasons to wonder about the next 12 months – what with Brexit uncertainties, U.S. election upsets, … [Read more...]
Does Someone You Know Need Our Help?
If you aren’t aware of the roller coaster the market has been on these past few years, you’re probably living under a rock. And since talk of the markets often makes us want to go find said rock and tune out the news, why not get a little help? Even if you read Market Watch on the daily and are the most patient of investors (which, let’s be real, very few of us fall into these categories), you may be questioning the strength of your investment plan. So that’s the technical market stuff, … [Read more...]
10 Smart Money Moves to Make Before the Ball Drops
Let’s talk New Year’s Resolutions. So many of us seem to have a love/hate relationship with them. Every year, we create these lofty goals, only to push them to the back of our minds by April (okay fine, February). When you watched the New Year’s Eve countdown last December and raised your glass to 2017, did you make a resolution to put your money and finances first this year? Finance-related resolutions are the third most popular New Year’s resolution, coming in right after self-improvement … [Read more...]
How to Maximize Your Charitable Giving with Donor-Advised Funds
‘Tis the season for phone calls from charities, Santas at the grocery store, and solicitors at the door. None of these things are inherently bad, but are they the best way to donate your money? Just like anything else with your finances, the more intentional you are, the better. Is there a magical way for you to maximize your generosity? Enter Donor-Advised Funds A lot of financial products are as confusing as hell, so don’t go Googling “donor-advised funds.” Instead, here’s what you need … [Read more...]
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