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Articles

  • Long-Term Care Options

    As the American population grows older, the need for long-term care continues to increase. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that 70 percent of people 65 and older will need some form of long-term care services during their lifetimes…. Read More

  • President’s Address

    By:  Rob Carpenter | President & CEO The vision and foresight required to plan for and engage in a long-term project is something that we as financial advisors understand well. That’s one reason why we’re so excited about the impending… Read More

  • 2015 S&P 500 Performance: A Look under the Hood

    Year-to-date the market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, has been relatively calm.  So far, the index has yet to fall more than 3.2% or rise more than 3.5%. In fact, this is only the fourth year – the… Read More

  • Could We Invest in Tesla? Probably Not… At Least Not Today

    Fundamentals-based investment research can be fun. It involves constant learning. Serious investors can gain insights into many different businesses and evaluate their potential long-term outlook. Investment research can help you understand the latest innovations in fields such as technology and… Read More

  • Thoughts on the Sluggish Economic Recovery

    As many investors know U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) declined in the first quarter. That marked the third quarter in which the economy contracted since the current recovery commenced. This year’s decline has been attributed to a number of one-time… Read More

  • Chief Investment Officer published in The Business Monthly!

    BWFA’s Chief Investment Officer Rob Williams was recently published in The Business Monthly! Williams explains why Americans holding high cash balances feel left behind by strides in the stock market, and can sometimes miss out on enhancing retirement savings. You… Read More

  • Misplaced Incentives?

    The pay earned by corporate executives has risen rapidly in the last 25 years. According to data provided by Bloomberg, GoPro founder Nicholas Woodman, who earned $285.3 million last year, is currently the top paid executive. (In the chart that… Read More

  • Hold the Pickles; Hold the Lettuce; Special Charges May Upset Us

    In the 1970s, Burger King ran Whopper commercials using the tag line “Have it Your Way” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJXzkUH72cY. When it comes to reporting earnings, many companies take the opposite approach, by presenting earnings “Their Way.” This earnings presentation has also been… Read More

  • The Changing World of Payments

    Do you pay for everything you buy with cash, check or traditional credit card? While the vast majority of retail transactions are still conducted via such traditional means, we look to be in the early days of a change in… Read More

  • Savings on Gas Not Benefiting Retail Sales

    When oil prices tumbled from their heights of last July (~$108 per barrel) to their lows in March (~$43), one of the most common refrains was that lower gasoline costs would function as a “tax cut for the consumer” that… Read More

  • Forecasting is Too Hard, Especially in the Short Term

    One of the biggest advantages of value investing is that it essentially takes away the need to make predictions about what will happen in the future. When pricing assets, value investors determine value based on data from the present. On… Read More

  • Director of Tax Services Published in The Business Monthly!

    BWFA’s Director of Tax Services Ben Dorsey was recently published in The Business Monthly, discussing the benefits of using a financial firm that bundles services. Read the full article here! http://www.bizmonthly.com/bundling-services-getting-max-value-from-financial-professionals/

  • First Quarter GDP Grew 0.2% – Should Investors Care?

    Last Wednesday, we learned that the U.S. economy grew at a relatively anemic 0.2% annualized rate in the first quarter. This was a sharp decline from the prior quarter when gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.2%. It was the… Read More

  • Meandering Market Reaches New High

    After closing at a record high more than 50 times in 2014, the S&P 500 Index has closed at a new high only six times so far in 2015 – this past Friday was the sixth. In fact, in 2015,… Read More

  • Staying away from Wall Street’s Obsessions

    For at least several decades, Wall Street has been obsessed with the actions of the Federal Reserve. Market followers with shorter memories are at least aware of the Fed’s extraordinarily accommodative monetary policy in the six years since the 2008/2009… Read More

  • The Perils of Short-Term Thinking

    Those investors who take a buy-and-hold (or more appropriately buy-and-watch rather than buy-and-forget) approach to investing should be more interested in a company’s long-range outlook and be less concerned about its near-term performance. In order for companies to deliver the… Read More

  • Retail Spending: The Economy’s Missing Link?

    Gasoline prices have fallen considerably from their year-ago levels. Against this backdrop, consumer spending continues to disappoint. It seems households are choosing to save the amounts they are saving at the pump instead of spending it on goods and services…. Read More

  • Corporate Cash Balances Continue to Rise

    According to FactSet Research, at January’s end, cash and short-term investments held on the balance sheets of companies in the S&P 500 (ex-Financials) settled at a record-high balance of $1.43 trillion (blue bars in chart). The prior record, which was… Read More

  • What’s Happening at BWFA

    By: Meghan Manas – Director, Client Services At BWFA, we strive to provide the best possible customer service for our clients. with that goal in mind, and to keep up with the needs of our growing client base, BWFA is pleased to welcome… Read More

  • Community Spotlight: ManneqART

    By:  Al Scolnik – Executive Director of ManneqART We are excited to present our 2015 artworks to the community at the big “reveal” on June 21 at Historic Savage Mill. If you happened to be wandering around Columbia Mall last September,… Read More

  • Book Review: Berkshire Beyond Buffett

    By:  Philip Weiss | CFA, CPA – Chief Investment Analyst What comes to mind when you hear the name Warren Buffett? If you are like most, you probably think of his great track record as an investor; a record that nearly all of… Read More

  • TD Ameritrade Goes Mobile

    By:  Joseph Caputo | Chief Information Officer and Associate Portfolio Manager If you’ve used TD Ameritrade’s website AdvisorClient.com to access your investments, you’ll be happy to know that here is now an app for that. With the new TD Ameritrade AdvisorClient® Mobile… Read More

  • Who Will Buy Your Business?

    By:  Brian MacMilllan | Managing Director Mergers & Aquisitions Selling a privately held business is complicated. If you are a business owner, understanding the options available to you when selling your business can make a huge difference both in how much you receive from the… Read More

  • Bundling Services: The Best Way To Maximize Value From Financial Professionals

    By:  Benjamin Dorsey,CPA, CFP®, CDFA™, MST | Director of Tax Services Professional financial advisors work with clients on investment, planning, and/or tax strategies. Unfortunately, when financial advisors of different disciplines are not in sync and/or not working with the entire set of goals and information,… Read More

  • Investors Hold Too Much Cash

    By:  Rob Williams, CFP®, MSF | Chief Investment Officer High cash balances are one reason why so many Americans feel left behind while the stock market roars ahead. They also represent a threat to the long-term security of many investors. A recent study by the investment management corporation BlackRock… Read More

  • Is It Time To Increase Allocations To Foreign Securities?

    By:  Philip Weiss, CFA , CPA | Chief Investment Analyst Does what goes down come back up? Investors who practice asset allocation answer this question affirmatively every time they rebalance their portfolio. After all, asset allocation is primarily based on the idea that investors should reposition… Read More

  • Start With ‘Doing’ Rather Than ‘Having’ In Retirement Planning

    By:  Thad Ismart, CFP ® | SeniorFinancial Planner & Jim Edwards, CFP ® | Financial Advisor & Portfolio Manager The idea of “retirement” is changing drastically from what it used to be. Traditional financial planning typically begins with an emphasis on how much pre-retirees need to save… Read More

  • President’s Address

    By:  Rob Carpenter | President & CEO One of the joys that we in the Baltimore-DC area are privileged to enjoy each spring is the blooming of the cherry blossoms. Some years, it seems like winter will never end. This past winter… Read More

  • Fed Statement About More Than Patience

    On Wednesday, Fed policy makers dropped the word “patient” from their official statement on monetary policy. For months, many members of the financial media have been fixated on when the word “patient” would be removed from the Fed’s statement. On… Read More

  • Share Repurchase Activity Remains Elevated

    Despite the market’s uneven performance so far this year, corporations continue to aggressively repurchase stock. According to preliminary data from S&P Dow Jones Indexes, in 2014 U.S. multinationals spent $553 billion on buybacks and another $350 billion on dividends. This… Read More

  • Corporate Report Card: Reviewing a 10-K

    By early March, most public companies have to file their 10-Ks. (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that gives a comprehensive summary of a company’s… Read More

  • BWFA’s Chief Investment Analyst Interviewed on MoneyLife Market Talk

    BWFA’s Chief Investment Analyst, Philip Weiss, CFA, CPA, was recently interviewed by Chuck Jaffe about how to tune out the noise and embrace volatility in the market on MoneyLife Market Talk. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/195381879″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond

    By:  Rob Carpenter | President & CEO “be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better person.” — Benjamin Franklin Time moves inexorably forward, and with it come… Read More

  • IRS Creates “Mega-Sale” on Employer Retirement Plan Taxes

    By:  Mark Stinson, CPA , CFP ®, MBA | Director of Planning I am putting all my money in taxes—the only thing sure to go up. – Henny Youngman The IRS has proved Henny Youngman wrong—at least in one case. If… Read More

  • Planning for Digital Assets

    By:  Thad Ismart, CFP ® | Financial Planner Many of us do much of our communicating and shopping online. Our email and social media accounts, along with many of the things  that  we  purchase—songs, books, movies—exist only in electronic form, often… Read More

  • Behavioral Investing

    By:  Philip Weiss, CFA , CPA | Chief Investment Analyst Why do investors often have a tendency to sell stocks when they are low and buy them when they are high? When investing, our emotions can often overrule our well-thought-out plans. As the… Read More

  • BWFA is Bullish on America

    By:  Bob Ray, MBA | Financial Advisor & Portfolio Manager As we usher in 2015, the United States appears poised to once again be the engine that drives worldwide growth. This has not happened in over twenty years. We have… Read More

  • The Irrational Effects of Financial Trauma

    By:  Jim Edwards, CFP ® | Financial Advisor & Portfolio Manager Financial trauma can occur through a variety of means. It can occur on a personal basis such as a job loss, bankruptcy, or divorce. It can also occur systemically through… Read More

  • Mutual Funds and The Pitfalls of Chasing Returns

    It is important for investors to understand the challenges and motivations that mutual fund managers face as they manage fund portfolios. For many of us, mutual funds are the primary investment vehicles in  our employer-sponsored retirement plans. However, the misguided behavior… Read More

  • A Balancing Act: 5 Steps for Creating a Sound Portfolio

    By:  Joseph A. Caputo | Chief Information Officer & Associate Portfolio Manager Creating a well-balanced, diverse portfolio of securities can be tricky. It requires time, discipline, and research. There are many factors to consider when developing an investment portfolio appropriate… Read More

  • Being Prepared: The Best Kept Secret To Low-Stress Tax Return Filing

    By:  Benjamin Dorsey,CPA, CFP®, CDFA™, MST | Director of Tax Services “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” — famous words from Benjamin Franklin that have stood the test of time (and likely… Read More

  • First Rate Hike Is Not Imminent

    Last Wednesday’s statement by the Federal Reserve did not include any changes to monetary policy. In fact, there was little in the Fed’s statement that surprised investors. The Fed maintained its language that it “can be patient in beginning to… Read More

  • Quantitative Easing Comes to Europe

    Last Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) finally launched its bid to revitalize the eurozone’s economy and counter the threat of deflation with a €60 billion-a-month bond-buying program that was far bigger than investors anticipated. ECB president Mario Draghi said… Read More

  • Selling an SBA 8(A) Government Contractor

    By:  Brian MacMilllan | Managing Director Mergers & Aquisitions While the Small Business Administration 8(a) Program can provide business owners with numerous benefits, selling an 8(a) contractor can be difficult. However, the notion that an 8(a) contractor cannot be sold… Read More

  • Community Spotlight: The Columbia Orchestra

    By:  Michael LaVina | Portfolio Manager & Director of Trading In the fall of 1977, a handful of local string players in Howard County got together and formed the Columbia Chamber Orchestra.  Over the next eleven years this group grew… Read More

  • Tell Me Something Good

    By Meghan Manas | Office Manager We are excited to introduce a new feature, “Tell Me Something Good,” that we plan to include twice a year in The Advisor magazine.  If you know or would like to nominate someone who is… Read More

  • BWFA Family News

    By: Meghan Manas | Office Manager New Service for Divorcing Couples Offered by BWFA We are pleased to announce that our Director of Tax Services, Benjamin Dorsey, CPA, CFP®, MST, recently completed a specialized education program in professional divorce analysis… Read More

  • Long-Term Investing Still Works

    From time to time, there are headlines saying long-term investing is “dead.” The evidence from major stock exchanges highlights that the thinking of investors has become more short term over time, at least based on the average holding period of… Read More

  • Market Volatility and Time in the Market

    As discussed last week, we believe greater uncertainty about interest rates will cause market volatility to increase. While greater market fluctuation can be unsettling at times, it is important to remember that sell-offs do happen. Sometimes they can be quite… Read More

  • Looking Forward to 2015

    As we enter the start of another year, it is relatively easy to come across 2015 market forecasts when perusing the financial news. Recently, we expressed our disdain for sales forecasts for the holiday season. In general, we are skeptical… Read More

  • Fed Drops “Considerable Time” Reference

    In its December policy statement released this past Wednesday, the Fed changed the wording about when it might start to raise interest rates. It dropped the “considerable time” reference and substituted wording that it could be “patient in the beginning… Read More

  • The Fallacy of Holiday Sales Forecasts

    It seems hard to believe, but the traditional holiday season is already more than half over. As always, there have been numerous forecasts about how retailers will fair during the holiday season. The most commonly cited estimate is put forth… Read More

  • What Happened to Oil Prices?

    Long-time followers of the oil markets, who are honest with themselves, should readily admit how hard it is to forecast oil prices. Many unpredictable factors can impact oil prices (e.g., geopolitics, foreign currency risk – oil is only priced in… Read More

  • When Share Prices Fall…

    For those that invest with a value-based perspective, seeing the share price of a potential investment fall is typically thought of as an opportunity. This view aligns with the concept of mean reversion, which in investing, basically says that periods… Read More

  • Remember Tupperware?

    A recent search for a stock paying a solid dividend that could be added to client portfolios led us to take Tupperware Brands Corporation (TUP) through our investment process. As depicted below, the shares have underperformed over the past year…. Read More

  • The Changing World of Retail Banking

    A meaningful shift in the retail banking industry is underway. It is being driven by millennials (individuals reaching young adulthood around the year 2000) and mobile-savvy consumers. These individuals are shunning retail branches. The amount of banking activity that is… Read More

  • Planning for Required Minimum Distributions

    BWFA Tax Manager Joe Hill was recently featured in the November issue of The Business Monthly magazine, discussing how to plan for a required minimum distribution (RMD). Follow this link to read the article: Planning for a Required Minimum Distribution

  • Capital Allocation and Empire Building

    In our view, allocating capital is one of management’s most important responsibilities. There are several ways management can allocate the capital a company generates, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), capital expenditures (money allocated by a business or organization for the… Read More

  • The End of Quantitative Easing

    On Wednesday, the Fed ended the third round of Quantitative Easing (QE3). At its inception in September 2012, many were critical of the policy, fearing it would lead to higher inflation and a weaker dollar. As can be seen from… Read More

  • Surveying the Labor Market

    For the week ended October 18, initial claims for unemployment benefits increased by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 283,000. The four-week average for initial claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, fell 3,000 to 281,000, its lowest level since May 2000…. Read More

  • The Oil Price Slide

    A review of the S&P 500 Index’s returns by sector over the last one, three, six, and 12 months, as well as year-to-date, shows that energy has easily been the worst performer over all periods. In fact, while the energy… Read More

  • Mid-Week Market Update

    We noted in a recent Weekly Economic Update that we expected market volatility to increase. It has certainly done so. Some of the primary factors we believe are behind the increased volatility are growing uncertainty about US monetary policy, somewhat… Read More

  • Building Infrastructure in the Developing World

    Technology in the world around us is changing incrementally every day. These changes are much more noticeable when you look over long periods. In some ways, developing nations (for example, China, Brazil) have a significant opportunity relative to the developed… Read More

  • Thoughts on Recent Market Activity

    Even after delivering strong gains on Friday, the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are both down roughly 2% from their recent record highs. In general terms, a 2% market decline is somewhat commonplace, meaning it is… Read More

  • President’s Address

    By:  Rob Carpenter | President & CEO Today’s investment landscape is more complex than it has ever been. Increasingly, it takes a team of dedicated experts to manage your money, and more and more people are realizing the value of… Read More

  • Community Spotlight – 2 Miles for 2 Hearts

    By:  Meghan Manas | Office Manager On August 16, 2014, more than 600 runners/walkers turned out for the second annual 2 Miles for 2 hearts charity event. BWFA was proud to be the premier sponsor. In August of 2012, two… Read More

  • BWFA Fourth of July Celebration

  • What’s Happening at BWFA

  • Planning for RMDs

    By:  Joseph Hill, Jr., CPA, MBA, MSF | Tax Manager After investors reach age 70 ½, “the tax man cometh.” That’s when the IRS requires mandatory withdrawals from traditional Individual  Retirement Accounts  (IRAs), employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s,… Read More

  • BWFA’s Approach to Risk Management

    By:  Chris Kelly, CPA, CFP ®, M. Accy | Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines risk as,“the chance that an investment will lose value.” This “chance of loss” is what the professional portfolio managers at BWFA strive… Read More

  • Growing Your Business Through Acquisitions

    By:  Brian MacMillan | Managing Director Mergers & Acquisitions There are two main ways to grow a business: organically (increasing your customer base, obtaining new contracts, growing current client relationships, etc.) and through acquisitions. Growing a business organically is commonplace… Read More

  • Assessing Management Quality

    By:  Philip Weiss, CFA, CPA | Chief Investment Analyst When evaluating companies for potential investment, two of the most important aspects are valuation and management quality. Although our research process is based on bottom-up fundamental analysis, it still requires a… Read More

  • Know Your Social Security Options

    By: Thad Ismart, CFP ® | Financial Planner As your retirement approaches, it is important to understand how Social Security factors into your retirement income. Having a clear picture of all of your Social Security options can help you create… Read More

  • Clear as Mud

    By:  Mark Stinson, CPA, CFP ®, MBA | Director of Planning The IRS has issued new “guidance” for IRA rollover rules, and investors are confused. Here is what the IRS website states: “Beginning as early as January 1, 2015, you can… Read More

  • Am I Ready to Retire?

    By:  Saxon Birdsong | Founder I retired 25 months ago. Every day since then has been wonderful, and it just keeps getting better. I haven’t missed working for even a minute. I find this puzzling, because my friends and family—and… Read More

  • Concerns in Europe can Lead to Opportunity

    Diversified investment portfolios should include an allocation to international assets. The goal is to improve the portfolio’s long-term, “risk-adjusted” returns, or, put more simply, to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. However, economic and market cycles can and… Read More

  • Washington and Your Portfolio

    We often hear sound bites from political wonks and then watch for a response in the equity markets. It’s worse than usual right now because this is an election year in the U.S.*, and European political leaders are still struggling… Read More

  • Market Changes Beneath the Surface

    Last week, the S&P 500 Index reached yet another all-time high. The S&P 500 has moved about 9% higher year-to-date and is up roughly 17% over the last 12 months. The Nasdaq has outperformed the S&P 500 over both periods…. Read More

  • Greed in the Executive Suite?

    Deciding how to allocate capital is one of management’s most important responsibilities. Such decisions impact not only the company’s short- and long-term performance, but the overall economy as well. Share buybacks, a topic we have discussed several times in the… Read More

  • New Financial Planning Service for Divorcing Couples

    BWFA  recently added a new financial planning service for divorcing couples to help them through this tough time. Director of Tax Services Ben Dorsey recently completed the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) program, a specialized education program for professional divorce analysis. … Read More

  • Press Release: Financial Planning for Business Owners

    Financial Planning for Business Owners BWFA Financial Planner Thad Ismart, CFP®, was featured in The Business Monthly‘s September issue. For many business owners, their personal and business lives are practically inseparable. That’s why it’s important to integrate all the aspects… Read More

  • Why the U.S. Still May Be the Best Place to Invest Your Money

    As U.S. stocks hit record highs in the first half of 2013, some commentators raised concern that our markets are entering another “bubble.” However, when BWFA’s investment team examined the state of the U.S. economy and the condition of our… Read More

  • Financial Planning for Business Owners: 4 Considerations

    For many business owners, their personal life and business life are practically inseparable. That is why it’s important to integrate all the aspects of owning a business in developing a personal financial plan. To deliver the combined expertise that a… Read More

  • Shifting the Tax Burden

    Corporations engage in mergers and acquisitions for a multitude of reasons, including synergy, product line expansion and greater geographic reach. Recently, tax-motivated deals related to freeing up trapped cash and/or corporate inversions have become more newsworthy. Corporate Tax Rates The top US… Read More

  • What Every Taxpayer Should Know about Identity Theft

    Think your identity is safe from hackers? Think again, especially if you live in South Carolina. A hacker struck the South Carolina Department of Revenue in October of 2012, stealing 3.6 million Social Security numbers and data from 387,000 credit and… Read More

  • Managing Director M&A Featured in SmartCEO Magazine

    Brian MacMillan, a Managing Director of M&A at Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors, recently collaborated on writing an article in the September/October 2014 issue of SmartCEO magazine. Brian discusses how business owners can set the right expectations to complete a successful transition. … Read More

  • Signs of Improving Capex

    While the economy has certainly strengthened over the past few years, business spending on capital equipment has lagged. After peaking in 3Q11, the year-over-year growth rate fell for five out of six quarters. There was a slight rise in 2013’s… Read More

  • College Education Expense Credits & The New Graduate

    Congress and the last two presidents have put legislation into effect that makes the payment of college education expenses a potentially lucrative tax savings tool. Parents and college students should plan carefully so that they maximize these tax savings. Unfortunately,… Read More

  • Want to Adopt? Plan Ahead with BWFA

    By: Meghan Manas, Office Manager Adopting our daughter was the biggest decision Eric and I made; not only that, it was an expensive decision that could have affected our finances in the future if we had not planned properly. In… Read More

  • No Changes to Fed’s Interest Rate Guidance

    In her Friday speech from the Fed’s meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Janet Yellen remained non-committal on when the Fed would start raising interest rates. Recent data indicates the economy continues to improve (albeit slowly). However, the Fed chairwoman remains… Read More

  • Can I Use my IRA to Loan Money?

    From time to time clients ask, “How can I use my IRA to help my children or others? Can I use my IRA to loan money to my children to buy a home or start a business?” Unfortunately, the short… Read More

  • The Internet of Things

    The importance of the Internet of Things (IoT) in our everyday lives is increasing. It seems that every day more and more devices and even appliances are connecting to the Internet. Devices ranging from door locks to toll booths to… Read More

  • Record Levels of Corporate Debt and Cash

    Accumulating cash overseas is one way in which U.S.-based corporations can keep their tax bills lower. Since 2008, the low interest-rate environment has made it easier for companies to buy back stock, pay dividends and make acquisitions without needing to use… Read More

  • Market Declines and Opportunity

    On July 31, stocks suffered one of their worst single day losses of the year. All three major indexes fell, led by the NASDAQ: Dow: 16,563.30, -317.1, (-1.9%) S&P 500: 1,930.67, -39.4, (-2%) NASDAQ: 4,369.77, -93.2, (-2.1%) The weak performance meant that stocks declined… Read More

  • BWFA’s Chief Executive Quoted in Financial Advisor IQ

    Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors CEO, Robert G. Carpenter was quoted in Financial Advisor IQ’s online publication: “While funds are fine for clients with smaller accounts, says Robert Carpenter, chief executive at Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors in Columbia, Md., he says those with assets of $1.5… Read More

  • Healthcare Spending Growth Slows

    One of the biggest drivers of projections for future Federal Government budget deficits is healthcare spending. Baby boomers have already started to retire. The group is expected to add considerably to the number of people on the Medicare and Medicaid… Read More

  • News or Noise?

    If you watch financial television, or read the latest financial news, you’ve likely been inundated with stories about the potential market implications of recent geopolitical events. On Thursday, a Malaysian jetliner went down in the Ukraine. This was just the… Read More

  • BWFA’s Director of Financial Planning Featured in Business Monthly

    Mark Stinson, BWFA’s Director of Financial Planning, was featured in this July’s Business Monthly online article discussing the importance of family harmony and the need for estate planning. Click here to read the full article.

  • Thoughts on Share Repurchase Activity Levels

    The ongoing low interest rate environment continues to encourage companies to repurchase their own shares. In fact, in 2014’s first three months (1Q14) companies included in the S&P 500 bought $159 billion of stock. This was the second highest total… Read More

  • Confirmation Bias

    We all would like to believe that we carefully gather and evaluate facts and data (both positive and negative) before making an important decision. This can be much harder to do in practice than we think. We all have a… Read More