By Seth Meisler, CFA, CPA/PFS, CFP®, BFA™ and Marc Usem

From October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2009, a period of ten years, the S&P 500 had an annualized return of –0.2% (this includes dividends reinvested). Emerging markets had an annualized return of 11.7%. Fast forward a decade to the next set of ten year returns from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2019. During these last ten years, the annualized return of the S&P 500 was 13.2%, while the ten year annualized return of emerging markets was just 3.7%.

By Kyle Berg, CFP®, BFA™

A question that we are often asked, on a pretty regular basis, is if someone should contribute to a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA. Like most things in our industry, we have a phrase for something like this, “it depends.”

By Kyle Berg, CFP®, BFA™

One of the reasons our clients hire us is to help make the complex world of investing easier to navigate. Sometimes it seems that those who work in financial services speak their own language. There tends to be a disconnect, or miscommunication, when we try and bring complex financial terms down to a more simple level. This is often the case with risk tolerance and risk capacity. While they sound similar, they hold very different meanings and can affect your financial plan in very different ways.

September is a great time for a fresh start. After summer’s fleeting nature permits — no, DEMANDS — a break from drudgery, September feels like the perfect time to buy a new planner, write a to-do list, or tackle a project you’ve been avoiding. If one of those projects is teaching your kids about money, we have an idea that might help.

Summertime in Minnesota — a few short months of (mostly) beautiful weather, along with boating, beaches, the Great Minnesota Get Together, a break from school for the kids, family vacations, and more! In this month’s blog, a few of our team members share their favorite summer vacation memories.

By Seth Meisler, CFA, CPA/PFS, CFP®, BFA™ and Marc Usem

Summertime is one of the big times of the year for blockbuster movies. This seems somewhat ironic, since summer is also a great time to get outdoors. Nevertheless, if we were to give the last quarter a movie title, the one that comes to mind is “Twister.”

By Marcia Zappa and Steve Drost, CFA, CFP®, BFA™

Buying a home is a daunting task for anyone at any stage of life. Buying a home while raising a toddler with another one on the way can just about put you over the edge. I would know, as this is something I recently did.

For many of us, texting has long replaced calling. Phone calls can be time-consuming. They don’t always come at convenient times. And, it can be hard to keep a phone call private. Whereas texting is generally more efficient, less disruptive, and private. We understand. But we can’t accept texts at this time.

By: Brendan Halleron, BFA™

For five years and counting, I have been fortunate enough to attend the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting. Known as “The Woodstock of Capitalism,” this annual meeting attracts more than 42,000 people each year and has become more spectacle than summit. Held during the first weekend in May, this meeting turned weekend spectacle provides investors from around the world with an opportunity to meet, network, and gain wisdom from two of the most well-known investors ever: Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger.

Our clients have long shown an interest in socially responsible investing, and we’ve worked to accommodate these requests individually over the years. It only makes sense that we would, seeing how well socially responsible investing fits with our mission: working to make people’s lives better.