Seth Meisler, CFA, CPA, CFP® and Marc Usem, MBA give their analysis of what's going on in the market.

On Wednesday, December 7, Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer at Computer Forensic Services, joined us for a night of Cybersecurity education at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Mark showed us just how easy it is to buy stolen credit cards and passports, and reminded us all of the importance of understanding the relationship between convenience and security. Like your favorite horror movie, it was just as terrifying as it was entertaining. Let’s go over some of the things we learned.

by Steven Schoenberger, JD

At Affiance Financial, being your financial planner is more than just investment strategies and advisor meetings. For us, it includes making you more knowledgeable about finances so you can make informed decisions with your advisor, communicating what’s going on in the world and how it could affect your portfolios, and sharing financial tips to help you live your best life.

by Marc Usem

We are often asked to explain why certain asset prices increase and others decrease. Since the presidential election, these questions have only become more frequent. So, why did prices of stocks go up following the presidential election? The simplest explanation was given by famed investor Howard Marks, who stated that the reason that stocks go up is that there are more buyers than sellers. Likewise, asset prices decrease when there are more sellers than buyers. While this answer may seem flippant, the basic relationship of supply and demand actually does a better job explaining price movement than the reasoning by many journalists who ascribe a myriad of other factors.

by Omer Abramovich

The end of the year is fast approaching, and with that in mind, now is a good time to bring to light the idea of charitable giving. In this article, I will discuss two subjects pertaining to charitable giving:

1. Why do people give to charity?
2. What are some of the lesser-known ways that individuals can give to charity?

What is the Medicare open enrollment period?

The Medicare open enrollment period is the time during which people with Medicare can make new choices and pick plans that work best for them. Each year, Medicare plans typically change what they cost and cover. In addition, your health-care needs may have changed over the past year.

by Seth Meisler

As a follow-up to National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are proud to announce the publication of our first white paper — Cybersecurity: Protection and Prevention in the Digital World. This white paper delves into issues such as what dangers currently exist, how to protect yourself, and what to do if your information has been compromised. We are really proud of our team for putting this together. 

by Steven E. Warren

Affiance Financial is pleased to share the following article on Tax Identity Theft by Steven E. Warren. Steven E. Warren, CPA, MBT practices accounting and consulting at Schechter Dokken Kanter, a Minneapolis CPA and consulting firm, and he is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas. Mr. Warren can be contacted at swarren@sdkcpa.com or 612-332-9391.

Here is the link to the PDF version: Cybersecurity Academy Infographic