What's New in Our Blog

• Wealth Notes – January 24, 2012 01/24/12
  Staying Diversified Through Volatile Markets By Rob Wrubel, CFP®, AIF® From end to end (and from a few weeks perspective) last year looked fairly benign to US investors. The S&P finished positive, bonds continued to perform well, inflation did not surge and the economy chugged along at a decent rate. As we remember, the story beneath the surface did not look so smooth. According to Yahoo Finance, the S&P 500 closed on October 3, 2011 at 1,099.23. It had been at 1,363.61 on April 29, 2011. The return from the high to the low of the year was down close to 20%. The return from that low moment to the end of the year was about 17%. In October, it looked like the markets were going to get worse by the day, not better, and many investors kept leaving the markets in search of lower volatility and perceived safety in Read more...
• Blueprints For Special Needs Families – December 21, 2011 12/21/11
  Save A Penny, Lose Your Dollars? By Rob Wrubel, CFP®, AIF® Do you know that you could be savings pennies every day for your special needs family member, but setting yourself and family to lose thousands of dollars? If you do not fund your trust the right way, you could potentially lose expected Supplemental Security and Medicaid benefits. Regular readers of my Blueprints newsletters know that I generally recommend a special needs trust be considered (and most families choose to use this technique) for families with a special needs member. The trust can be used to hold assets that can be used to improve the quality of life for our special needs family members while protecting available government benefits. Funding the trust requires special care as tax and other government driven rules are complicated. My recommendation is to build a strong financial team to work with you to make sure Read more...
• Market Insights – December 19, 2011 12/19/11
  “With American Airlines stock at 20 cents per share, I can’t decide between paying for 2 checked bags or buying half of the company” — Tim Siedell (The Bad Banana) Dear Clients and Friends, In less than 15 days, 2011 will be in the history books. At times, it seems like the year has flown by again. At other times, the year seems like a scene from “Groundhog Day” where Phil the weatherman (played by Bill Murray) wakes up each morning only to live the same day over and over again. We will carry the ineptitude and inaction of our as well as Europe’s political leaders, into 2012 where the litany of uninspiring news from Capitol Hill and the European front will continue fuel volatility in the global markets. However…..what we will also carry into the New Year is a U.S. economy that is expanding under its own power (how Read more...
• Wealth Notes – December 13, 2011 12/13/11
  Some Last Minute Planning Thoughts As You Celebrate The Holidays By Rob Wrubel, CFP®, AIF® Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are in the homestretch for the end of the year. Christmas music fills the shopping centers and the radio stations. The Colorado weather has turned to winter with freezing temperatures and some snow and we wait for more. For many of us, it means time with family, gift exchanges, celebrations and maybe even a little bit of reflection. This is a busy time of year for us as we assist families and companies with investments, wealth management and advice. In addition to the end of year celebrations, there are a number of planning issues that must be done before December 31st to count for the year. Gifting Do you plan to make a gift to a family member this year? Gifts can take many shapes and look different Read more...

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