Behavioral Finance
“How Much is Enough?”
Blog“How Much is Enough?" This question is always relative. How we answered this question in our 20’s might be very different to how we answer in our 40’s, 50’s or beyond. Additionally, who we hang around and compare ourselves to (dangerous!) also plays a big...
“America’s Problems are Relative”
Blog “America’s Problems are Relative” Not many people would argue with you if you said that America is a great place to live but also has many problems. Whether it’s our national debt, inflation, interest rates, or political division, it can be easy to assume that...
“Good and Bad News About the Economy”
Blog “Good and Bad News About the Economy" It is hard to decide which voices you listen and ultimately which voices guide your line of thinking and decision making. I thought this recent article from Ben Carlson at a Wealth of Common Sense did a great job...
“How Americans Save, Spend and Invest”
Blog "How Americans Save, Spend and Invest" Ever since the pandemic hit us in early 2020, something that has been very interesting to watch is how Americans save, spend, and invest their money. While during COVID lockdowns, our spending choices looked...
Caring for Elderly Family Members
Blog Caring for Elderly Family Members Often referred to as a “sandwich generation” there are many adults these days that are caring for both their own children as well as aging family members. Whether you have kids of your own, or they are already grown and...
“10 Book Ideas from Capital Group”
Blog10 Book Ideas from Capital Group If you have been a client for any length of time you have probably heard me (or my father) refer to American Funds (now called Capital Group) and their long-term track record of investment performance. While they have certainly...
“Realities of Recessions”
Adview #399775 Publish Friday AM
Do I Need Umbrella Insurance?
Blog “Do I Need Umbrella Insurance?” Umbrella insurance is an important risk management tool, particularly for people who have wealth, income, or future income potential. Additionally, it’s cheap relative to most other types of insurance! I’m always amazed at the...
Setting Sights on 2022
“It’s time to set our sights on 2022 and the year ahead! What is a financial goal you are looking to accomplish in 2022?”
Relax and Focus on Long-Term
“Recent market jitters can cause many people to feel like the answer is to change something about their investments. We recommend re-focusing on the long-term and remaining invested along the way. What are some long-term goals you are working towards?”
Inflation vs. Stock Market Returns
Blog“Inflation vs. Stock Market Returns" Inflation has certainly been making news headlines over the past months as experts and economists weigh in on whether it is transitory or whether it is here to stay for some time. While all of the experts take their...
‘Debt Ceilings and the Growing National Debt’
Blog“Debt Ceilings and the Growing National Debt" There have been many articles and hours of news television spent on covering the debt ceiling and growing national debt in America. This recent article and show by Peter Lazaroff does a great job outlining what...
“Rob Lovelace on the Year Ahead”
Blog “Rob Lovelace on the Year Ahead" Rob Lovelace, an equity portfolio manager with the Capital Group was recently interviewed about his 2021 outlook. This week, we dive into some of the questions he was asked and what he sees on the horizon for equity...
History Suggests Rising Interest Rates Are Good for Stocks
Blog “History Suggests Rising Interest Rates Are Good for Stocks" Over the past few weeks, the stock market has trended down. From Feb. 12th to March 8th the S&P 500 is down 2.8% and the Nasdaq is down 10.5%! While this is only a 3-week period it has...
“Investing Lessons from 2020”
Blog "Investing Lessons from 2020" Most of us want to leave 2020 behind (myself included), as it was a year filled with difficulty and heartache for many. However, the year was filled with investing lessons that I think are worth noting for years to come. I...
“The Stock Market is Fascinating Right Now”
Blog “The Stock Market is Fascinating Right Now" These stories were recently published by Yahoo Finance. The stock market is a very interesting place right now. Valuations are quaint. Great earnings aren’t being rewarded by investors. Companies doing poorly...
Show Your Money some Love this Valentine’s Day
Blog“Show your Money some Love this Valentine's Day" I know what you’re thinking: “What a romantic topic for Valentine’s Day!” However, there is good reason to talk about finances on a day normally dedicated to romance and that’s because money matters are one...
A National Study of Millionaires
Blog“A National Study of Millionaires" Over the past several years, the single largest study of millionaires has taken place through Dave Ramsey’s team over at Ramsey Solutions. In their study, they surveyed over 10,000 millionaires and compiled some key...
Starting Children’s Retirement – Revisited
Blog“Starting Children's Retirement - Revisited" In August of last year, we wrote a post titled “Setting Your Children Up for Retirement” which you can find here. In this article, we wanted to dive in deeper to this concept of a Custodial IRA (sometimes called...
Setting Financial Goals for 2021
Blog“Setting Financial Goals for 2021" The thought of new year’s resolutions makes some people cringe. Imagine what our 2020 goals looked like in January of last year compared to what actually happened. While we may not have as crazy of a year in 2021, having...
The Great Transfer of Wealth
Blog“The Great Transfer of Wealth" More than 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day and that is expected to continue until 2030. Over the coming decades, trillions of dollars of wealth will pass from baby boomer parents to their heirs, with some...
Reasons to be Optimistic about 2021
Blog“Reasons to be Optimistic about 2021" I think everyone is ready to be done with 2020. Have there been silver linings and things to be grateful for in 2020? Yes! However, for many families, 2020 was filled with economic hardship, time without close family...
Revisiting Thankfulness
Blog“Revisiting Thankfulness" In 2019, we highlighted the topic of Thankfulness leading into the Thanksgiving holiday. Most of you will be reading this the day after enjoying your Thanksgiving turkey, but I still think there is value in revisiting some of the...
SECURE Act 2.0 – What it Means
Blog“SECURE Act 2.0 - What it Means" In December 2019 Congress passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. This was a bi-partisan bill designed to help Americans’ in preparation for their retirement years. Some of the...
Van Gelder Financial
Curious to know more?
We offer a free 30 minute introductory call for those interested in becoming clients with Van Gelder Financial. During this call we will ask a lot of questions and answer any that you may have to ensure there is a match.
Subscribe to the Weekly Financial Thought!
Check the background of investment professionals on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.