Blog Posts

By Marc C. Shaffer

While financial market volatility can be stressful for people of all ages, the implications of a bear market generally mean different things for different life stages.

Investors are routinely warned about allowing their emotions to influence their decisions. However, they are not often cautioned that their preconceptions and biases may color their financial choices.

In a battle between the facts & biases, our biases may win, especially when we don’t realize we have them. If we acknowledge this tendency, we may be able to avoid making unexamined choices when it comes to personal finance. It may actually "pay" to recognize blind spots and biases with investing.

Here are some common examples of bias creeping into our financial lives.

Rare collectibles can provide an entertaining form of alternative “investment,” and might seem particularly intriguing when markets are wobblier than Aunt Gertrude’s jello salad. Comic books can sell for millions of dollars, for example, depending on their rarity and condition. We’ve seen a copy of Detective Comics #27 (the first appearance of Batman) sell at $1.5 million.

By Ryan Brooke

The topic of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has come up more recently in meetings with clients, friends and family who want to know, “what is all the buzz about?”

High net worth investors face investment challenges that some would consider unique to their financial status. The fundamental tenets of investing apply equally to them as with any other investor, but the affluent investor needs to be mindful of issues that typically arise only from substantial wealth.