Our Philosophy
It is important to choose a financial partner that holds similar values to yours. While we feel that most of our philosophy is based upon common sense, we feel it is appropriate to inform you about the principals that guide our advice.

1. Live within your means
It is crucial to consistently spend less than what you earn. Not only does this help you learn to live on less income, it allows you to invest in your future. With many pressures on the retirement security of individuals, it is crucial to remember that the dollars you earn today must not only support your current consumption, but also your future consumption once you stop earning a paycheck.

2. Spend money on what matters to you
Avoid “Keeping up with the Joneses” – spend your money on what truly matters to you. If you enjoy travel, properly budget and spend on the travel of your dreams, but don’t take a European vacation because your peers just did and you feel pressure to showcase your lifestyle. Conspicuous consumption is a fast ticket to unhappiness in life both by not getting fulfillment from the “stuff”, and by short-changing yourself later in life. Analyze your outflows and stop spending on items that really do not matter to you.

3. Buy Low, Sell High
This is one of the oldest axioms in the financial world, and yet most individuals do the exact opposite in actual practice. Fear and greed are two key emotions that drive a person’s financial decisions. When stocks are near their peaks, history shows that individual investors generally feel confident and pour additional funds into stocks (buy high). When the stock market goes through a correction or crash, such as that experienced in 2008, investors get scared and bail out (sell low) – afraid that losses will continue to worsen. Investing should be part of a consistent plan, with as little emotion involved as possible, allowing you to profit from rises in the market and not suffer excess losses by purchasing assets at peak values.

4. Be a skeptic
It is critical to understand the motivations of others whenever you are encouraged to part with your money. Is the guy at work giving you that stock tip because he really wants to make you money, or does he want others to buy in to help drive the price of his stock higher? Is the clerk pushing an extended warranty truly worried about protecting your purchase, or are they receiving a commission from it, or generating greater company profits? Be skeptical before parting with your dollars, and truly understand what you are getting for your money.

5. Money is a means, not an end
At the end of the day, money is simply a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. The goal is to allocate your money in a manner to best fulfill the dreams that you have for your life and your family. Ending up with a large portfolio but leaving your dreams unfulfilled is not a recipe for your ultimate happiness in life. Develop a plan that allows you to take control of your money and achieve your best life.

6. Give and receive full disclosure
It is important from an ethical perspective to always give full disclosure to those you have financial dealings with.

7. Financial Education
It is important to continually educate yourself on the financial topics that affect you. You do not have to become an expert in all areas, but a basic understanding will help give you a strong footing and hopefully allow you to recognize potential pitfalls to your financial success.

Disclaimer: All investments involve some degree of financial risk. It is impossible to predict what future returns on investments will be with any consistency. Past performance of investments can be a good reference for potential future returns, but is by no means a guarantee of future returns.