Holden Wealth Management

07/18/2017

Summer is getting long and kids will soon be going back to school. In Bloomington the college students roll back into town and fresh optimism for the football team grows. Sometimes we need a little “summer break” from worrying about our finances. After some time we come back to it with renewed focus. Do we find our summer break “broke” us? Be careful taking your eye off your finances for too long though. Some things require continuous management to stay in good shape.

11/22/2016

This year many presents will be bought for family and friends. One item has become very popular, the gift card. A gift card is easy to purchase with kiosks in most stores presenting a variety of choices. Put the decision in the hand of the loved one on what to buy, when to buy, and everyone is happy, right? Many folks won’t eat at certain restaurants or buy themselves much of anything without a little encouragement. The gift card: making shopping easy, efficient, and within budget! Of course it can’t beat a 60 inch flat screen TV for $100 purchased only by standing in line for 13 hours overnight in freezing cold temperatures.

11/09/2016

Today we learned Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. For the financial markets, this is contrary to what was expected. One thing we have all known for a long time is financial markets DO NOT LIKE UNCERTAINTY. So with little surprise, there is a drop in the pre-opening of the markets. One important thing to understand is that you cannot get out of the markets before they open and avoid the initial drop. The market must be open in order to sell, so this initial drop is called a future expectation of sales. What may happen is usually one of two things: 1-More and more people sell their investments in a herd mentality. 2-The dip many of us have been waiting for is here and we buy up what people are selling out of fear and the market stabilizes. Every textbook cautions against making knee jerk reactions to stock market swings. If you would like to discuss your account please contact us and we would be happy to discuss it. Remember, the media is sensational, so be careful not to let emotion drive investment decisions. We feel this will calm down.

10/11/2016

When Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address it initially was panned in some media outlets. You wonder how that could be! It is amazing how time after an event changes the narrative. Initial reactions can be way off, even laughable. Sometimes the outcome of an event is necessary to judge the event itself. Well, today media is vastly different and quicker to respond on a massive scale. I say this with the idea that with an upcoming election, history tells us they rarely cause a massive shift in markets. Usually other types of events move markets, not elections. Of course there is no way to predict, so time will tell!

09/13/2016

Friday’s stock market decline was a reminder how quickly a turn in fortunes can occur. The S&P 500 dropped over 2.4% in one day. This coincides with the first weekend of NFL Football. It was like your starting quarterback going down with a shoulder injury, and wondering if he will be able to play again the rest of the season! All that enthusiasm can get reversed in a hurry. If you take a step back, you understand down days in the markets are just as normal as injuries are in football. You just have to deal with them the best way you can, with tolerance. If you can’t deal with such things, you shouldn’t play the game.

09/07/2016

Have you ever had a family member talk with you about helping to fund a new business? A down payment on a house? Co-sign for a new car? It is amazing the thought, logic, reasoning, and careful attention to detail that goes into those conversations. Sometimes you have no fear at all that the one asking will let you down. Many times though we feel very nervous because that inner alarm is going off where we know this isn’t likely to end well. So, why do we give in every time? Is it simply the leverage of love? One of the best statements we can make to our loved ones is this, “Until you can afford it, you shouldn’t take the risk.” If you are going to help, consider it a gift in your mind. If you do get any of the money back, it will feel like a gift to yourself!

08/30/2016

When was the last time you took a big vacation? Each of us gets certain benefits from a vacation, but most of us would agree that we can’t wait to go on another trip somewhere. Did you say upon return, “It sure is good to be home”? Building a getaway into your budget should be positive for everyone, even those you leave behind. Absence puts things into a bit more perspective, doesn’t it? Whether it is your home, family, or friends, absence makes the heart grow fonder. If it doesn’t, maybe you need to look for a different home, or friend, just don’t get rid of family!

08/22/2016

A business starts with one or two people with a vision, guts, and a little bit of money. After lots of work, ups and downs, and more money, many fail but some survive. Years later, whoever started that business must begin to think of how to exit the business. Do you sell out, do you close the doors and retire, or do you transition the business to someone else who works in the business? Sometimes the owner waits too long, and has little choice in the matter. Have you ever heard someone “going out with their boots still on”? Jon and I have been working on our transition plan for over 15 years now. The good news is we are having so much fun, we are still working on it!

08/15/2016

The Olympics is a great way for the world to see two very important aspects of our world’s culture. The first is how anyone, at any age, can be the best at what they do when they focus on their area of expertise. The second is that there are always new and upcoming young people who eventually will replace the old and outdated hero. One thing they all have in common is a knack, or shall I say commitment to focus. If you want to win, you’ve got to focus on the goal. If you haven’t even set a goal for retirement, it will be hard to be a retirement hero.

08/15/2016