The P&A Blog
What’s impacting the markets?
The Dow Industrials hit an all-time high of 27,398 on July 16, 2019. Since then, the index is down 7%. Is this the beginning of the end of what many consider the longest bull market in U.S. stock market history? Or is this yet another speedbump the market will...
Support your Huskers, save on taxes!
Pretty soon, you’ll be seeing red everywhere. With Huskers sports season about to kick off, fans will be showing support for their beloved Nebraska teams in a variety of ways, one of which is through financial support. If you’re a Husker fan and you give money to...
Scrappy or crappy?
Last week, I did something I haven’t done in years; I walked into a national chain bookstore, determined to buy a book. After reading several Kindle books, I missed the feel of a hardcover. Ten minutes of browsing led me to “Trillion Dollar Coach” about Bill...
2019 – 2nd Quarter Letter – Sixth Sense
The latest P&A quarterly letter to clients is available in PDF form. You can download it here. This letter covers the evolving set of standards that brokers and financial advisors have been held to over the years. In the last several years, there has been a...
What you need to know about annuities
Over the last year, we’ve had a noticeable uptick in questions about annuities. Most are coming from prospective or new clients who were sold an annuity by their current or previous advisor. They want to know if they should keep it or get out. If you find yourself...
7 investing rules it pays to remember
Investing rules can be easy to come by and hard to implement. As you can imagine, we spend a fair amount of our time, both at work and at home, reading financial news and periodicals. Several years ago, we ran across an article in the Wall Street Journal called “16...
Facing large RMDs from your IRA?
Oftentimes, we taxpayers focus too much on saving on taxes today, which can thrust us into higher tax brackets down the road. The best way to optimize taxes over the long run might be to accelerate taxes in the short run. If you’re approaching 70.5 years of age,...
Quick lube financial advice
It’s been over a decade since I took my vehicle to one of those national quick lube franchises for an oil change. Here’s how I remember my experience. I arrived a minute before they opened. Through the garage doors, I could see several guys talking and laughing....
Why own Equities?
The next several months, we will take a trip down Memory Lane by sharing articles—actually, white papers—authored by Pitt. Next up is “Why own Equities?,” which went to print in November 2001. Even though this paper is almost 18 years old, you will notice some...
You can’t snooze your baby
“Have a child,” they said, “…it will be so joyous and magical.” Well, they weren’t wrong. Becoming a first time parent has been joyous and magical…and overwhelming and has made me feel like I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing, and what exactly did I just sign up...
Why Do I Like Par Bonds?
The next several months, we will take a trip down Memory Lane by sharing articles—actually, white papers—authored by Pitt. Next up is "Why Do I Like Par Bonds?,” which went to print in March 1989. Even though this paper is 30 years old, you will notice some...
Financial “adulting” for graduates
My Teammates mentee will graduate high school in a few weeks and head off to college in the fall. In our most recent conversation, he used the word “adulting” to describe some of the tasks involved in preparing to fly the coop. Apparently, I’m out of touch because I...
2019 – 1st Quarter Letter – Spending dividends vs capital gains
The latest P&A quarterly letter to clients is available in PDF form. You can download it here. This letter covers the difference between spending dividend income and realizing capital gains to create needed income. Dividends are taxed at higher rates than...
Sensationalism & The Small Investor
The next several months, we will take a trip down Memory Lane by sharing articles—actually, white papers—authored by Pitt. The first is called “Sensationalism & The Small Investor,” which went to print in October 1988. Even though this paper is 30 years old, you...
Lottery-winning advice
Congratulations! You are one in 292 million. When you first saw the winning numbers, you no doubt did a triple or quadruple take. Maybe you rubbed your eyes as your heart began to race. Maybe you got down on your knees and looked to the heavens, arms...
Flipping the switch
Last month, we received an email from a client who had just returned to the U.S. after an overseas trip. She wanted to thank us for encouraging her to go and admitted, if we hadn’t nudged her, she would have missed out on the trip of a lifetime. Needing a nudge isn’t...
Disney World and the Investing World
I recently undertook the time-honored tradition of the family vacation to Walt Disney World. Despite the stories you often hear about long lines and cranky kids, we had a fantastic time. After being home for a couple of days and reliving some of the highlights of...
Four parallels between golf and investing
Looking to lower your handicap and raise your net worth? The game of golf has many parallels to investing. If you can master the four elements below, you’ll see a marked improvement not only on the golf course but also on your road to financial independence. Who’s...
