A Wealth of Advice

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® talks with Nicholas Ryder, CFA®, Kathmere Capital's Chief Investment Officer, about a recent commentary he wrote to answer questions about how much the stock market is impacted by a recession. For the charts discussed during the podcast and the original commentary, please visit: http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® talks about one of the best part about a market pullback, tax savings. Rather than spend 30 minutes on all that it entails and multiple examples of how it works, this episode will cut right to how our investment team utilizes tax-loss harvesting.  In a recent published paper in the Financial Analysts Journal, and then summarized in an article from Vanguard, by implementing these strategies investors could benefit as much as 0.92% annually. There are not a lot of guarantees from investing, but tax savings is one guarantee we can take advantage of.  We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares why this 10% pullback in the stock market feels so much worse and that data that validates those feelings. "How is the market only down 10%?" is a common question in recent conversations with investors and we believe it's a very fair feeling. Rather than just respond with, that's a normal pullback or it'll come back, we thought it would be more helpful to dive into the underlying reasons this feeling makes sense. Here's the three main reasons we expand on: Stocks and bonds are both down more than 10% so far this year, the largest joint drawdown since the late 1970's. The drawdown has been much, much worse for many stocks The largest and most commonly owned companies have also pulled back more You can see the charts referenced by visiting: www.kathmere.com/blog  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® & Nicholas Ryder, CFA® talk with Perth Tolle, who brings an innovative way to invest in and view emerging markets, through a freedom analysis.  With the events of today, Russia's horrific invasion of and war against Ukraine, many investors may be asking how they can allocate to emerging markets but stay clear of investing in areas of autocracy. As you will hear, Perth created the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets Index, which is a freedom-weighted equity strategy that uses personal and economic freedom metrics as primary factors in its investment process to invest in emerging markets. You can find the video interview and transcript by visiting: https://www.kathmere.com/blog  We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode, Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares how seductive pessimism can be and why it's so hard but advantageous to be an optimistic investor. With what feels like a world getting closer and closer to WWIII, it's understandable that, from an investing perspective, you can start to feel concerned.  However, as Nicholas shares, allowing history to be your gauge, not market pundits selling fear, can help you stay the course. To learn more about our firm and how we help our clients, visit: https://www.kathmere.com/  We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares the top tax reduction strategies we have advised executives and other high-income earners to take advantage of.  Taxes is probably the one thing just about everyone feels they pay too much of. For executives and high-income earners, it is by far the largest expense they pay each year and for many it costs them over 50% of their income.  Nicholas starts off with a little tax terminology and education and then shares what he have seen as the most impactul strategies. Here's a few topics covered: Difference between tax bracket, marginal rate, and effective rate Deductions vs Credits and how to maximize both How past legislation can give us insight into the future for tax law The 4 strategies that you need to be doing today You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting: https://www.kathmere.com/blog We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares what he has found to be some of the best ways to teach your kids, no matter their age, good money habits.  “I wish I had talked to my kids more about money and how to best use and save it.”  Through a common but effective framework, the three bucket approach to money: Spend; Save; and Give, Nicholas covers how to teach each. He uses real life stories and examples to help you raise moneywise adults. You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting: http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG  We would love to help you!  Please reach out with any feedback and any topic or question you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares how we help clients answer this simple, but very important question about retirement income planning and spending. He also takes a step into the highly debated 4% withdrawal rule and why it may not be right. As most people plan for and dream about retirement, until you are on the verge of stepping into retirement, many people don't figure out how the logistics and strategy to replace their income. During today's 15 minute podcast, Nicholas talks through the three big questions that everyone should think about when planning their retirement income and portfolio.  A few topics covered are: Income vs withdrawals The 4% withdrawal rule was not meant to be 4% forever and for everyone Two types of risk to retirement portfolios The three questions you have to answer to know how much you can spend in retirement You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting:  http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG Please send us feedback or topics/questions you would like us to cover or if you would like to talk about your personal situation.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Ryder, CFA®  joins Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® to talk about one of the hottest topics in the news, inflation. He shares both how and why inflation has been rising quite a bit recently and also what, if anything, investors should do about it. This timely episode comes just a week after the latest reading of inflation came in at over 6% year-over-year, the highest value since the 90's. We have been receiving many questions from listeners and clients asking what our view of and what they can do about inflation. This episode covers: Quick background on how inflation is measured How and which policy responses to COVID brought on much of this Why the recent surge in inflation His outlook for inflation What investors can and should do about inflation You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting: https://bitly.com/KCM-BLOG We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares what considerations and questions you need to ask when offered a new job. With so many of our clients receiving great new job offers in this tight job market, we have having a lot of great conversations and doing a lot of analysis to help our clients gain clarity and confidence about what to do. We thought it would be helpful to walk through how we answer the question, "Should I take the new job?"  This one question typically leads us to ask about: Comparing total compensation, not just salary Making up any equity grants or LTIs you are walking away from Analyzing benefits, including retirement plans and matches Understanding the work culture and if it fits with your personality You can find a transcript of today's show at http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG Please email us with any questions or topics you have or if you want to talk about your personal situation: nolesen@kathmere.com  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® walks through two very different client situations that both ended up with the same recommendation. Take The Trip.  During this episode he gets a little more philosophical and personal about the reason for the advice that Kathmere Capital gives. Listen as he shares how he helped a client think through "Why are you building your wealth and what is it all for?"  Through this conversation they uncovered a few strategies and options for his growing business to continue to flourish but allow some of his time shift to be enjoying life now and giving back for the "greater good". He then shares a very different circumstance that occured just minutes after the previous advice was given where the same question was discussed. This other client situation was the hardest one of the day, where he learned of a client's passing and talked about it with the surviving spouse.  Through today's episode, we hope you can continue to make wise financial choices for the future but don't forget to take the trip. You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting our blog at: http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® recaps the latest on tax proposals, how they could change your taxes and savings strategies,  and what actions you should consider before the end of the year.  As you have probably already heard, there are tax increases coming and they are far reaching. A few of the highlights we cover in the show: Increase the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% for individuals earning more than $400,000, joint filers above $450,000, and head of household filers above $425,000. This is a HUGE change, as it decreases where the top bracket starts from $600,000 down to $450,000 for joint filers. For those with income over $450,000 you will see a sharp increase. Raise the top long-term capital gains rate from 20% to 25% for those same folks (add in 3.8% NIIT and it's actually 28.8%) Add a 3% tax on incomes of over $5 million. Add a 3% tax to partnerships and certain businesses, along with removing the QBI deduction. This is another HUGE change for many we serve. You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting: https://bit.ly/3oVpkdL  We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® covers part two of how to prepare for retirement, this time from an emotional and psychological point of view.  Retirement is one of the biggest life events you will probably ever experience. It is something you have worked and saved towards for a few decades. You may have dreamt about the day you can retire and do “what you've always wanted”.  But have you thought through how you will feel transitioning out of the workforce?  Do you have a purpose and identity outside of work?  Do you have a community outside of work? These are just a parts of the eight questions we believe will help you prepare for the transition into retirement.  You can find a transcript of today's show by visiting: https://bit.ly/3DVp839  We would love to help!  Please reach out for help or send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® covers a very important question for those a year or two away from retirement, "What issues do I need to consider before retiring?" As retirement is something many dream about and countdown the days to, many have not taken the time to think through how much will change financially when they retire.  A few key areas covered are: Cash flow changes and potential issues Health insurance considerations and issues Tax planning issues Long-term care needs Charitable giving strategy Flowchart referenced during the show and full transcript can be found at:  What Issues Should I Consider Before I Retire? Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® walks through one section of the Financial Pillars of Success, Financial Organization, by answering the question, "what documents do I need to keep on file?" Just last week this question came up while we started working with a new client and we felt it would be great to share here. Many of us know some of the basics, like keeping tax returns for 7 years, but as you will hear, that isn't always the case and there are three other types of documents you should keep on file. You can find the flowchart mentioned throughout and a transcript of today's show here: https://www.kathmere.com/blog Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares ideas about where you should save your capital, beyond the basics. While everyone knows they need to save, there are a couple dozen types of accounts to save into and thus it can be confusing about where to save.  A few key takeaways covered are: The building blocks of different accounts to grow into over time Tax implications of different types of accounts Restrictions or opportunities for each account Investment options inside each account Gifting concerns around 529s or trusts You can find a transcript of today's show at: www.kathmere.com/blog Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com   

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares key takeaways and insights from the most recent tax change proposal, the Treasury Department's “Green Book”.  As expected for anyone paying attention to tax policy this year, there are a lot of changes coming in the near future regarding taxes, rates, and estate planning and the Administration just gave a fairly detailed glimpse of what it could look like. A few of the key takeaways covered are: Many changes are coming for those with taxable income over $400,000 Increase in the top marginal tax rate The common 1031 exchange could be repealed, greatly impacting those with investment real estate properties Long-term capital gains rates could double and the new rates could already be in effect S Corporations and Partnerships could lose a valuable tax advantage No longer a step-up in basis for assets at death Gift and death could now be treated as a realization event, causing income to recipient You can find a transcript of today's show at: https://bit.ly/359RBlJ Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com   

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen speaks with Professor Kevin Dowd about the current state of monetary policy and the risks of the increasing the U.S. Debt obligations.  During this timely conversation Dr. Dowd shares what history has shown works and does not work regarding monetary policy. Having spent his career researching and studying history of central banks and markets, he brings a depth of knowledge to these topics. A few of the questions we covered are: As the world was facing of an extreme shock to the global economy from COVID, we have seen governments around the world increase their debt as well as issue more currency, i.e. print money, in a way we have never seen before. What lessons from the past can we learn and thus expect from the future? How long can governments continue to increase their debt? There has been a recent resurgence in an economic theory called Modern Monetary Theory. Can you give an overview of what MMT is and how it differs from the conventional economics (Keynesian economics) I was taught as I earned my Bachelors of Science in Economics 20 years ago? As it is just a theory, what does MMT get right and what does it get wrong in the real world? Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com  To view links from today's show and transcript please visit: https://www.kathmere.com/blog/how-long-can-governments-continue-to-increase-their-debt-podcast  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® talks with Professor Jaime Kurtz, Ph.D. about her new audiobook, The Psychology of Happiness. Through this conversation Dr. Kurtz shares her expertise and insight to help us all understand how happiness can be "coached" and internalized versus just a momentary feeling.  A few of the questions we covered are: How has the field of psychology changed over time in regard to understanding and measuring happiness? What can we do to cause happiness versus it just happens to be our internal bias? How and why our happiness impacts to many other areas of our lives? How can we spend money in a way that promotes happiness? As the author of "The Happy Traveler", in what ways can we change how we plan and enjoy vacations to help the happiness of them last longer? For a full transcript to today's show, please visit: https://bit.ly/3f8HLFa  Dr. Kurtz is an Associate Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, where she teaches courses on Social Psychology, Psychology of Personality, Positive Psychology, and Psychological Research Methods. She received her B.A. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and my M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Dr. Kurtz has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters on happiness, and with bestselling author Sonja Lyubomirsky, she is co-author of Positively Happy: Routes to Sustainable Happiness, a workbook for putting happiness strategies into practice in everyday life. Her first solo-authored book, The Happy Traveler: Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations, was published in June of 2017 by Oxford University Press. With the Institute for Brain Potential, Dr. Kurtz offers seminars on happiness and well-being to health-care professionals nationwide. In addition, she writes the popular Happy Trails online column for Psychology Today. We hope you enjoyed this conversation and took away a few useful tips towards improving and maintaining happiness. Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com 

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® and Nicholas Ryder, CFA® talk all things crypto and blockchain with the Director of Research for Digital Assets at Forbes, Steven Ehrlich.  During this timely conversation Steven shares his expertise and insight to answer the most relevant questions about digital assets. A few of the questions we covered are: What is a blockchain and what keeps it secure? What are cryptocurrencies and crypto assets? Why are there so many different cryptocurrencies? How are Bitcoin and Ethereum similar and different? What are the biggest risk for anyone thinking about investing in cryptocurrencies? Steven writes an in-depth newsletter on the crypto space and was kind enough to provide a substantial discount to our listeners.  Click here to sign up: http://forbes.com/cryptowealth To read the transcript and other links, please visit: https://www.kathmere.com/blog/crypto-blockchain-bitcoin-podcast Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares a few strategies for gifting assets to family today in order to take advantage of current gifting laws and limits. For many individuals whom have been able to accumulate more wealth than they will most likely need in their lifetime, they need to determine what their lifetime family and legacy goals are. Many have shared with us that while they want to provide for their kids and grandkids after they have passed, they really would like to pass along some of their wealth while they can see their family enjoy it. During these conversations we analyze how much and how often they can and should "gift" assets to their family and thought it would be helpful to spend a few minutes on the strategies and rules that apply. Questions answered and topics covered: What rules apply to gifting money to different people? When is it better to use the lifetime exemption instead of estate tax exemption? How are 529 contributions for kids or grandkids taken into account? Are there any gifts that don't count as a gift? Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares one of the best tools for retirement savings, the Mega Backdoor IRA. The team at Kathmere has found this to be a unique and not well known way to save into a Roth IRA even if you are over the income limit.  In this episode he covers: How the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA contribution works The biggest mistakes people make when trying to do it How the prorata rule can void the benefit of a traditional Roth IRA conversion Flowchart we have used to help navigate the complexities of the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA contribution and also Roth IRA conversions Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com Transcript and other information can be found at: www.kathmere.com  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® and Nicholas Ryder, CFA® talk about the latest topic to take over financial media and investors mind, rising interest rates. We have received many questions from both clients and listeners on what the "drastic" rise in interest rates could mean for stocks, so we cover it here. Where are interest rates today vs 3 months and 1 year ago The three main arguments to why stocks will fall if interest rates rise Why each argument could be wrong   Which argument has validity to us What should investors do Nicholas Ryder wrote a commentary on this, which can be read here and includes the chart and quote we discuss: Rising Rates and the Stock Market Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com Show notes and transcript can be found here:  https://www.kathmere.com/blog/will-rising-rates-cause-stocks-to-fall-podcast   

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares some great strategies to help reduce your taxes through direct stock contributions to charities. The team at Kathmere has found this, along with Donor Advised Funds, to be some of the best ways to maximize your tax benefit from charitable donations. The difference in cash vs stock donations The benefit from donating stock 3 rules to avoid a tax headache The best and worst types of stock to donate How to "lump" donations together to maximize itemized vs standard deduction levels Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® and Nicholas Ryder, CFA® talk about the latest stock to take over financial media and investors mind, GameStop ( GME ). We have received many questions from both clients and friends on what is happening and why, so we cover it here. What is WallStreetBets ( WSB ) How shorting stocks work How a short squeeze can happen Historical context to other short squeezes What should investors do Nicholas Ryder wrote a commentary on this, which can be read here: Individual Stock Mania Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® shares thoughts on financial planning for 2021 given the likely changes due to President-elect Biden's policies. Nicholas talks about: GA runoff election has given Democrats complete control for the next two years The next large stimulus plan - where will the focus be and how much will it be fore Student loan debt forgiveness Affordable Care Act changes - "Bidencare" COVID vaccine rollout Cabinet selection under Biden Corporate tax increases to 28% SALT deductions to be brought back Additional tax, like NIIT or additional Medicare tax, coming for high income earners Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® answers a great question we received after the How I Invest My Own Money podcast episode:  What process do you use to actually determine the model portfolio for your clients? Nicholas also discusses: How to define risk need versus tolerance What to do when those two do not align How we view risk, in the volatility and also "looking different" lens Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® and Nicholas Ryder, CFA® discuss if investors should even own bonds right now, given the historically low interest rates.  Overview of the types of bonds. What categories or styles or types of bonds exist? Historical overview to how bonds have performed over time Why even own them now with rates so low, thus expectation of return so low? What are the alternatives? How could they perform really well? How could they be the "worst part of the portfolio"? Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

Kathmere's CIO, Nick Ryder, summarizes where things stand in the aftermath of last week's elections and shares his thoughts on the emerging policy and investment implications for investors.

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® and Michael McDermott, CFP® talk about how they each invest their own money and also why their firm, Kathmere Capital, manages models versus custom portfolios for their clients. Why investors should ask their advisors how they manage accounts, is it custom or model based? Models allow all the best thinking to be used for all clients at the same time How volatile times shine a light on the downside of custom portfolios They both share they invest their own money and why they invest just like their clients We hope this was a quick episode and the reasons we invest like we do was helpful for those that we are honored to serve but also those of you working with an advisor. Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® wraps up our short podcast series on equity compensation, explaining how to view equity compensation in regard to your financial plan. If you missed the first two, you can listen to the overview episode here: https://bit.ly/33jfjfg and how to diversify, hedge, and reduce taxes of them here: https://bit.ly/30WVbOr . During this episode Nicholas shares the five steps our team has found helps clients make the most out of their equity compensation plans: Start with your goals. Articulate them, rank them, and see how the plans can help you achieve them. Review your balance sheet and allocation. Value the stock plans now and in the future and make sure you are comfortable with the concentration of risk. Wait as long as possible to exercise options, most of the time. Understand exactly how the plan works. Learn about vesting schedules and what happens if you leave the company and then share it with your significant other. Review tax consequences before making a decision. But, don't "let the tax tail wag the dog". We hope this was a useful series. As always, please consult your financial advisor and/or accountant before taking action on any of the steps we discuss. Please send us feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us at: nolesen@kathmere.com  

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen, CFP®, CPWA® continues our short podcast series on equity compensation, covering what to do once you have received them or are about to receive them.  During the episode Nicholas shares: The main objectives of equity compensation How quickly investors can become concentrated in employer stock What is a "cashless exercise" Best way to diversify without creating a big tax bill How to reduce the tax burden of equity compensation What is an 83(b) election and when should you use it How to use stock you own to exercise an option and then double up on that option When to use Charitable Trusts The best hedging strategies for different types of equity compensation The benefit of a "zero premium collar" strategy We also have a few charts that are useful to understand some of these strategies that you can view at www.kathmere.com/blog  Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email us here. info@kathmere.com

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen begins a short series on equity compensation. These plans continue to become more and more popular in both private and public companies and therefore a very important part of compensation to understand. During the episode Nicholas shares: What is equity compensation? Why has it become so popular? The three main types of: stock options, employee stock purchase plans, and restricted stock Difference between stock options (NQSO) and restricted stock (RSU) How to decide, if given the choice, between NQSO and RSU In the next episode we will discuss a few tax strategies to help with these forms of compensation and also hedging options. Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email Us.

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen is joined by Dr. Christine Carter, an author, speaker, and coach, to talk about her research and practical advice on raising teens today. Christine's latest book The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction offered great advice even before the pandemic but now even more relevant and timely. During the episode Nick and Christine discuss: How parents can help teens process their feelings Why anxiety and depression have increased substantially in teens over the years How to help teens gain self confidence and responsibility Tips for avoiding being the "nagger in chief" The structure and framework that helps reduce fights about screen time and social media Modeling behavior that we want our kids to exemplify Finding a happy balance of freedom and rules To learn more about Christine's coaching and books, visit: https://www.christinecarter.com/coaching/ To read the transcript or Kathmere's other posts, visit: https://www.kathmere.com/blog Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover on future episodes.  Email Us.

In today's episode Nicholas Ryder speaks with Ryan Kirlin of Alpha Architect.  As the Head of Capital Markets and Sales for Alpha Architect, Ryan has a breadth of knowledge on how markets work and the things we, as investors, take for granted.  In this episode Nicholas and Ryan dive deep into the benefits of using exchange traded funds (ETFs) for a portion of investment portfolios. Ryan shares the three biggest reasons he believes investors should use them: taxes, costs, and transparency. Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email Us.

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen discusses the recent news about Tesla and Apple announcing stock splits. During the episode Nicholas shares: What is a stock split Why companies do stock splits The psychology of stock splits That price doesn't really matter and thus stock splits don't either Changes in technology and trading that minimize any benefit of stock splits Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email Us.

In today's episode Nicholas Olesen talks through a recent article that was published in Bloomberg with the headline "401(k) Plans No Longer Make Sense For Most Savers".  While we all know headlines are written for clicks, we thought it would be useful to talk through how you should take broad advice and personalize it for yourself and also give another viewpoint. During the episode Nicholas shares: How taxes pay an important role in your decision and why your future tax assumptions are most important The true internal cost of 401(k) plan investments How different retirement savings and options are today than in 1980 (the date the article references) Why 401(k) plans DO make sense for most savers, but maybe a Roth 401(k) instead of traditional Please send in feedback and any topic or questions you would like us to cover.  Email Us. The original Bloomberg article can be found here: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-07-21/401-k-plans-no-longer-make-much-sense-for-savers Learn more about our team and services by visiting www.kathmere.com  

On today's episode, Nicholas Olesen and Nicholas Ryder, answer a few recent questions we have received from listeners and clients. The main topics covered are: Are the markets "too concentrated" in just a few stocks? Why isn't the stock market reflecting more of what we see in the economy today? Has government policy and assistance been too much? What financial choices are people making during this time? Is it time to refinance, again? To view the charts discussed and read our other insights, please visit: http://bit.ly/KCM-BLOG Please continue to send in questions or topics you would like us to cover via email to  nolesen@kathmere.com  

We are going to go a little deeper on the psychological and emotional side on today's podcast, as we believe it is one of the keystone reasons we created our firm, Kathmere Capital, and the services we provide, and many clients have told us it is one of the biggest values we bring to their family. These past few weeks we have been reminded just how important it is that each of us take time each year or so to think through what do we value most or another way to say it is, what does a life worth living look like to me? In our firm we have had clients pass away prematurely this past month and another decide that their work environment was taking so much energy away from them that they needed to walk away from what looked like on paper a great job. These “wake up calls” reminded us just how important this keystone of our firm is, aligning values and wealth.  Today we want to spend time providing ideas and a framework to discover your own personal values and then how to help you align those values with these "buckets" of wealth.

In this episode Geoffrey Forcino shares how the retirement plan industry has come a long way and is improving but we still has a lot of room to improve. As the Director of Retirement Plan Services, he has a front seat to the concerns, from poorly designed plans to the communication/resource to the employees that is not done effectively or at all. So the result is expensive plans and not a lot of help for the employees.

Do you feel overwhelmed with the amount of information and opinions there are out there regarding planning for your financial future and investing? Have you ever Googled “how to manage my money better”?  I did.  In just under a second, I got back 1,500,000,000 results. That's 1.5 BILLION.  So it makes sense that you may feel overwhelmed or not know where to spend your energy and time regarding your wealth. In today's episode Nicholas Olesen talks about three areas that we believe most investors should focus their energy and time on: Financial organization - know what you have, where it is, and have a plan for it all when you pass away Risk management - evaluate the various risks you are taking on and, if possible, get proper coverage to reduce them or invest differently to reduce known risks Tax management - make sure you are reducing your taxes today but also giving yourself the opportunity for lower taxes in the future For more information on our firm and team, visit www.kathmere.com  

In today's show Nicholas Olesen shares how easy it is to "earn" the title Financial Advisor, two traits to look for in order to know you are working with a REAL advisor, and how investors are best served by an advisor that does a diagnosis first, not prescribes a solution first.   Learn More For more about our firm visit www.kathmere.com 

Today Nicholas Olesen and Nicholas Ryder talk about the stark difference between the economy and the markets.  Unemployment data shows about 40,000,000 people are unemployed right now, bankruptcies are on the rise, most major cities in the US are still under some form of stay-at-home order, and the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread, yet stocks up over the last 12 months and down just 6% YTD. https://www.kathmere.com/blog/what-gives https://www.kathmere.com/blog/the-link-between-recession-duration-and-stock-market-drawdowns  

This week we tackle the never ending debate about diversification and passive investing from the lens of what to do coming out of a large pullback in the market, like today. Some talking heads in the financial media have been arguing that “diversification is not your friend” and that now, more than ever, investors need to “get active” and really focus their security selection on identifying the “winners” and avoiding the “losers.”  Is that really the case? The posts we refer to can be found at: https://www.kathmere.com/blog/time-to-get-active https://www.kathmere.com/blog/concentrated We would love your feedback and thoughts for future shows. Email us at: info@kathmere.com

Taxes.  Yes, we are diving into taxes today. As much as you may hate to talk about taxes, it is most likely the biggest expense you will have over your lifetime and thus key to your financial success. In this episode Nicholas Olesen share how we recommend you view your taxes and the difference between what you are used to, tax preparation, and what we believe you should do, tax planning. Learn more about our firm and team at www.Kathmere.com

In our first non-financial podcast, we discuss Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Our firm has a culture of constant improvement, both personally and corporately. Kevin McDermott and Michael McDermott share their take aways and how they are implementing these ideas.  They discuss how to form a good habit, stop a bad one, the concept of decisive moments, and how 1% better or worse causes drastically different results. Learn more about our team and firm here.

Following another 4.3% decline on March 20, the S&P 500 Index had now declined by nearly 32% from its all-time high, achieved just a little more than a month earlier. In this podcast we discuss how the S&P 500 has historically fared following a decline of 30% or more from a recent all-time high.

Listen as we dives into what the CARES Act is and how it impacts both individuals and small business. 

Recent weeks have seen significant market volatility as investors have reacting to the rising threat of COVID-19 and its potential impact on global growth. In light of these concerns policy makers have proposed and enacted a multi-faceted policy response covering medical, monetary and fiscal policy. Nicholas Olesen and Nick Ryder discuss the policy responses enacted and their impact on the economy and investment markets.

Listen as we take 3 minutes to share why we thought it was important to create this podcast and what to expect from it.