Markets continue to baffle investors as mediocre news, lunacy in Washington D.C., and threats of nuclear war with North Korea seem to be hitting the headlines on a weekly, if not daily basis. One would think that with these types of events going on, the markets could easily be in free-fall; but for the time being, it seems the exact opposite is happening. Per bigcharts.com, the markets continue to grind to all-time highs on the Dow Jones Industrial Average to higher than 22,000. In previous writings, I eluded to the possibility that the next great crash probably won’t come until everyone stops asking about the next crash. We may need to be wary of getting too comfortable with the markets parading higher.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a pretty great summer! As of this writing, we have had rather reasonable weather; not too hot and not too cool – kind of a Goldilocks summer … just right. With the season in full swing, and the end around the corner as we head back to school, I think it’s time to re-visit the subject of budgeting. Many people often wonder, “how much of my income should I be spending on my mortgage? Or my cars? Or my food?” Although there is no hard line in the sand on these questions, there are guidelines to help us spend less than we earn.

Since we may have been conditioned to expect crashes, here is my “two cents” on the situation. Crashes rarely ever come when most people are asking about them. For example, how many people were asking about the looming housing crash in 2005? In fact, most of my clients were asking why we weren’t riding the real estate boom and what funds are available to invest in that specialized in real estate. People tend to forget that leading up to the tech bubble of 2000, lots of people were quitting their jobs to become day-traders in this new sector called internet commerce. Etoys.com (no longer in business) was going to revolutionize Christmas shopping and people HAD to have that stock. What could go wrong?

To say that the Trump Administration has been a volatile one would be sugar-coating it. I would estimate that when President Trump was elected, about 55% of U.S. citizens were devastated, 25% were curiously optimistic, and 20% were elated. That last group included what I consider to be the 5% of those who are diehard capitalist and the people who “run the money” when it comes to the markets. The stock markets, in general, have reacted very positively to this new administration.

The weather is breaking and spring is in full bloom – people are starting projects to update and freshen up their homes. Over the last two months, I’ve made numerous trips to Home Depot in my own attempts to “do it myself.” DIY projects are usually a result of trying to save time or money, or utilize your skills. Some jobs we may choose to take on ourselves; others need a professional’s help. No matter the project, we generally assess the task to determine whether we can DIY or need assistance. I see finances in the same light, and ironically, it comes down to roughly the same three questions. Do I have the time to put in the research? Am I willing to pay advisory fees? How difficult is the financial task I’m trying to accomplish? The following is a list with regard to your finances which, in my opinion, could be DIY – or, they may require investment in expert help.

I have been reading for the last ten years that by 2035, the Social Security program will have to go through potential massive reduction in payout to stay solvent. This is an excerpt from the Social Security Administration:

The spring season is upon us, and with it comes a few things we can count on: the mud, the sun coming up as we get out of bed, and the sudden itch to look for a new house. When it comes to someone’s ability to purchase a home, the main factor often revolves around the mortgage payment. Usually, that payment is going to be dependent upon the current interest rates that are available in the market.

We are pressing forward into 2017, which I personally believe is going to be a great year! Although we were recently pummeled with snow, freezing rain, and winds that moved my kids trampoline from our backyard into our neighbor’s front yard, the two things that I can guarantee as a financial advisor are:

Roughly two months have passed since the election, and things appear to have calmed down. The chance for an overturn of the voting results looks very minimal with the inauguration of President Elect Trump around the corner. Agree with him or not, the stock market has made a move higher, as assumed economic growth policies are igniting hope in the hearts of investors. Whether these “policies” become real is yet to be determined; but, truth and time tell all. In my previous article, I referenced that the last time Republicans controlled Congress, the Senate, and the Oval Office was in 1928. Back then, the market shot higher for roughly a year before entering the Great Depression. I do not believe that history always repeats itself, but it does tend to rhyme.

With the election recently behind us, there are those still saddened by the results and those who are elated. I am hoping we’ll all find common ground as Americans and move forward together. Like it or not, we now have what I consider a Quasi Republican President, a Republican-controlled Senate, and a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Since the downturn in 2008 and the bankruptcy of General Motors in 2009, many employers have discontinued defined benefit plans – commonly referred to as pensions. Many have either discontinued the plans or have frozen them as “cost saving” measures. Others have replaced these costlier plans with the less expensive 401k plans. A 401k is a way for employers to put money into a retirement plan, but only if the employee also contributes to the plan. These contributions are often referred to as “matching contributions” and come in all shapes and sizes.  Some forward-thinking employers have also added a very valuable feature to their 401K plans called a “Roth 401k” Option.

As a result of this year’s market volatility and the unexpected news of Great Britain leaving the Eurozone, I’ve recently been approached by multiple people regarding the merits of having gold or goldminers as a part of their investment portfolio. I will make this very clear: the answer to this question is very situational and depends drastically on each individual’s goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. I would like to make a few simple observances regarding this decision.