Episode 149

In this episode, Mark discusses the "Trump Effect" that focuses on significant events that people believe will happen in the next year, like repealing Obamacare and healthcare reform. In volatile periods, Mark believes flexibility and transparency are paramount to success. He talks about maximizing returns and minimizing risk when putting investments to rk. If you don’t know where your returns came from you have no business being invested in that investment. You can’t be a long term investor and then focus on short term results and you must keep emotions out of the process.

January 5, 2017

EPISODE 148

In this episode Mark asks listeners to think about why they own what they do in their portfolios. If your positions don’t have a reason or purpose within your portfolio that could affect your overall goals and plan. Not only do investors not know what they own and why, but they don’t know how it correlates to reaching their plan. He also discusses what should you be doing if you are worried about the election and your investment portfolio. 

January 4, 2017

EPISODE 147

In this episode, Mark discusses a crucial questions that every investor should ask themselves as it pertains to portfolio investing: Do You Know Where you are Right Now vs. Where You’re Headed? CEOs do it’ athletes do it; in fact, anyone who needs to be able to achieve a certain level of performance in order to achieve a specific goal constantly assesses where they are in relation to where they want to be. This is to ensure that available resources are being utilized optimally at all time. It may seem OK to overshoot the goal, but if resources are being utilized in the wrong way – too inefficiently, too costly, too risky (or not the right kind of risks) – it will likely undermine the long term prospects of achieving it. And, you certainly don’t want to undershoot the goal because that could be disastrous, especially when planning for life's major events, such as retirement. 

January 3, 2017

EPISODE 146

In this episode, Mark talks about that one of the biggest challenges for an investor is to determine how well his or her portfolio is performing. Unfortunately, most published advice is incorrect. That’s because it usually encourages comparison to an irrelevant index or too generic of a model portfolio. In Mark's opinion, the right way to benchmark a portfolio is to take into several factors into account, such as investment risk, cost and expenses, investment horizon, diversification etc...

December 29, 2016

Episode 145

In this episode, Mark talks about rebalancing and the psychology of buying losers and selling winners, as well as the opportunity cost: if I invest in something and it doesn't go well what is the cost of doing that? No portfolio should rely on any one position. It should have multiple moving parts working together to help the portfolio be successful over time. You will always be wrong when you second guess. You should rebalance to something, like to your asset allocation. Owning numerous mutual funds is not necessarily asset allocation and risk management means appropriate asset allocation. The best performing money managers under perform their benchmarks 50% of time. A process is what creates success.

December 28, 2016

Episode 144

In this episode, Mark talks about what to do with your portfolio around and after the holidays. He also talks about movements in stock prices and how they can be illogical, as well as the values of bonds and the value of the dollar. Later in the episode, he discusses predictions for 2017 and Trump's presidency, and receives a question about buying and selling stocks from a caller. 

December 27, 2016

Episode 143

In this episode, Mark discusses the importance of establishing a strategic financial plan with an advisor, before making any significant investment decisions, especially as it pertains to the stock market. Unfortunately, as Mark mentions, most individuals only fixate on the timingof their investments  (only focused on a specific dollar amount of a particular stock) and thus, encounter unexpected financial issues. Mark highlights the concept of Strategic Cost Averaging™: the process of using unequal dollar amounts and continually investing in a company over a long period of time,  as a crucial component to an investor's strategic financial plan.

December 20, 2016

Episode 142

In this episode, Mark talks about how the majority of investors take the investing process for granted, and as a result, are not fully aware of the complications and dangers that stock market investing can bring about. Mark indicates that investor's "short-term" thinking serves as the primary culprit which lead to investing complications and dangers in the stock market. Rather than being fixed on indexes, historical performance, costs and hidden fees, investors need to look at the bigger picture and think about the value they are receiving from their investments. A few of the  important questions that revolve around "value" are "What are my goals", "How is my investment plan going to enable me to get to my goals", and "How much risk should I take to accomplish my goals".

December 19, 2016

Episode 141

In this episode, Mark talks about dollar cost averaging: an investment technique of buying a fixed dollar amount of a particular investment on a regular schedule regardless of the share price. This purchases more when prices are low and fewer when prices are high. As the portfolio gets bigger the dollar cost averaging effect becomes less and less. Strategic cost averaging: the process of using unequal dollar amounts and continually investing in a company over a long period of time. In 'Headline vs the Bottomline', Mark discusses: Bank of America sees sign of Bull Markets end. 

December 15, 2016

Episode 140

In this episode, Mark discusses the quarter point raise by the federal reserve. How do we structure our portfolio regardless of age to maximize returns, minimize taxes, and take advantage of opportunities? "You invest in the stock market” is an incorrect statement. You invest in businesses! Most people don’t know the difference, or how much they own and the impact to their portfolio and expectation. Traditional asset allocation says: As you get older you should own more bonds and less stock, and vice versa for younger to older. We as an investment public have been trained in a certain way by the media and the industry to think of investing in a certain format. You need to follow an index. There has to be something to tell you how well you’re doing. He also asks what does risk really mean? Risk is knowing that you can’t accomplish goals without clarity.

December 14, 2016

Episode 139

In this episode, Mark talks about the bullish sentiment. The more clarity you have about your investment situation the more likely you are to invest for success and make great decisions. Stock prices generally don’t go straight up or down. They move in patterns. That is why some people are interested in the technical analysis of stocks. He also discusses some methods to be a DIY investor.

December 12, 2016

Episode 138

In this episode, Mark talks about open ended mutual funds. They only price at the end of the day. You can not sell this fund during the day, but the price you will get will be based on the closing price that day. Because of the way the government is moving, the advisory business is forcing advisors and investment businesses to make changes. It is forcing lower prices and lower quality product and service. Advisors are going to be forced to justify the fees they charge you for the money management. Mark also discusses ETFs and predictions for 2017.

December 8, 2016

Episode 137

In this episode, Mark discusses how everyone's portfolio is diversified and allocated differently. The S&P is a benchmark; it is just an example. He also talked about a caller's statement: “people don’t know what they own in a mutual fund but all they have to do is read the annual report,” which is true, only at the time they report. A lack of flexibility and transparency provides greater tax implications than owning individual stocks. Do not be surprised if you start hearing as we get to the end of the year “the stock market has made some big moves and were taking gains we should have taken last year so 2017 won’t have great gains.” Don’t make assumptions how a stock or a market can’t keep going up! Mark also receives a call about an investor who has a portfolio that's heavy in healthcare. 

December 7, 2016

Episode 136

In this episode, Mark talks about Trailing PE (the PE ratio the stock trades at based on the last year) and Forward PE (price to earnings ratio for the next fiscal year of a company). High multiple stocks eventually someday do go down - you just don’t know when (for example: Amazon). He also discusses Closet indexing (a type of money manager that doesn’t manage an actual index fund. The fund ends up owning so many positions it becomes a closet index) and Diversification (results in an averaging affect. Additional investments reduce returns and the chances of out performing a benchmark). He advises investors to not be a short term investor when it comes to a Growth oriented investment.

December 6, 2016

Episode 135

In this episode, Mark talks about how only three companies are responsible for half of the DOW's month and a half rally. These three companies on their own can skew performance. There is no middle ground in the investment world: everyone is either all in or all out. He also says that gold is not an investment; it's a currency. People buy gold as a hedging component in their portfolio. Cash is an investment, but for long term, it is not a good investment. It is extremely liquid, but it doesn’t give you anything. The “loss” is really: Return on the investment and the cost of the investment. Cheap is not always best! When it comes to your money, you should go to the best stewards. What is more important to you with your money: is it beating an index or reaching and achieving your financial goals? 

December 5, 2016

Episode 134

In this episode, Mark talks about things to think about when invested in business: Have the fundamentals changed or will the business continue to grow over time and when you see data from a fund that is what the fund owned last quarter, keep that in mind. The economy is improving too much! We're seeing a GDP over 3% for the first time in awhile. Markets lead the economy, not the other way around. When bonds get hit, they get hammered. Money from bonds will need somewhere to go and those funds will go to stocks. 

December 2, 2016

Episode 133

In this episode, Mark talks about how people fail to invest for success because they are emotionally connected to the process. Most investors will say the stock market is rigged when asked, but Mark suggests they should position themselves in a way to take advantage of the potential manipulations. If you're invested and the market goes down, you can do three things: tax loss harvesting, reposition the portfolio for when things pick up again and increase the quality of your portfolio, or rest easy. 

December 1, 2016

Episode 132

November 30, 2016

Episode 131

In this episode, Mark talks about how it's not just about making the right decision when you buy, but making the right decisions when you sell! He also discusses how President-elect Trump is about to make the stock market crumble, but reminds investors to put time in their investments and market, but not to time the market. Finally, he talks about retirement planning and inflation.

November 29, 2016

Episode 130

Lacking Clarity

In this episode, Mark talks about people who think the markets are bad and it isn’t a good time to invest are lacking clarity. Bank stocks are cyclical and you have to understand how businesses affect your overall portfolio. He also discusses growth and value of stocks, emerging marketings, bonds, and commodities. 

November 16, 2016