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Deborah A Williams, CFP® Last week, for the first time in American history, a woman was nominated by a major party for the presidential election. Regardless of personal political views, we as a society have waited a long time to reach this equality milestone since allowing women the right to vote in 1920. I think we can agree that one’s gender has an impact on one’s circumstances, either as a result of nature or, unfortunately in some situations, as a result of gender inequality. As a financial advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, it is important that we consider the unique gender circumstances facing women, so we can adequately help them plan for the future.

by David Hemler, CFP® Many years ago, before I became a professional advisor I attended a financial planning seminar. One of the first things I learned was how procrastination can factor into our financial outcomes. It is certainly human to put off today what we believe can be done tomorrow. Especially when we really don’t relish any pleasure from that thing we are putting off doing. Now that I have added twenty years of living to the mix I see many examples of this procrastination factor and its impact in the world around me.

by Jacob Sturgill, CFP® So Britain is leaving the European Union, the world is once more altered, and a new word has joined the English language. By now, you’ve probably read lots of commentary, either positive or negative, on the impact of Brexit. We aren’t going to do the same. Why? For one, we can’t predict the future and don’t know what the long-term impact will be, and secondly, what happens in Britain, China, Greece or any other country is really not relevant to you. This is not to stay that Brexit and other world developments will not result in shocks to your portfolio, because they will. However, there is something more paramount that you need to pay attention to at this moment and it is RISK.

There are many factors to consider when deciding which presidential candidate gets your vote. It’s wise to compare their professional and political experiences, ideology, domestic policy, views on defense and international issues, and so much more…. But please do not waste too much time reviewing their economic policies. Why? Because if history teaches us anything, the next president will have little to no effect on the economy, the markets, or your investment returns.

In February of 2015, President Obama called on the Department of Labor (DOL) to update the rules and requirements that retirement advisors put the best interests of their clients above their own financial interests. It wasn’t a new request from the White House. The DOL had released a proposal in 2010 that was met with intense criticism resulting in the DOL withdrawing their initial proposal. Six years later, we have a new rule that is over 1,000 pages in length and continues to spark controversy. Here are a few of the main objectives of the rule and how we feel about them.

What does it take to win the Masters? What do the top players at this year’s tournament have in common? Is it their confidence, is it a new GPS watch, is it their choice in irons, or is it something else. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy all have one thing in common.