Blog
Aptitudes and Attitudes
Our thoughts on money, life, simplicity, and the pursuit of happiness
SAVE YOURSELF: When stocks fall, think about saving or doing nothing
So the stock market has taken a small tumble. What now? Could it take a bigger tumble? Could it rocket to the moon? The real question you might be asking yourself is, "What should I do with my investments?" Absolutely nothing.
Read MoreAdvice for the Young at Heart
I’m a DIYer at heart and often reluctant to seek help from pros. If I’d worked with a trusted advisor throughout my life, though, there would have been far less financial drama. Talk to a planner. Your 50-year-old self will thank you.
Read MoreFinancial Planning in Marriage is a Lifelong Dance
It takes two to tango and a financial plan is a “we statement.” It is a lifelong dance. At its core, a financial plan represents a series of trade-offs of time and money, long-term and near-term. Those things are hard when one person...
Read MoreYou Can't Beat the Street; Forget The Individual Stocks And Buy Index Funds
It’s hard to consistently and systematically pick a portfolio of individual stocks that beats a simple index fund over time. There are many reasons why this is the case, but we’ll focus on three: market efficiency, competition from pros...
Read MoreFinancial Advisors Need To Earn Your Trust
At the end of the day, your money is finite. Your money can work for you or it can work for the advisor. It can't work for both. Recognizing that trust is essential in any relationship with a financial advisor, we recommend you take...
Read MoreShow All
How to Save for Your Kids' College Education
When we talk to our clients about saving for their children’s college education, there is usually a moment when we hear them pause to catch their breath. This usually happens right after we talk about the price tag. According to...
Read MoreAvoid The AUM Fees, You Are Better Off Doing It Yourself
Many people who give financial advice have business models that make it hard for them to work solely for you and in your best interests. We believe you’re better off—and will have a greater sense of control...
Read MoreThinking About Your Real Magic Number: Your Savings Rate
The most important decision of our lives, how much to save for retirement, has been an afterthought for many of us. For people barely skating by and living lives adapted to their salaries, the subject is painful and therefore delayed...
Read MoreOne Key To Financial Wellness: Find A Job You Love
The keys to financial success are pretty easy to articulate, really. Find a job you love [or at least don’t hate], spend less than you make, save for rainy days and retirement, and invest simply and wisely. It all starts with...
Read MoreDIY 'Til I Die; You Can DIY Your Investments If You Have The DIY Ethic
If you have the DIY ethic, we believe you can manage your own money as a DIY investor. Self-educate, keep it simple and understandable, optimize tax-efficient accounts, automate your investment contributions, then set and forget it...
Read MoreThe Self-Healing Global Economy
A truism of investing is that there is no return without risk. In general, the higher the perceived risk, the higher the future returns. If the stock market seems especially risky, that probably bodes well for future returns. We...
Read MorePrepare for the Future with Coordinated Contingency Planning
Financial planning would be easy if our lives were predictable. Stuff happens though, right?. We think it makes sense to think about the many potential contingencies in our lives in relation to their consequences and probability. In...
Read More10 Financial Tips for New Attending Physicians
We’ve worked with hundreds of new attending physicians over the past several years and gained insights into some of the unique characteristics of their financial situations. For the most part, early-career doctors’...
Read MoreFinancial Tips for Parents
Most of our clients are parents. This of course means they’re dead-dog tired most of the time. Parenting is hard. And awesome. We sympathize and empathize with parents, so in an attempt to make things a wee bit easier we offer...
Read MoreSimplify Your Financial Life; Distill, Streamline and Adapt
Simplicity almost always beats complexity. Simplicity requires planning, mindfulness and focus. It demands resolve, patience and sometimes benign neglect. Ultimately, simplicity inspires confidence, reduces anxiety and frees our time...
Read MoreA Cash Flow System Makes Budgeting [Relatively] Cool
At Aptus, we believe that happiness, peace of mind, and financial freedom hinges on spending less money than you make. A good cash flow plan should help you determine the best balance of spending on important things like a home,...
Read MoreThe Hierarchy of Financial Needs
A lot of people who call themselves financial advisors will try to talk your ear off about investing. Boooooring. Hey, I love investing as much as any red-blooded finance nerd but that's not the key to building a strong financial...
Read MoreThe Road To DIYing Your Finances
Since 2011 Aptus has been on a journey with hundreds of clients who’ve taken on the challenge of self-managing their investments. I remember when my initial clients did their first backdoor Roth conversion; made that first trade...
Read MoreEffective Investing Doesn't Need To Be Complicated
One of our core philosophies at Aptus is “simplicity beats complexity.” We believe simplicity beats complexity, not just in investments but in many facets of life. Your retirement outcome is more likely to be determined by...
Read MoreInvest Simply And Wisely Using A Waterfall Of Tax-Efficient Accounts
The first, and by far the most important, step in building wealth is setting your savings rate. We recommend adopting and implementing a cash flow system to help sharpen your savings calculations. A good cash flow plan should help you...
Read More