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• The foundation of managing investments is constructing a well-diversified, low-cost, tax-efficient portfolio that matches your tolerance for the inevitable ups and downs in the market and allows you to sleep well at night.

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• Time in the market beats timing the market. Timing the market is not something I will try to do. I don't know which direction the market is going over the next week, month, year, or even five years from now. I do use history as a guide when investing for the long term, but the future is unknown. 

 

• I have no hot tips, I am not trading constantly in your account, and I do not sit at my computer all day placing buy and sell orders. There will not be much action in your account. 

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• I almost always use very low-cost passive index funds, exchange-traded funds, and some individual stocks/bonds to create diversified portfolios. In certain situations, I may use an active fund or two if I believe there is an added value that outweighs the additional expense. 

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• Your time horizon means everything. If you need the money in 3 years (down payment on a house) it looks very different than the money you are investing for 30 years.

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•  I stick to the long-term plan. Markets go through cycles of ups and downs. I have invested in many of them. Sometimes those downturns can be very stressful and painful. It hurts losing 40% of your retirement accounts, but it happened in 2008-2009 and the odds are very good it will happen again. When you ask? Your guess is as good as mine (or anyone else's). The key is not making emotional decisions. It's hard to stay put when the world is crumbling around you. That's why people hire me :)