Thoughts On Money [TOM]

New Year's Resolutions

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3H0IPt9 Today Blaine Carver shares his Thoughts On Money. We know that gyms and juice bars will be as busy a...

Returns of a Jedi

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3RBuYOT Yoda tells the young Jedi, Luke Skywalker, “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dom...

And Then What?

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/47WPz7e Today we welcome back James Andrews to share his Thoughts On Money. I won’t spoil it, but the open...

Distracted by the What

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3sZxIgP Today we will discuss the importance of understanding the why behind the what.  Too many financial ...

From Confusion to Clarity

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/49XwxPv Imagine trying to build a 1,000 piece puzzle without the box cover – nearly impossible, right? Tod...

A Capitulation Situation

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/47gGZj8 Growing up, it’s normal to dream about your future. As we grow up, our career aspirations shift, ...

Circle of Competence

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3MAS2vx Today, we welcome back guest author James Andrews. Also, please remember to join us for the podcast ...

When it Hits Close to Home

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - Have you ever attended a walk for breast cancer? Or perhaps a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research? A discussion with almost...

Flaw Less

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/498rCeb We all have flaws. All of us. The problem is that not all of us are aware of our flaws. We are hyper...

Tools for Decision-Making

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/49dCWWz Last week we had an incredible guest author, Blaine Carver.  To continue the trend, we are now welc...

Beyond the Numbers

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3ZWJHYy I am excited and honored to introduce a guest writer today on Thoughts On Money. My good friend and...

Results Driven

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3RGuE2U Before I gave financial advice, I pedaled bikes.  Today, we will discuss the intersection of BMX ra...

Speculators Galore

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3ZyGe1P Have you ever been scammed? Since the birth of the internet, we the American people, have become qui...

The Project Checklist

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/467qQf8 I am guessing that most of us reading this article have moved at least once or twice in our lifetim...

Stay in Your Lane

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/44yuUnl Do you ever notice those habitual lane-changers in traffic?  There is a lot of activity going on, b...

Leave a Legacy

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3OHt2Ti Legacy. Leaving a legacy. Your legacy. What a loaded finance word, right? We know it has depth and m...

Low Hanging Fruit

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3QDVM25 Suppose I wrote two different articles – one on how to improve investment returns and another on h...

It Ain't What You Don't Know

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/47jPdrg Thank you for your faithful readership of Thoughts On Money. You and I, we are in this together. A...

The Road to Flourishing

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/44LNvxf We understand this idea of flourishing as individuals, but even furthermore in a corporate sense. F...

Ask Trevor

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3Q8lStI I was filling in for David Bahnsen this week on DC Today, and I was reminded how much I enjoy the As...

Your Greatest Asset

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3DdMjXk Today’s discussion was a lecture I was giving myself. Is there a place of vulnerability in my fin...

Financial Heirlooms

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3JLysv2 The Choice is Yours I recently watched the movie Race, the story of Olympian Jesse Owens. One parti...

Educating the Next Generation

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3CVMVkh For me, it was working full-time and attending class in the evening.     I saw the burden student ...

Health Insurance and I are not friends

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3qJPIu7 Don’t get me started on medical billing; we’ve got history.   In all seriousness, the whole he...

Pizza Dough and Roth Conversions

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3NlwmE8 Making pizza is all about timing. Do you know what else is all about timing? Roth conversions. Yup, ...

Don't Be a Fair Weather Fan!

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/45WjDzp In sports, a fair-weather fan is a term for fans who only show up when their teams perform well. We...

Planning for Leftovers

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3BX4Fve The financial planning industry is obsessed with talking about (1) you not outliving your nest egg a...

The Only Thing We Have to Fear

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3MILA6a From my vantage point, a lot of investors are sitting on their hands right now.  There seems to be ...

Spending Matters Most

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3Vy7trq Please join me today for a few fun stories. You will learn about the number one rule in our house g...

Solving the Puzzle of Your Financial Picture

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3oDKHlx I’m not sure if this is a cultural phenomenon or just how we are wired as humans, but I see so man...

The Art of Earmarking

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - This may seem silly, but I do believe it’s important for you to be aware of who you are, how you operate, and what type of f...

Finding Financial Freedom

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/415sGen One of the most difficult things for me when I quit competing as a cyclist was staying motivated to ...

Why It's Sometimes OK to Underperform - Revisited

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3nOuUA2 Today we will revisit an article I wrote back in February of 2020, which seems like forever ago.   ...

Chihuahua Markets

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3luKIY5 Growing up, I had a lot of pets; my family loved animals. We had cats, we had dogs. We had snakes, w...

Lessons from SVB

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/42mZeRZ I was at a tension point with what I wanted to discuss here on Thoughts On Money today; I was really...

Too Good To Be True

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/3T5kkjI I have a simple truth to present to you today – if it seems too good to be true, it’s probably t...

FOMO on Interest

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's Post - https://bahnsen.co/3J91t3Q Today I want to discuss a very simple and actionable planning item – the interest rate you are earning on ...

Magnify Revisted

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week I celebrated my birthday, and this week I got to enjoy one of my birthday gifts – Warriors tickets (NBA basketball). My in-laws sweetened...

False Alarms

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

First, a false alarm (fire drill) interrupted a client conversation at the office.     Next, a false alarm woke me up from a dead sleep at home.   ...

Fool's Gold

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I’d like to address a financial misconception that’s running rampant right now in the world of personal finance. Financial anxiety and econ...

Who's Got Your Ear?

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today I would like to address a very simple question: where do you go for advice A very straightforward inquiry but an important one nonetheless.  As...

Respecting Time Horizons

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the last week or so, I’ve fielded numerous calls that have all revolved around the same or similar questions.  An investor has some surplus savi...

A Tale of Two Brothers

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Each and every one of us needs A.A. (Awareness and Accountability). The path to successful investing relies on (1) educating ourselves to become aware...

Experiencing Turbulence

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As we wrap up 2022, what better time than now to reflect on our blessings and begin to meditate on our own financial objectives for the coming year. ...

Just One Word

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I would like to answer the question that has no right answer. Sounds like a fun little exercise, right? I want you to take a moment and ponder ...

The Index Card

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You know that friend, the one who always has a counterargument, an obscure factoid, or tidbit they throw out; the one who’s always looking for a dro...

Turkey Time Temptations

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

STOP!! DON’T DO IT!! You just had a conversation with your second cousin's husband over Thanksgiving dinner, and he gave you this “great” invest...

The Conversion Conversation

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

End-of-year planning has officially begun. My days are filled with questions about tax loss harvesting, end-of-year retirement contributions, and a pl...

Historical Precedent

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the last few weeks, I have had more conversations about a recession – and what that would mean to markets – than I’ve ever had in my entire c...

Informed Precision

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Thoughts On Money I would like to dive into a question a client recently asked me.  The question was focused around how an investor stay...

What Are You Aiming At?

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2004, Matthew Emmons would make one of the most memorable Olympic blunders in history.  I encourage you to join us for our discussion today on the...

Return On Stress

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

September. Was. Ugly. The S&P 500 was down more than 9% in the month of September alone. Markets were dropping, and investors were stressing....

Fo-evah!

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kids are the best. They say the funniest things, and they don’t mind telling you exactly how they feel. They’ll give you the unvarnished truth,...

Bingo, Bango, Bongo!

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here at The Bahnsen Group, our Founder and namesake for the firm, David Bahnsen, wrote a book outlining our primary investment strategy, The Case for ...

Timing Isn't Everything

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s For Dinner? Ok, let me set the scene… Your spouse, your significant other, your friend, your sibling, or someone close to you says, “Let’...

Portfolio By Design

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today I want to talk about portfolio design. Specifically, I want to start with the basics; the foundational concepts of how one begins to build a por...

Storm Chasers

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was May 10th, 1996, when Twister hit the box office, a popular action-packed thriller that was the second highest-grossing film of the year.  This...

Permission to Transact

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m writing today specifically to give you permission to transact. If you’ve met with your family and your financial advisor and you’ve collecti...

It's All a Bunch of Pooh

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A Practitioner's Perspective I know I’m not the smartest guy you’ll ever meet. And I know I don’t have a reputation or record of predicting macr...

On The Contrary

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So, you’ve decided that you are going to purchase a new vehicle and you’ve narrowed your focus down to one particular make and model. You’ve ev...

Digesting The DC Today

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On a few different occasions, over the last handful of weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of filling in for David Bahnsen on The DC Today. The format and...

Expense Based Planning - Revisited

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I love good questions. The type of questions that stop you in your tracks and really make you think. Not a cornering question nor combative one, but a...

Quite Interesting

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today I’d like to discuss interest rates, which have been a hot topic in markets. I want us all to understand both the basics of interest rates and ...

Weighing Your Options

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the language of computers, you have a binary system made up entirely of zeros and ones. It took me a long time to realize that the language of fina...

Figuring Out Your Finances

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last week I talked about one of our family traditions growing up – watching Jeopardy together. One of our other favorite pass times was and is, play...

Hodgepodge and Potpourri – Part Two

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we will pick up part two of Hodgepodge and Potpourri. As you may recall from part one, watching Jeopardy was a family tradition growing up at my...

Hodgepodge and Potpourri

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I grew up watching Jeopardy with my family; it was a family tradition. I remember being amazed by how many answers my parents knew. Every so often, I’...

Weathering a Recession 

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A recession is coming!!  Yikes! When?  Not sure.  How severe?  Couldn’t tell ya.  How long will it last?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Whe...

Timing is Everything

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Timing is… Everything. That’s right. Timing is EVERYTHING. When I proposed to my wife – perfect location, the right words, and… perfect...

Going Through Withdrawals

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of my friends are real estate investors. They love it; they have a true passion for investing in real estate. Some flip homes for short-term pro...

Bondtastrophe

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to financial markets, many of us have these same particular dates seared into our brains: The Great Depression 1929. Black Monday, Octob...

Peaking Interest

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I'll be upfront with you. I had reservations about tackling today's topic here on Thoughts On Money [TOM]. Why, you might ask? Because my goal in this...

Should I Give a Bit?

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are different ways people deal with stress – some healthy, some not. Me? I like to organize. Yup, as weird as that sounds, when I’m stressed...

The Dream Team

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In keeping with the theme of the famed March Madness Tournament, today we are going to talk basketball, the evolution of the investment advice industr...

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I want you to imagine that I have never heard of a casino. I have no idea what a casino is, and it is your job to explain it to me. So, you start by e...

Staring Down A Lion, Again...

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There's a question we’ve been getting multiple times a day recently:  I am concerned with everything going on in the world right now; don’t you ...

Misunderstood

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I knew I wanted to be a financial advisor, but I just couldn’t figure out a way to get my foot in the door. There were not any job postings stating,...

I Was... Wrong.

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As we get older, we acquire quite a robust library of life lessons. My life lessons tend to be accompanied by a vivid memory of when I first acquired ...

The "Stock Market"

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To Sell, or Not To Sell, That is the Question...   I met with a few friends this week. It was a bit of an advice gathering, a meeting of the min...

Sound the Alarm!

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recruit Paul Revere. We need to make sure everyone knows. What’s all the fuss about? Well, one particular asset class – a popular one at that –...

Prudent Debt

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trevor and Deiya dive deep into the value and dangers of debt Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

Practical Applications

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was the Summer of 2018 when Thoughts On Money was born. Brian Tong, Director of Strategy & Communications at The Bahnsen Group, was willing to...

Practical Hedges

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In finance, inflation is this "not-enough" villain that's always hiding in the shadows. We are good at figuring out how much stuff we can buy today; t...

Great Expectations

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Great Service There’s this old adage in customer service that says, “under-promise and over-deliver.” Why? Because so much of happiness, or con...

Getting Sandwiched

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Thoughts On Money, I bring you another podcast interview with one of my colleagues at The Bahnsen Group, Kimberlee Davis. Kimberlee is a Man...

Fast Times

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the month of October, my church is reading through Proverbs together. Conveniently, October has 31 days, and the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters...

A Fly On The Wall

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a bit different than normal. Normally, I write an article and then gather a few of my colleagues to discuss the article over a podcast we pro...

Home Sweet Home

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here in Thoughts On Money [TOM], we prefer to discuss relevant topics that are financial planning-centric, timely, and surrounded with misconceptions....

What's the Alternative?

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trevor is joined by TBG colleagues Deiya Pernas, Sean Latimer, and Kenny Molina Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://th...

Apples and Oranges

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trevor is joined today with Sean Latimer, Nate Straw, and Drew Dill Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengrou...

Care to Be Aware

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

That first article – Be Aware or Beware – was inspired by a question I was asked while sitting on an interview panel during a Sunday morning churc...

An Appetite for Risk

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A portfolio should be designed and constructed based on your financial plan. This design should be strategic in nature and be built to weather or end...

What's Next?

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What do Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson have in common? They are founders and entrepreneurs; they are billionaires, and they are all compet...

Life's Obstacles

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Often financial planning will lead you to a fork in the road.  You will start by laying out multiple options for different financial objectives.  Th...

All Time Lies

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our intuition leads us to believe that markets are subject to the rules of gravity – what goes up must come down. But, in reality, markets are the s...

Benchmarking

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In April of 1985, the world was introduced to New Coke. A corporate faux pas that would go down in history as one of the greatest marketing flops of ...

The Sirens of Finance

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trevor Cummings, the author and podcast host of Thoughts on Money, tackles the key topics investors care about the most. Links mentioned in this episo...

Sky Diving and Safaris

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Risk Tolerance is one of the most obscure topics in finance. It’s extremely personal and difficult to measure. Our industry invests a lot of time, ...

Time is On Your Side

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trevor is joined by Sean Latimer, Drew Dill, and Nathan Straw Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

Reflections

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

2020 offered two key moments that are worthy of reflection. Though 2020 feels like ages ago, right? Many of us are probably not inclined to reflect on...