Financial Commute

Before You Invest in Muni Bonds, Know This

Municipal bond yields are at their highest levels in 20 to 25 years, and the phrase “tax-free income” is getting a lot of attention from investors looking for safety and

How Inflation Is Impacting Your Life and Investments

Grocery bills are roughly 25 percent higher than they were a few years ago, and they are not coming back down. That is not a prediction. It is how inflation works. The sp

When Is Real Estate No Longer a Good Investment?

For most of the past four decades, buying real estate in California was as close to a guaranteed win as investing gets. Prices rose. Interest rates fell. Demographics sup

Lifestyle Creep vs. Lifestyle Design: How to Be Intentional With Your Spending

Lifestyle creep is not a dramatic financial event. It is a food delivery subscription you barely use, a rent upgrade that felt reasonable at the time, a closet full of th

What Alternative Investments Are (And Why They're Simpler Than You Think)

Seven years ago, roughly $7 trillion was invested in alternative assets globally. Today that number is $18 trillion. By 2030, Fidelity projects it will exceed $30 trillio

Beyond the Midterms: What Investors Should Be Watching

Every election cycle, clients ask the same question: should I be doing something different with my portfolio right now? The short answer, according to the data, is probab

How to Take Money Out of Retirement Accounts Without a Big Tax Hit

You saved into your 401 (k) for decades, reduced your taxes every year you could, and watched the balance grow. But the IRS doesn’t retire when you do.  Every dollar you

Build for Resilience, Not Prediction: The Healthy Skeptic Investment Approach

Stocks are at all-time highs. Consumer sentiment just hit its lowest point since the Vietnam War. AI is going to transform everything. AI is going to eliminate your job.

The Investor Symposium Is Back: Here’s Why You Should Be There

On October 29th, we are hosting our fifth annual Investor Symposium, and this year’s theme is “Designed for Life.” It is a phrase that captures what financial planning i

The Power of Pro Bono Financial Planning

The Most Common Money "What-Ifs" Answered: Job Loss, Inflation, & Running Out of Cash

What if I lose my job? What if inflation stays high? What if I run out of money? What if I get a raise and do not know what to do with it? These are the questions people

Money Guilt: How to Move Past It

If you have ever felt embarrassed about how much you have saved, avoided opening a credit card statement, or justified a purchase to your financial advisor before they ev

The Difference Between a Financial Advisor and Doing it Yourself

Questioning whether you really need a financial advisor is fair, especially right now. Index funds are easy to access, fees are low, and the last decade has rewarded the

Q2 2026 Market Update

U.S. stocks were down almost 5% in the first quarter. Then up 15% in the second. On paper, the first half of 2026 looks fine. But underneath those numbers, there is a con

Should You Own a Stock You Wouldn't Buy Today?

It is a simple question. And for most investors holding concentrated stock positions, the honest answer is no. On this week's Financial Commute, Chris Galeski and C

Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?

Most of the conversations clients have had about long-term care insurance are based on products that no longer exist. On this week's Financial Commute, Chris Galesk

The Fed Isn't Cutting Rates: What It Means for You

Everyone has been waiting for rates to come down. It has not happened. And on this week's Financial Commute, Chris Galeski and Chief Investment Officer Meghan Pinch

Are Institutional Investors Driving Up Home Prices?

If you have been watching housing prices and wondering whether the new executive order restricting institutional investors is the fix everyone is hoping for, you are not

What Financial Advisors Think About "5 Types of Wealth"

Most people come to a wealth manager for one reason: their finances. But what if focusing exclusively on financial wealth is actually making it harder to achieve? Nurturi

Is SpaceX a Good Investment?

SpaceX is going public and everyone is talking about it. Neighbors, friends, group chats... the excitement is real. But most of the conversation is missing the most impor