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I am now learning (as many of you have already learned) that raising pre-teens and teenagers can be about as unpredictable as it gets.   Kellie and I officially have 2 middle schoolers in our house.  While raising kids is a tremendous blessing, you never know what’s coming next. Speaking of things being unpredictable, major investment firms’ predictions were lousy in terms of where they predicted the S&P 500 to be at the end of 2022:  

You would not be human if you didn’t experience some degree of fear at the direction of current events from time to time. The great achievement, at times like this, is simply not to give in to the fear. In a very real sense, our whole job is helping you toward that achievement.Every bear market has its unique precipitating causes. This one’s seems to be inflation/interest rates. Neither I nor anyone else can predict when, where, or how this bear market will bottom out. We can on

I hope that you and your families enjoyed a great 4th of July as our family did. While our country certainly has problems and challenges that need to be addressed, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to live in this great country.  I came up with some things I love most about America.  What do you love most about America? 

“Among the four most dangerous words in investing are ‘It’s different this time’ “-Sir John Templeton The primary function of financial media seems to be terrifying us out of ever achieving our financial goals by shouting about the market’s volatility.  We’ve been reminded of this almost hourly as the S&P 500 approached “official bear market territory,” defined as closing 20% below its January all-time high. Every market de

Recently the yield curve inverted for the first time since August 2019 (which means that long-term interest rates have dropped below short-term rates).Why do we pay attention to this?Because this inversion suggests that investors believe the near-term economy and markets to be riskier than the long-term.This recent inversion in the yield curve and inflation soaring above 7% have left some investors wondering whether to adjust their investment strategy.  While it can be tempting to worry and

“The four most dangerous words in investing are: this time is different.”-Sir John Templeton The concerns and uncertainties are real, and the road ahead always has unforeseen bumps along the way. We join in praying for the people of Ukraine and their safety during these horrific events that are unfolding. It is my belief that the current Russia/Ukraine event has very little to do with democracy.  It has to do with energy, which is the lifeblood of the Russian economy.&

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in.  A pessimiststays up to make sure the old year leaves.” – William E. VaughanWhile there is plenty that we would all love to see left behind, we are excited about the new year and what lies ahead.  My family and our entire Nickels Wealth Management team wish you a wonderful 2022!  We started off the new year wearing shorts and sandals at my house with 80 degree temperatures.  The next day, my boys w

My son Reid has always loved watching Mississippi State Baseball.  He and I have watched countless games on the ESPN app going back to when he was 3 or 4.  Reid and I made the trip out early Wednesday morning to see game 3 of the College World Series Final.  What a memory with a kid that loves baseball! Chris Lemonis, head baseball coach of Mississippi State talked often about how resilient and tough this year’s team was.  While those attributes are common amongst

Scammers, fraudsters, and other criminals are taking advantage of rapidly changing data and facts associated with COVID-19, both in the workplace and in our homes. Government agencies, corporations, and news outlets continue to warn individuals to be mindful of increased fraudulent activities during these uncertain times. These scams, which can be sent via email, text message, and social media claim to provide COVID-19 updates, sell products, ask for charitable donations, or reference government

I receive a daily email from a well-known financial media outlet and was struck by recent contrasting headlines . . .

Lou Holtz once said, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” I’d like to tell you a story about a close family friend. Ryan Burt is a great kid that lives across the street and serves as my boys’ unofficial “big brother”.  My boys have grown up playing baseball, basketball, riding the golf cart, wresting, and catching frogs with their “Ryno”. After a great sophomore season on the mound and

From our family to yours, Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season celebrating Christmas and the New Year with family and friends.  The big excitement in our household Christmas morning was the addition of Molly!Two thousand eighteen was perhaps the strangest year I’ve experienced in my career as a financial advisor. Most importantly, it was one of the truly great years in the history of the American economy, and by far the best one since the global financial crisis o

The recent market changes may have some of you concerned about your portfolio. In a market decline, that’s where we work the hardest not on ways to keep the decline from happening rather keeping you from making key mistakes. The results of research done by Dalbar Inc., a company which studies investor behavior and analyzes investor market returns, consistently show that the average investor earns below-average returns.For the twenty years ending 12/31/2015, the S&P 500 I

I hope this letter finds you and your family well. As for our family, we have been busy at the ballfields which has been fun. Late nights, dirty uniforms, and lots of concession stands for supper! I’m helping coach Ross and Reid’s team and have been reminded of some simple truths that apply to coach pitch baseball and long-term investment success.

Knowing which financial and personal paperwork to keep or toss is very important. Here’s a suggested timeline for keeping/shredding documents. Documents which should be kept indefinitely – in a secure location: Birth/death...

As we approach the celebration of our independence as a nation, we want to take a moment and reflect on how truly blessed we are to live in this great nation in a time such as this.