Flexibility In Your Financial Plan
Last fall, one of our fence gates collapsed. We had two gates, one on either side of the house, so we took it as a “sign” that one gate was enough, and we stored the dilapidated gate on the other side of the house. I should’ve known we wouldn’t get off that easy, because by the first […]
Troubles in Banking
Here in West Des Moines, at the corner of 19th and Vine is a four way stop. In the mornings it handles traffic heading north to Dowling Catholic High School and west to Valley High School, while east feeds into heavily trafficked Grand Avenue. It’s a busy place, but the only requirement it places upon […]
Investment Advisers – They’re Just Like You and Me
My husband and I have an investment account together that we use for long-term savings. For the most part, it consists of individual stocks of companies we invest in Iowa Wealth Management (IWM) models, the same companies that our clients are invested in. We believe in eating our own cooking! On the rare occasions, we […]
My Annual “No Prediction For the New Year” Letter – 2023 Edition
So, one year is set aside for the history books while a new year begins. Like lemmings to the sea, Wall Street firms are once again publishing, distributing and rushing towards every cable TV camera that will have them to prognosticate where financial markets are heading. Want to know how well they predicted last year? […]
If this feels so bad, why do we keep doing it?
These have been difficult days. That was a bad quarter, and it’s been a bad year. This is what these things look like, or more importantly, this is what these things feel like. While the causes for market declines, bear markets and even recessions vary and each one is unique, how they feel is always […]
Hockey Fight
Growing up, I played some hockey. Most kids in our neighborhood played pond hockey (probably the best kind of hockey), with those wearing galoshes relegated to playing goalie. Some of us went on the play house league and eventually high school hockey. My brothers were all very good, and I was… well, I made the […]
The Limits of Preparing for Evil
A long time ago, when I was a broker trainee at Securities Corporation of Iowa, I would end my week by taking a ten-mile run on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail with a portfolio management intern. We were the two youngest members of the firm: I, a recent graduate of the University of Iowa and […]
Tax Filing: Are You Ready?
If you’re like most taxpayers, there’s probably a file or folder in your home that will soon fill up with tax forms and receipts. While it may be tempting to put off the day of reckoning, April 15th will be here before we know it! The sooner you start organizing your return, the less stress you’re likely to […]
My “No Prediction For Next Year” Letter: 2022 Edition
Was it just me, or did 2021 go by fast? Now that it’s January, about all the investment industry firms are posting their predictions for financial markets in 2022. Not at Iowa Wealth Management, though. We don’t make predictions on the direction of financial markets, the economy or what numbers to play in the lotto. […]
Christmas at Costco
It was the Saturday before Christmas, just before store opening when I pulled my SUV into the Costco parking lot, selected a parking place that would offer minimal chances of door dings, took one last swig of Starbucks® and headed into the store’s vestibule. It was ten minutes before opening, and while most waited in […]