Author: Michael Batnick of The Irrelevant Investor

Twenty Lessons Learned

This week's The Distillery is a great list of general investing lessons/observations from the author. I don't disagree with any of them, I only wish that we (the investor) had the ability to take them seriously when the noise is deafening and our emotions are strongest (tops and bottoms). This is why very few people can quite their day jobs and trade stocks for a living. Stay patient out there. Read More >

Who We Spend Time with as We Get Older

This week's The Distillery is an interesting visual of how we spend out time as we get older. While not directly related to money, it may help to promote thinking around your family vision statement, that drives your financial plan. Read More >

A Cautionary Note About Home Prices

This week's The Distillery addresses the shifting sentiment in residential real estate. It's been subtle over the last couple weeks, but now we're starting to see professional writers make cases against real estate for the first time since the mania began a few years ago. Either way, this serves as additional perspective for those who may be considering real estate as an investment or place to call home. Read More >

The Advocates Mail Bag

This week's The Distillery is a Mail Bag edition. Our Chief Investment Officer, Kurt Box, recently fielded a question surrounding recent bond returns and what action, if any, should be taken in the portfolio. You can read his reply by clicking the link below. Enjoy! Read More >

Energy Smuggling Good

I absolutely love contrarian views. They add to my perspective (whether right or wrong), and admittedly make me smile as the underlying viewpoint of a contrarian means that the other side (the crowd) must be wrong. This week's guest author provides his contrarian view on the energy and alternate energy industries. Enjoy! Read More >

Market Behavior and the Weather

This week's The Distillery is a nice and short video clip from Dimensional Fund Advisors reminding us that not everyday in the markets can be sunshine and rainbows. Enjoy! Read More >

Affordable Care?

This week's The Distillery is an interesting case study in pre-retiree health insurance chronicled by a couple who lived through the "affordable" care act evolution over the past 9 years. We all have heard and felt the effect of healthcare inflation over the years, but to see it detailed out like the authors have makes it feel even more surprising. Enjoy! Read More >

Ready to Retire

This week's The Distillery is a nice reminder for those closing in on Retirement to take some time to think about what a normal day in Retirement might look like. There's a lot of options, but as the author suggests, "it's something worth thinking about in advance." Read More >