Brett F. Whysel 
We can see the effects of the Ukraine War on the financial markets in the charts below. These charts are updated daily. They help us get a sense of how investors see how the war is going, and its effects on the world economy, now and in the near future. Ruble vs. US Dollar source: tradingeconomics.com … Read more
We make thousands of decisions every day. Under pandemic conditions, many of these mundane decisions have suddenly become life or death choices. No wonder anxiety is rippling through society. Learn how slowing down and evaluating risk can help in uncertain times.
No toilet paper…anywhere? Really? It’s not unusual that people stock up in response to storms and political uncertainty. Indeed, some groups, “preppers”, accumulate years of supplies, anticipating a large-scale breakdown in society. Hoarding is a well-known psychological disorder, but that’s about collecting and retaining huge amounts of worthless items. However, empty supermarket shelves don’t necessarily mean … Read more
Ever since I changed careers to one with less income, I’ve been dying to talk to friends in similar situations about the financial aspect of their decision. How did they get comfortable that they had saved enough? How do they align their investing and spending with their values and reduced income? I likely waited too … Read more
How many things do we avoid because they could be boring? Meetings. Religious services. Chores. Waiting in line or on hold. Exercise. You can surely add your own. Intellectually, we know that each of these activities could be valuable, but we avoid them because the discomfort of boredom looms larger. What is boredom, really, how … Read more
Dear Kids, We are very proud of you for getting into college! You’ve done a great job applying for financial aid and saving your earnings from your summer job. Now, it’s the time to have The Talk. Don’t worry, not that talk! It’s about something much more terrifying: Money. We know that your savings and … Read more
A. Not us humans, that’s for sure.. Any objective view of the state of our economy, politics, technology and even our own day-to-day behavior provides loads of evidence that we are living for the moment. We don’t save enough for our retirement, our planet continues to warm and our economy gets more unequal because we … Read more
One of my best read (and Forbes.com Editor’s Choice) articles last year was about how the financial health crisis in this country is hurting our physical and mental health. When this happens, our financial health can be stressed even more, causing the circle to begin again with even worse effects. We can turn these vicious circles … Read more
Alpha is finance-geek speak for an investor’s skill that allows her to outperform an index, like the S&P 500, on a risk adjusted basis. At a recent behavioral finance conference, I sat on a panel that addressed the idea of behavioral alpha. Our moderator asked, “What is it and how do we get more of it?” I offered the observation that, … Read more
How can a few numbers, calculated on the back of the envelope, help a retired couple overcome their fear of running out of money? Like many retired people, money has been an ongoing source of anxiety for Sam (age 80) and Diane (age 70) (not their real names). Living on a limited nest egg, social … Read more