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Why We Tend to Trick Ourselves into Making Bad Trades – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Utah Financial Advisor

Why We Tend to Trick Ourselves into Making Bad Trades – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Utah Financial Advisor

Hans Christian Andersen recorded a folktale about a poor farmer who takes his horse to market to sell or exchange for something that will be more practical for his farm. But on the way to his destination, the Old Man (as he’s known in the story) makes a series of ill-advised trades. In each case…

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Using Economic Data to Predict the Market? It’s a Waste of Time – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

Using Economic Data to Predict the Market? It’s a Waste of Time – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

More than 40 years ago, if you had made a list of the most influential investors in America, Peter Lynch would have been near the top. From 1977 to 1990 he ran Fidelity’s Magellan Fund, and during this span compounded capital at a rate of more than 29%.1 He achieved this feat by managing to choose stocks…

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Forecasts: Reasonable, Methodical, and Wrong – Presented by Mark K. Lund

Forecasts: Reasonable, Methodical, and Wrong – Presented by Mark K. Lund

Late in 2022 the strategy team at Goldman Sachs Research released their forecast for the U.S. stock market in 2023.1 Based on what had happened the year before and on where the economy appeared to be headed, it seemed to be perfectly reasonable. “Zero earnings growth will drive zero appreciation in the stock market,” wrote…

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Why You Shouldn’t Count on a Big Inheritance to Bail out Your Retirement Savings – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

Why You Shouldn’t Count on a Big Inheritance to Bail out Your Retirement Savings – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

One of the staples of classic novels is the unexpected inheritance. If Charles Dickens or Jane Austen or Louisa May Alcott needed a happy ending, they would have their protagonist come into an unanticipated fortune.1 Not surprisingly, it’s a popular idea outside of fiction. And for several decades the media has been telling us that a…

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New Bitcoin ETFs Recently Hit the Market — Are They Worth Buying? – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

New Bitcoin ETFs Recently Hit the Market — Are They Worth Buying? – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

The new Bitcoin ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) now make it possible to get exposure to the cryptocurrency by proxy through funds that are traded like stocks on various US Stock Exchanges. Previously, if you wanted to buy and sell Bitcoin, you had to do it through one of the cryptocurrency exchanges. But just because Bitcoin…

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How Your Personality Can Affect Your Investment Performance – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

How Your Personality Can Affect Your Investment Performance – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

There are some people who would love it if you threw a surprise birthday party for them. They’d enjoy every aspect of it, from the sudden yell of “Surprise!” to being the center of attention to eating cake with a large group of friends. On the other hand, there are people who think that a…

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An Economy of Words – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

An Economy of Words – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

On May 16, 2007, economist Thomas Sargent accomplished something remarkable in the history of graduation speeches. He gave an address that, rather than flattering the graduates as is so typical, gave them sound advice. And it was so brief, the entire speech could be printed on a single sheet of paper.1 Sargent’s commencement speech was delivered to…

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How to Make the Most of the New Year – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

How to Make the Most of the New Year – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

We can thank Julius Caesar for starting the new year on January 1st. In 46 B.C. he instituted a new calendar that would more accurately sync with the annual cycle of the sun. This Julian calendar was used throughout the western world for more than 1600 years, until Pope Gregory XIII replaced it with the…

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Don’t Let Emotion Drive Last Minute Holiday Overspending – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

Don’t Let Emotion Drive Last Minute Holiday Overspending – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

The holidays, especially Christmas, are supposed to be a time of joy and goodwill. But when you’re feeling the pressure to give a “significant” gift, not only are you the opposite of joyful, but that compulsion and the looming deadline can cause you to overspend. It’s one of the areas where emotions and financial behavior…

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Don’t Be Fooled by These 4 Big Retirement Myths – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

Don’t Be Fooled by These 4 Big Retirement Myths – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah

At age 52, George Jerjian thought he was immortal. He was at the height of his career in marketing, having won an Emmy as a producer. Then his doctor gave him the bad news. He had terminal cancer with perhaps six months to live. Jerjian quit work immediately, an unplanned early retirement. But he survived his diagnosis.…

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