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Why We So Often Fail to Keep Our New Year’s Resolutions, and Why We Should Cut Ourselves Some Slack – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
Amanda Mull’s father was a smoker for 20 years. When he became convinced that cigarettes were harmful, he simply quit smoking them. Later, when he decided he should take up running, he got up at 4:30 AM to get in five miles before work. And has continued this practice every day for more than 30…

No Bad Days? Taking a Wider Look at 2022 Market Performance – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
You’ve probably seen the window sticker on the back of someone’s SUV. It features the silhouette of two palm trees and beside it the words NO BAD DAYS. With no prior knowledge, you might guess that the saying means: There’s a tropical paradise somewhere where only good things happen. The sticker and the saying originated…

How to Pass Along Something More Valuable Than Money – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
Warren Buffett is credited with saying, “It’s good to learn from your mistakes. It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes.” When we’re young, it seems like we have an easier time with the first part of the quote. We begin cataloging situations where we say, “I’m never doing THAT again.” But we still think…

Should You Convert Your Traditional IRA Into a Roth? – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
When the Studebaker car company ceased production in 1966, it wasn’t just their business that failed. Auditors found that the company’s pension fund also had serious problems, leaving thousands of workers with reduced benefits or none at all.1 The Studebaker employees’ retirement was completely reliant on the success of a single company. Sadly, all their…

What’s in Store for 2023? – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
A long time ago, when Woody Allen was known for writing funny books, he described a character named Weinstein who lay in bed feeling depressed about his age. “Next year I will be fifty-one. Then fifty-two.” Allen adds, “Using this reasoning, he could figure out his age as much as five years in the future.”1…

Overspending and the True Meaning of Christmas – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
According to Gallup, this Christmas individual Americans intend to spend an average of $932 on gifts.1 That’s up nearly $100 over last year. Are people planning to spend more because they have more money in their pockets? Not exactly. Over the past year Americans have been relying more and more on credit to make ends…

How Much Money Do You Need to Ensure a Happy Retirement? – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
One of the most misunderstood logical fallacies is known as “begging the question.” The term is almost always used incorrectly, even by educated people, who assume it means “which raises the question.” According to Cornell Law School, “Begging the question is a logical fallacy in which an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion.”1…

Data Threat: Don’t Automatically Scan That QR Code – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
You’ve just been seated at a restaurant and while you’re waiting for your server, you see a little sticker on the tabletop that says, “Scan me for today’s lunch specials.” It would be great to save a few bucks. So you pull out your phone and point the camera at the little square. What could…

To Be Happier in Retirement, Start Preparing Yourself Now – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
Before the internet, booking travel accommodations could be risky. If you simply picked an out-of-town motel out of the yellow pages, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise—a cramped room, worn out furnishings, and a noisy street right out your window. This is why many people opted to stay only at accommodations that were…

National Day of Thanks: Prescription for a Divided Nation – Presented by Mark K. Lund, Financial Advisor in Utah
In late September of 1863, with the Civil War still raging, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the final Thursday in November would be a National Day of Thanks. He and his cabinet hoped that the day of solemn gratitude would help “heal the wounds of the nation.”1 But the decision to observe a national Thanksgiving holiday…
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