http://www.fireyourbroker.com/ en chris@campbellwealth.com Copyright 2011 2011-12-05T15:44:49+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/2012-financial-goals-have-you-set-yours/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/2012-financial-goals-have-you-set-yours/#When:15:44:49Z Have you thought of what you want to accomplish next year, put it in writing and are now figuring how you will achieve those goals? Probably not. As a matter of fact, most people set goals with absolutely no plan or even hope of how they will hit those goals. But the more specific you are 2011-12-05T15:44:49+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/thankful-on-thanksgiving/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/thankful-on-thanksgiving/#When:17:36:40Z Wow, how Thanksgiving has changed. Remember the old days when you would go to Grandma’s house on the Wednesday before Turkey Day with all of your cousins, aunts and uncles? You would wake up late Thursday morning to the smell of both bacon and turkey cooking at the same time. Then after 2011-11-28T17:36:40+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/refinance-now-and-payoff-your-home/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/refinance-now-and-payoff-your-home/#When:12:59:55Z If you are one of the lucky ones whose home value is not under water, it may be the time to refinance your mortgage. The old rule of thumb is, if you can save 1% or more on your rate, it makes sense to refinance. The reason; there are a number of expenses that will be owed when you refinance 2011-11-11T12:59:55+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-market-is-up-but-will-it-continue/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-market-is-up-but-will-it-continue/#When:14:19:31Z The market is up higher for the day, week, and month. The question is: will it keep going in that direction? I am not normally a naysayer but let’s look at the facts. The post 2009 high (DOW at 12,810) was reached five and a half months ago on April 29th, 2011. Last Friday it hit just above 2011-10-31T14:19:31+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/unemployment-the-cause-or-the-symptom/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/unemployment-the-cause-or-the-symptom/#When:16:54:36Z I have spoken to many experts and read numerous articles that say that unemployment is the reason our economy is stumbling. Do I agree? I am not sure. But before I give my reasoning, think about one thing. Trying to fix something starts with looking to the cause, not the symptoms. For 2011-10-17T16:54:36+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-market-is-down-again..so-what-now/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-market-is-down-again..so-what-now/#When:15:12:14Z I had a client come into my office last week who was very concerned with the overall market.  “The market is down over 400 points today,” she said.  She did not realize that the market was down 300 points the day before, totaling 700 negative points in two days. WOW, that’s scary. Or, is 2011-09-28T15:12:14+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/better-rates-than-the-bank-will-give/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/better-rates-than-the-bank-will-give/#When:19:08:28Z Throughout the last year, I have met a number of people with six and seven figures of cash in money market or bank savings accounts. That’s 1M dollars invested in an account earning less than one percent interest! Instead of letting that much money languish in low-interest accounts, there 2011-09-21T19:08:28+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/is-the-federal-government-a-business/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/is-the-federal-government-a-business/#When:18:00:15Z We have all watched in awe and/or in disgust over the last few years at how the federal government has run.  So this brings in the question of whether the government is a business. From a high level, it appears that it should be a business. It has revenues and expenses. It has accounting as 2011-09-14T18:00:15+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/jobs-jobs-jobs/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/jobs-jobs-jobs/#When:18:06:48Z Jobs will be a major discussion this week. As President Obama talks Thursday night with Congress about his ‘jobs plan,’ Americans will wait with bated breath. Why are jobs so important? We have been in this economic downturn for several years now, and our unemployment rate remains high at 2011-09-07T18:06:48+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/how-hurricane-irene-can-affect-your-finances/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/how-hurricane-irene-can-affect-your-finances/#When:17:38:35Z Any major weather event has its casualties. Loss of life is by far the most important and this latest hurricane definitely claimed several lives. But there is another side to what is lost when a hurricane strikes. Hurricane Irene turned out to be a much smaller event than originally forecasted. 2011-08-30T17:38:35+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/5-good-market-performers-over-the-last-month/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/5-good-market-performers-over-the-last-month/#When:16:10:14Z The past month has been quite turbulent for the markets. With the DOW experiencing 400-600 point swings per a day, it is no wonder investors are scared. But there were definitely a few investments that performed well over the last few weeks. Make no mistake though; this isn’t your father’s 2011-08-24T16:10:14+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/things-to-do-in-a-falling-market/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/things-to-do-in-a-falling-market/#When:14:29:42Z Wow, what a ride we have had over the last couple of weeks. While this is not the time to sell, it is a good time to rethink your plans. Here are a few things every investor should do to stay on the right track: •Do not panic. Making last minute, knee jerk, decisions is always a bad thing 2011-08-16T14:29:42+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/investing-is-like-exercising/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/investing-is-like-exercising/#When:15:49:41Z Setting up a good investment portfolio is like setting up a good exercise program.  A good exercise program is based on building a solid core within your body.  With a solid, strong, flexible core, you usually will not have back issues. As a matter of fact, most peoples’ backs, necks and even 2011-08-11T15:49:41+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/get-financially-organized/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/get-financially-organized/#When:15:51:37Z One of the main issues people have in planning their finances, investments and retirement is a lack of organization. Often I ask new and potential clients to bring in their statements and provide basic financial information about their mortgage, taxes estate documents, etc. The usual response 2011-08-01T15:51:37+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-debt-ceiling-crisis-what-doesnt-kill-us-makes-us-stronger/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/the-debt-ceiling-crisis-what-doesnt-kill-us-makes-us-stronger/#When:16:11:57Z And by U.S., I mean the United States. We have seen many issues with the government, including the political process and campaign finance with $500 hammers and $2,000 toilet seats. We all know there are issues with Social Security, government pensions, Medicare and Medicaid and many other 2011-07-25T16:11:57+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/in-retirement-do-people-plan-to-fail/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/in-retirement-do-people-plan-to-fail/#When:15:48:56Z This seems like an unlikely question with a simple answer. NO! People don’t plan to fail. But they often fail to plan. Over the last 20 years of working with clients and planning for their financial future, I have seen that most people don’t develop a plan for their retirement. It seems 2011-06-30T15:48:56+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/is-it-time-to-get-out-of-the-stock-market/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/is-it-time-to-get-out-of-the-stock-market/#When:16:26:22Z Last week was a rough week for the major market indices and possibly for your portfolio. Many investors lost between two and three percent of their investments. The question is, “What could you have done to eliminate or reduce that loss?” Everything we do at Campbell Wealth Management is 2011-06-08T16:26:22+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-reasons-you-may-consider-a-trust-versus-a-will/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-reasons-you-may-consider-a-trust-versus-a-will/#When:15:14:55Z Attorneys make millions of dollars each year drafting trusts for their clients. So there must be a reason that so many people want them. Here are three reasons you may consider a trust versus a will: •First, a trust is a living breathing document that can literally have a life of its own. 2011-05-24T15:14:55+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/hey-kids-stay-away-from-your-parents-money/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/hey-kids-stay-away-from-your-parents-money/#When:14:39:53Z I recently met with a new, potential client. The meeting began with me explaining how and why we are different from other wealth management firms followed by a number of questions that I generally ask clients to gather a better understanding of their current financial situation and goals. 2011-05-16T14:39:53+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-you-need-an-evacuation-strategy-investing-tips-from-a-recent-fishing-tr/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-you-need-an-evacuation-strategy-investing-tips-from-a-recent-fishing-tr/#When:19:36:18Z I was recently on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street”, talking about the overall market technicals. When asked about the current situation, I said, “All of the major market indices are positive and either at or above their 55-day moving average, and all are significantly above their 200 day 2011-04-28T19:36:18+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/spring-clean-your-investment-portfolio/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/spring-clean-your-investment-portfolio/#When:14:50:54Z Spring is finally rolling in. The flowers are starting to bloom and you can see buds on the trees. I remember as a kid, my mother would always do ‘spring cleaning’ around the house.  She would take a weekend and clean all the windows, pull out the outdoor furniture and change all the winter 2011-04-13T14:50:54+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/disaster-can-lead-to-opportunity/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/disaster-can-lead-to-opportunity/#When:14:24:01Z So we have all seen and felt the tragedy from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami and the potential nuclear meltdown. This has truly been a tragedy of the world’s 10th largest population. It has been a tragedy to their people, their economy and even to the global economy. Large natural 2011-03-29T14:24:01+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/predicting-the-market-is-like-predicting-the-weather/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/predicting-the-market-is-like-predicting-the-weather/#When:21:55:19Z This week, I have been on a family vacation to a ski resort. While having lunch on the mountain, I met one of the main weathermen from the New York City area. It is funny that our conversation revolved around how difficult it really is to make predictions in either of our businesses. Think 2011-03-23T21:55:19+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-reasons-why-cds-stink/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-reasons-why-cds-stink/#When:18:02:29Z CDs, correctly known as certificates of deposit, are often referred to as certificates of depreciation. Why? They are one of the worst investments you can buy today. But many people still use them. Today, I want to give you my three reasons to avoid them. But remember, this information is time 2011-03-14T18:02:29+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-are-the-markets-so-correlated/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-are-the-markets-so-correlated/#When:16:39:24Z “What does correlation mean?” Correlation is the way two or more investments move with respect to one another. If two stocks move perfectly together, in “lock step,” they are said to have a positive correlation or a correlation of +1. If two stocks move in exactly the opposite 2011-03-01T16:39:24+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-benefits-of-using-a-brokerage-account/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-benefits-of-using-a-brokerage-account/#When:18:37:18Z I have spoken to many people that have been investing literally for decades. They often have been investing directly into a mutual fund company’s portfolio because they always did it. This approach is not always efficient.  There is a much better approach and that is by using a brokerage 2011-02-22T18:37:18+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-exchange-traded-funds-etfs-are-so-popular/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/why-exchange-traded-funds-etfs-are-so-popular/#When:19:12:30Z The introduction and the rising popularity of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) over the last decade have made them a “product of choice” for many investors. The primary reason is because of their taxation efficiencies and the type of diversification they offer. Let me explain by comparing ETFs 2011-02-17T19:12:30+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-ways-to-make-retirement-planning-pay-off/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-ways-to-make-retirement-planning-pay-off/#When:15:03:48Z People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan. With all the reasons that can get in our way, the truth of the matter is that your planning will pay off. This is always true for the long term but often it can even help for the short term. So why should you put a retirement plan together? 2011-02-07T15:03:48+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-ways-to-make-1000000-in-retirement/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/3-ways-to-make-1000000-in-retirement/#When:17:08:08Z The age old joke of how to make $1M in retirement is to start with $2M because no one wants to lose money in their investments. Well, let’s be a little more positive now. There is one question to begin with before you think about how to get to $1M. Is $1M enough? Based on the rules of thumb 2011-01-24T17:08:08+00:00 http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/4-ways-to-make-2011-the-beginning-of-your-retirement-planning/ http://www.fireyourbroker.com/blog/4-ways-to-make-2011-the-beginning-of-your-retirement-planning/#When:14:42:54Z Okay, it is a new year and you may have put some new plans together. You may have talked about investing more or you may have even written some goals on a piece of paper. Well, this may not be enough. Too many people put their New Year’s resolutions on paper but really do not set a true plan 2011-01-18T14:42:54+00:00