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Steps on the journey to Imagine, Believe, & Achieve

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Happy Memorial Day! Our office will be closed Monday May 30 in honor of Memorial Day.Recently, I have watched a few episodes of ‘Finding Your Roots’.  This show takes celebrities through various stories from their...

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Nations Giant Hamburger:  hamburger $7.45 cheeseburger $9.10 Carl’s JR: hamburger/cheeseburger $6.39 Gotts Roadside: hamburger $8.99 cheeseburger $9.99 Downtown Joe’s: hamburger/cheeseburger $15...

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Are you getting a tax refund? Hopefully, you planned your taxes so there are no surprises, but just in case….Let me be the killjoy against a wild weekend in Vegas. Pay-off high interest DebtBalance x Interest rate will tell...

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

There is actually sunshine outside!  (I don’t want to say it too loudly and scare the blue skies away.)  Other than rain and snow, what did March bring?  The Dow Jones Industrial Average started the month at 32,661...

Monday, March 6, 2023

What Happened in February?Dow Jones          S&P...

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Friday, January 13, 2023

         The rains have been coming down. Hallelujah!  One topic of conversation around the office is; are we capturing as much as possible or is it just flowing out to the Ocean.  This phenomenon got...

Friday, October 7, 2022

What’s a person to do?Inflation of every variety (wage, real estate core, non-core, etc.) are all up. If you’re trying to buy a house you are NOT happy. If you’re selling you’re thrilled. If you’re in the...

Friday, August 5, 2022

30 WeeksIt has been 31 years since Nani and I moved to Napa and we still live in the same house. We decided it was time for a minor face lift, so we decided to order a new front door. Mr. Home Depot comes out with tape measure and a...

Monday, July 4, 2022

Happy 4th of July!  Independence Day. I enjoy fireworks, hot dogs, family gatherings and even tormenting my children with a quiz about the Declaration of Independence. However, what really inspires me is the nature of...

Friday, February 11, 2022

Friday, December 31, 2021

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Three Day weekend coming up (we are closed Monday July 5)! What shall we celebrate? Independence Day – July 4 – even without fireworks a great day to celebrate. I have memories of the war in Vietnam. Luckily, just too young...

Monday, February 1, 2021

I don’t want to join the 401k because the market is too (high, volatile, unpredictable). I get it. I deal with it every day but let’s discuss the difference between saving and investing. At some point in your life, you will...

Friday, November 6, 2020

On July 17, 1955 Walt Disney spoke these words at the opening of Disneyland. ‘Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is...

Saturday, August 1, 2020

With all the discussion about what a recovery looks like; a V (quick down then quick up), a U (quick down and stays down for a while) or a square root sign (down, up and flat), I put a few observations on paper. The S&P 500 on January...

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Happy 4th of July! One of my favorite Dad tortures was to make the children read the Declaration of Independence. It really is quite the document and having done some writing, I can’t imagine how they got it done ‘by...

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Our Services Knowing that your investment objectives can change over time, we take a customized approach to investing. Although it’s right on time, the restrictions, and regulations lend some uncertainty to this...

Sunday, April 12, 2020

The S&P 500 as of the close on April 8, 2020, is down 14.88% YTD, however, April has shown around a 9% increase. Zoom Video Communications (ZM) is up 73% YTD. We use the technology for client meetings, team chats, and family...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

We are getting some calls asking; “What should we do?” Stay healthy and safe. I know it sounds trite, but your health is priority #1 Call us if you have questions, that is what we’re here for: Crystal is home with her...

Friday, March 6, 2020

Here is an interesting chart that came out today regarding the recovery timelines for past viral outbreaks. As always, if you have any questions about the current market, we are here to answer your questions.

Friday, February 28, 2020

CORONA VIRUS The sneeze heard around the world! As of this writing, we are back to October 2019 levels in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500. What is so disruptive about a virus? They don’t understand it. It was thought...

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Coronavirus & the market: The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent on Monday (1/27/20), its sharpest decline in nearly four months: The C.D.C. urged U.S. travelers to avoid all nonessential trips to China. The Shanghai government stopped business...

Friday, December 13, 2019

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy New Year! It is all going by too fast and it has been a wonderful and busy year. Beginning Monday Dec. 16, Connie returns though part time. Her focus will be building our...

Friday, October 4, 2019

Welcome to Fall! Today is a beautiful day, chilly morning and breezy evenings, leaves beginning to change colors and grapes being harvested. However, we may see some 90’s this weekend, after all, this is California. Local News...

Thursday, August 8, 2019

August. When I was growing up, August was vacation time. School did not start until well after Labor Day and now it seems like back to school sales start before graduation ends. Of course, Christmas break was only two weeks and it was...

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Happy 4th of July! Independence Day. Let Freedom Ring. We will celebrate our freedom from tyranny with BBQs, picnics, parades and fireworks, and perhaps for a brief moment give thanks for those who fought for our independence. There...

Thursday, June 6, 2019

June – graduations, weddings and the start of summer! Finally, we are getting warm weather in Napa. I always liked the term ‘commencement’ for graduations, and I believe the term applies to weddings also. A new...

Thursday, May 9, 2019

May! An exclamation point is just right as the sun is shining, grass is green, flowers are blooming, and we can begin planting for Harvest. May Day is a favorite of Nani’s. When the children were young, it meant dragging out a...

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

2018 Tax Reform is anything but transparent, and by that I mean lots of folks are getting caught unawares. There are so many components that go into the tax calculation that most tax advisors are cautious to predict the outcome....

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Patience. Where do you stand on that virtue? When the sun pokes through the clouds and the rain stops, I begin to think about preparing to plant. We start by thinking about what we want to eat this summer; we love fresh tomato...

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Happy Valentine’s Day! I remember in elementary school picking out the right Valentines (Batman or Superman, I don’t think there was an Aquaman), thinking about who would get one and wishing about whom I might receive one...

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general slowdown in economic activity. Macroeconomic indicators such as GDP, investment spending, capacity utilization, household income, business profits, and...

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

December. What is the right balance between living in the past – memories and tradition – and creating the future? I remember Christmas at my grandparents, and as they got older, the duty passed to my Mom and Dad. I...

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

I spent last weekend in Colorado. My son, Chase lives there and just bought a house with his girlfriend. As we spent time together looking at the house, hearing plans and meeting their friends, I learned about commitment. 1. It is a...

Monday, October 1, 2018

Trick or Treat! Halloween is on the way and the event has changed slightly since my youth. Sure, everyone still talks about costumes, though the variety has increased. We maybe had two super heroes, and now there are dozens. I...

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Labor Day weekend is often the signal to the end of summer, though here in the Napa Valley it seems like fall arrived a few weeks ago. I suspect we will get some more hot days, so don’t put the barbeques away just yet. September...

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Nani and I celebrated 36 years of marriage on Tuesday. Four of our children have completed college, and one is in the Army. Last weekend, Christina brought up the three grandchildren and somehow the topic turned to ‘back to...

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

#1) Happy 4th of July/ Independence Day! #2) We want to talk about ACTIVE versus PASSIVE investment management. #3) If anyone recognizes other correlations between #1 and #2, please share with us! #4) I am thankful we have the freedom...

Monday, June 11, 2018

Yesterday was High School Graduation Day here in Napa, so summer break is on. However, it seems like graduation has been going on for weeks: Kindergarten through College. I had no idea they made cap and gowns that small! I remember...

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

It will never happen to me! My job doesn’t take any physical effort; I don’t need protection. Answer this: What would happen if you couldn’t work for a month or three months and there was no income? I suppose you are...

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Would you rather pay tax on the seed or on the harvest? So goes the explanation of saving pre-tax or post-tax. When you put money into a 401k or IRA, you are not taxed on the contribution (the seed), the money grows tax deferred (no...

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Head fake: noun (In sports) An act of moving the head in such a way as to deceive an opponent as to one's intended direction or move. Hannah told me it was time to write the March Blog and the topic we had planned was SPRING. The...

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

According to the OFFICIAL Harvest Financial Marketing plan for 2018, I am supposed to talk about Insuring Your Love. This involves protecting those who you love against life’s difficulties. You watch newlywed couples start off on...

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Happy 2018! Each and every day we are greeted with news. Whether that great algorithm has arranged what you are going to read on the internet or you have selected a specific channel / news outlet to follow, the world changes around us,...

Monday, December 18, 2017

Many people who inherit wealth or small businesses are at significant risk for essentially squandering the wealth. An Ohio University study shows that an astonishing 33 percent1of all beneficiaries lose their entire inheritance within...

Thursday, December 7, 2017

According to the song, there are 12 Days of Christmas. Many Christian faiths celebrate 4 weeks of Advent. There are 8 Days in Hanukkah, 7 nights in Kwanzaa and our Muslim friends celebrate Ramadan over 30 days. These are days to stop,...

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

It’s November – it’s colder, darker, and Thanksgiving is almost here. Two things come to mind: gratitude and planning. Gratitude is pretty obvious. The Napa Valley is a gorgeous place to live, filled with generous...

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Normally, I might be writing about Halloween spookiness, but I think the Valley has been through enough SCARES. As I write, smoke fills the air and people are wearing masks to protect their lungs. Friends lost their homes, some clients...

Friday, September 1, 2017

As I write this, we are coming up on Labor Day weekend – my idea of the traditional end of summer. However, greater minds than mine have rolled back the starting blocks and school has been in session for two weeks, so my college...

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

When I was a kid, back with chalk and blackboards, school started AFTER Labor Day. August was still vacation, but alas, here we are with school starting soon. I am writing this in mid-July and seeing plenty of back to school sales....

Thursday, July 6, 2017

No advisor worth their salt would go it alone. We can’t know everything, so we rely on and develop relationships with other advisors to complete the picture. Anthony is one such relationship. As an estate planning attorney, he...

Monday, June 12, 2017

Dads come in all shapes and sizes, and I have yet to see a Father’s Day greeting that doesn’t say, ‘My Dad is the BEST!’ I have been a son, a father and now a grandfather. I asked my children what they thought...

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

April showers bring May Flowers and weddings, graduations, Memorial Day, summer vacation, AND Disability Insurance Awareness Month. Nani and I just returned from Utah and watching Taylor graduate with a degree in Biology. He will spend...

Monday, April 3, 2017

Spring is bursting out all over! Spring is here and with it; color, blossoms and pollen. The sunshine feels great! Spring also means getting to work as weeds pop-up and vegetable gardens are ready to plant. It may also demand...

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Basketball lovers look forward to the tournament and college hoops. Someone in our office, who shall remain nameless, has chosen Villanova, even though Duke is her team. We’ll see. The weather man has his share of March Madness,...

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

I do it without thinking. Get in the car, key in the ignition, turn and put it in drive. I didn’t check the gas, oil, carburetor, tire pressure, etc. Some of those things I can do; others, not a clue. So I leave it to the pros....

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Last Sunday, Nani and I went down to the Napa River by the Oxbow Public Market to see the effects of the rain. For over 15 years, the City of Napa has worked with the Corps of Engineers to create a plan to avoid flooding in downtown...

Thursday, September 8, 2016

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM)! Does that mean you have to go out a buy some insurance…is it on sale? No, but take 5 minutes to check out these 5 points. Can you find the policies? Life insurance, disability...

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Yesterday morning, I glanced at CNBC and there were two headlines; Dow 20,000 could be coming soon Sell, Sell, Sell as monetary policy is a dead duck Where do we go with that? Is it going to rocket up or drop like re-entry? One answer...

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Three days until we leave for Tahoe. Chase from Colorado and Taylor from Utah, arrived last night. Packing is the activity around the house AND planning. The grand kiddos are coming up so we have a age grouping of a 1 year old to...

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Memorial Day weekend is celebrated in LOTS of ways. Hopefully, you take some time to reflect on the service given by so many men and women to protect our freedom. It is said that those societies who don't learn from the past, are...