In his 1973 book A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Princeton economics professor Burton Malkiel performed an experiment wherein he modeled the performance of a hypothetical stock by charting the results of a random coin flip. If the stock landed on heads, he would...
Thriving Family Principle: Evidence Not Opinion
Culture + Value = Mission
Culture is key. Great businesses, sports teams, colleges, and civilizations are built around strong cultures. Culture is ingrained in all of us at some level. But, what seems lost is the role culture plays in our homes.
2020 Year-End Commentary
Financial markets proved as resilient as ever in 2020, surviving a global pandemic, worldwide economic shutdowns, and a volatile US presidential election to produce improbably high returns across the board.
A New Year, A New Market
Revealing the #1 Seductive Lie about Money
Stewarding Your Wealth
Beyond Investments
Your wealth goes beyond investments, it involves your family, your strategy and your legacy.
Greater wealth brings greater complexity. So how do you ensure you are intentionally stewarding your wealth? Here are some questions you should be...
Thriving Family Principle: Estate planning and Disinheriting the IRS
November 2020 Stock Market Commentary
Equity markets surged in November as investors turned their focus from a contentious election to optimism around the emerging COVID vaccines. The S&P 500 index advanced +11% in November and is up +14% heading into the last month of 2020. The +12% gain for the Dow...
Thriving Family Principle: Shape Lives by Delivering Blessings
How do I bless thee? Let me count the ways.
As a wealth management company, we often discuss how to pass on financial blessings. Questions like, “How do I not ruin my kids with my wealth?” and “How much is too much?” lead to rich and meaningful discussions on legacy...
Be Inspired By Giving
Can you recall a time when you received an unexpected gift? Maybe you were in need at the time, or possibly it was something totally unexpected? Thinking back on situations like these, what is it that you remember? Was it the gift or the feelings and emotions you...
October 2020 Stock Market Commentary
As election “day” turns into election “week”, we still await official results of the Presidential race and several key Senate seats. At the time of this writing, it appears that Joe Biden will be our next President, with Republicans retaining control of the Senate....
Presidential Elections: What impact do they have on your portfolio?
We’ve traveled the gauntlet in a very short time during 2019 and 2020. We’ve gone from trade wars, to interest rate volatility, to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are now rolling into a chaotic election. Without the right focus investors could find themselves making ...
Tax Break for Charitable Donations in CARES Act
Thanks to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law in March, donors may give up to 100% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) this year. Below are some of the key provisions from the CARES Act that may impact your charitable...
If You Want Championships, Focus on the Basics.
Today I want to show you that financial planning isn’t complex and it’s actually a simple process.
What makes it simple? Learning the 4 pillars of financial planning.
3rd Quarter Stock Market Commentary
While September produced the first monthly losses for equity indexes since March’s COVID-induced selloff, the third quarter was largely profitable for stocks. The S&P 500 index, which tracks the performance of the 500 largest US stocks, gained +8.9% in the third...
Navigate to New Heights by Launching Into Action
Seasons of transition come with their own unique challenges. Not the least of which is change. And when it comes to a change in career – whether a new job or retirement – the most common actions are to panic or charge towards the next challenge with laser focus.
Slow Down to Navigate Transition Periods with Confidence and Control
Our world moves at a frenetic pace. Even with all of the changes and restrictions brought on by COVID, life is still packed with duties, decisions, transactions, and transitions. We complete one item, only to immediately address the next thing up. How do we isolate...
Assess the Situation to Gain Perspective When Navigating Transitions
Identify the Required Resources for Navigating Transitions
In our series on transitions, we’ve been using the acrostic “SAIL” to define our process to help clients smoothly get through these periods. Below, we will address what the “I” in “SAIL”. The “I” stands for “Identify”, and is one of the more crucial components of...
Navigate Life's Transitions Succesfully and with Confidence
When you think about transition, what comes to mind? A big move? An addition to the family? A change in career? All of these fit the bill, but they are primarily the result. What about the process that leads up to the change and transition?
You Can Pay For It, But Can You Afford It?
“We were always focused on our profit and loss statement. But cash flow was not a regularly discussed topic. It was as if we were driving along, watching only the speedometer, when in fact we were running out of gas.” – Michael Dell
Some people say cash is king...
Do you have time to understand what your use of money is telling you?
We are all given a core set of resources: time, talent, treasure, truth, relationships, etc.
How you view, use and deploy each of these has far-reaching effects on the outcomes you find yourself in. Most importantly, how you use your available resources is the...
The 5 Uses of Money and Purposeful Income Allocation
Does budgeting really work? Or, should you throw it out the window?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could throw your budget out the window for good? Would that free you from the stress of thinking you had to account for every dollar and every penny if you want to be...
August 2020 Stock Market Commentary
Equities logged their fifth consecutive monthly gain in August, with blue-chip US stocks continuing to lead global markets higher. The S&P 500 index, which tracks the performance of the 500 largest domestic stocks, advanced +7% on the month for a year-to-date (YTD)...
On the Radio: an Interview with Jeff Thomas
🔊Listen In: Jeff Thomas shares his journey, why he founded Archetype Wealth Partners, and how Archetype serves high-capacity families uniquely: Helping families thrive across generations by connecting their money with their purpose.
Spiritual Capital: How Big is Your Capital Investment?
Spiritual capital describes the spiritual legacy we leave our children as it relates to Christian faith and values.
Money: It’s a medium of exchange or a tool. Nothing more, nothing less
To most of us, we think money is a means to an end. “If I just had $X amount” seems to be a common theme.
What we’ve found at Archetype is money doesn’t always solve problems, and in many cases it can create new ones. Like the lottery problem: You win... you get a...
Character Capital: What Traits Do You Want to Hand Down?
While the word “inheritance” makes tangible assets (like money and real estate) come to mind, it is often the intangible assets that surface first when impacting the next generation.
Trust, honor, commitment, and integrity are some of the many traits that define...
Relational Capital: The Importance of Relationships in Life & Success
We are at our best when we are in healthy relationship with one another. Practically speaking, our network of relationships impacts our lives in a myriad of ways: Finding the right doctor, getting that new job, landing a key referral, meeting a significant other –...
Thriving Family Principle: Have a Written Plan
We recently met with a business owner who had spent the majority of his life building a successful chemicals company. Though he enjoyed his work, the inevitability of age had forced the conversation of succession. He had thought through and explored several options...
Intellectual Capital: Wisdom & Lessons Learned Are What Drives Wealth
Financial Capital: A Resource That Fuels More Than Your Investments.
Almost every decision we make in life has a capital component to it. In other words, there is an exchange or investment of value involved. As we’ve outlined before, the Five Capitals that make up a “Full Inheritance” are:
How the Presidential Race may Impact Equity Markets
As election season starts to heat up, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about how the outcome of the presidential race will impact equity markets. First, we would point out that the research indicates “no persuasive relationship exists between the political party in...
Does Money Have a Hold on You?
Money is powerful. Many blindly allow it to rule over our lives. Although it is not the source of life, it has the potential to ruin our lives. The irony of money is that we believe: If we had more of the very thing that has power over us, then we will somehow take...
5 Capitals: True Value of An Inheritance
When you think about the word “inheritance”, what comes to mind? If you are like most, then money and property immediately surface. We think about what we can pass down to the next generation, but is that really all there is to it?
July 2020 Market Commentary
Equity markets continued their recovery from the COVID-induced losses of the first quarter, with US stocks climbing back into positive territory for the year. The S&P 500 index, which tracks the performance of the 500 largest domestic stocks, gained +5.6% in the...
Thriving Family Principle: Invest in a Full Inheritance
When you think about the word “inheritance”, what comes to mind? If you are like most, then money and property immediately surface. We think about what we can pass down to the next generation, but is that really all there is to it?
Thriving Family Principle: Simplicity Wins - Business Strategy
In 2019, Hobby Lobby was listed as #89 of America Largest Private Companies. David Green started the company in 1972 as a picture frame company with 300 SF of retail space and $600. Today they are the largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world,...
5 Things for Young Entrepreneurs to Look for in an Investment Strategy
Be wise with your money. We have always heard it but have we ever considered it? Does this mean to save it all for a rainy day? Invest it aggressively? Buy that new car? Hide your money underneath the mattress? Part of managing finances is knowing how to choose the...
We Make Our Choices and Then Our Choices Make Us
What is financial success? Is it having a lot of money, being able to buy what you want, having the money to travel or something else?
Culture Matters. How Disengagement Impacts Your Wealth?
Peter Drucker, the great American management educator, is famously quoted for the phrase, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” A friend of mine has that quote immortalized on the central wall of their corporate headquarters in giant block letters. They are a...
Don't Let Emotions Drive Your Investment Strategy
With all of the volatility in the market the last few months, I wanted to discuss the impact emotional investing can have on your portfolio. It's important to keep in mind that having the ability to shut out the noise during challenging times is one of the biggest...
Second Quarter Stock Market Update
Equity markets staged a roaring comeback from the COVID-induced losses of Q1, with US stocks bouncing back to record their best quarterly return since 1998. The S&P 500 index, which tracks the performance of the 500 largest US stocks, gained +20.6% in the second...
Thriving Family Principle: Steward not Owner
Start with Sturdy Pillars
Our mission is to help you reach contentment.
We believe if you don’t have clarity about what you’re doing and you aren’t confident in why you’re doing it, then you likely won’t be content with where you are. With contentment, comes a life-altering peace of mind.
It’s Never Too Early To Teach Your Kids About Money
Financial education is important and it’s never too early to teach kids about money. Money management is one of the most important life skills we can learn and yet it’s not really a focus in the education system.
Plan For What is Difficult While it’s Easy
Success is a Process
Society would like for us to believe that achieving greatness, becoming a master, a rock star, or a multi-millionaire can happen overnight… with little effort. But that’s just not true. It rarely happens fast and a plan isn’t winning the...
Your Decisions Drive Your Contentment and Determine Your Destination
When it comes to spending, how often do you feel an uneasiness in your stomach? How many times do you find yourself wishing you had a better or different lifestyle? Even worse, do you often find yourself comparing your income to your siblings or closest friends?
Money Talks: The Inheritance Trap
Do you plan to leave an inheritance to your kids?
A 2015 report by US News found that Baby Boomers control 70% of all of the disposable income in the United States, which is leading to the largest transference of wealth in human history over the next 30 years.[1]
Generational Wisdom: A Father's Blessing
I have the privilege of interviewing families to capture their money story, a blessing to their children, and the legacy of values they wish to pass down to the next generation. While I love every part of this process, I am particularly fond of the blessing portion...