Posts by Barry Spencer

Are Your Emotions the Hidden Key to Success? If you knew that you had one day left to live, would you spend the day with your lawyers, or would you enjoy your final hours doing the things you love with the people you love? You know the answer to that. Well, what if those feelings—those…

Welcome to 2022! May it bring us peace, prosperity, and a whole lotta love. And some greater certainty about what lies ahead. This email includes precious little certainty, but it does have kittens. (All the way down in the P.S.) You’re probably seeing an endless parade of emails, listicles, and thought pieces loaded with predictions…

New Year, New Gratitude Practice? Last year held a lot of stress and uncertainty for many. So, instead of writing to you about politics, or the economy, or the supply chain, I figured I’d change the script and write about something completely different. Let’s talk about gratitude. Is gratitude a practice for you? In my…

Being Reactive Can Be Frustrating and Even Costly… John and June Roberts (as I will refer to them, though not their real names) came in for a conversation a few months ago. They had been working with an advisor for nearly 20 years at one of the big, reputable brokerage firms, but felt like they…

Looking Back… I wish I had… I could have been… I should have done… These are often the phrases we finish when we reflect back on the year. None of those phrases help propel us towards a better future. These phrases are filled with fears and regrets. Rather than looking back with a negative lens,…

This Week and Always… Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday this week I was reflecting back… Just like we did last year, we’ll probably head back out for a three-generation round of golf. The fun and memories are so special because you aren’t assured of tomorrow. So this season is a tremendous opportunity to be mindfully…

Changes Are Coming The change that’s coming is certain. When and how much is uncertain. It looks like changes for the 2022 tax year are happening. Congress passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Next up is the Build Back Better $1.75 trillion spending and tax increase plan. Top capital gain taxes look to be going…

Opportunities Housing prices are at all-time highs. Investment accounts have big gains (or should). 401k balances have grown substantially. So what are you doing with all this? Most are gaining a false sense of security. The house value is only as good as the sale price you get. The portfolio gains are only as strong…

Are You Ready? The media can really feed notions of fear. The media can really feed notions of euphoria. Friends can stir emotions with their “big” wins. (Notice how most friends don’t talk about their “big” losses!) The “smart” people like to lead people to believe they can predict the future. Yet, the market will…

Potential Surprise The dotcom bubble had burst.Then 9/11 happened.It was a series of events that causes the markets to come crashing down.Within a few years, economic optimism picked up.So much so, that by 2007 asset prices in equities and real estate had soared.Seasoned real estate investors and amateurs were taking on risk to own more…