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Sanjib Saha 29 December 2023 It’s hard to believe that 2023 is almost over. As we get ready to welcome the new year, here are a few trivia facts about how the US large company stocks did this year. After a disastrous show in 2022 and dropping by almost 20%, the S&P 500 Index has gained almost 25% this year. Investors who stayed course are handsomely rewarded for not panicking or switching to safety of cash/CDs offering juicy interest rates. While the S&P Index is yet to surpass its record close figure from December 2021, it’s total return reached an…

Sanjib Saha 22 November 2023 While heartbreaking and nerve-wracking headlines dominate the news—stories of innocent people suffering from wars and unprecedented natural disasters— there are still many reasons to be thankful for Falling Inflation: After surging above 9% last year, inflation is coming down steadily and hovering slightly above 3%. This doesn’t mean prices are coming down across the board, but they aren’t skyrocketing either. Rising Stock Market: Market goes up and down, there is no escape from it. Still, going through a bear market takes a toll on investor sentiments. After a steep drop last year, the market seems…

Sanjib Saha 1 July 2023 When it comes to seeking help about our finance and investments – whether from a professional financial advisor or a trusted mentor – it’s essential to consider the broader aspects of wealth and life instead of specific money questions. Why? Because money alone doesn’t guarantee happiness and fulfilment; it’s merely a means to help us navigate life’s challenges. Often, the biggest roadblocks to our satisfaction are non-financial, and money fails to do much about them. In fact, money can create roadblocks of its own in our life journey. Thus, it’s important to reflect on what…

Sanjib Saha 14 June 2023 We’ve heard this a million times already: Getting rich quickly is hard, but building wealth slowly isn’t. To be sure, becoming wealthy is neither automatic nor overnight. But with three foundational pieces in place, and some patience, we can achieve it sooner or later. What are the three ingredients of the wealth building recipe? I like the metaphor of a three-legged stool, where each leg represents a mandatory element on which our financial future rests. Each element is necessary, but not sufficient by itself. We need all three legs for the stool to be safe…

Sanjib Saha 31 December 2022 Any New Year resolutions for 2023 yet? A few of our favorites: 1. If you are the CFO of your household, prepare the annual financial statements – the balance sheet, income/expense summary and cash-flow – and share with family. 2. If someone else manages your household finances, help the person to prepare and walk you through the annual household financial statements– the balance sheet, income/expense summary and cash-flow. 3. If you are new to investing, learn the basics of different asset classes – Stocks, Bonds, Cash, Hard/Real Assets and Alternatives – to ponder which ones might be appropriate for you (or…

Sid Roy In our everyday conversations about money, we often assume that most people know what stocks and bonds are. At times it becomes apparent that some people don’t. A recent example is a casual chat with a friend of mine who wished she had a pension just like her dad. She did not understand why the stock market returns were so unpredictable and why could she not get a decent interest on her money without the uncertainty. This conversation certainly made me pause and realize something. There are possibly more people like her who do not feel grounded in…

Sid Roy “Sid, what is your number?” This was the odd question that came up during a career conversation with one of our senior leaders at work. I was taken aback by that question especially because it had come up at the office, not with a financial advisor. As I mulled over it, the amazing clarity of that blunt question really hit home.  I really had not thought that deeply about a concrete number – a dollar amount as a retirement goal. And yet, everything is connected to that number. How much do I need to live comfortably throughout my…

Sid Roy The word Asset Allocation comes up sooner or later once you get serious about saving for your retirement. Sadly, this is where most people hit a significant roadblock. I know I did. It took me a while to get over that hurdle. Let me address the five misconceptions I had around this topic. I hope my learning helps you to avoid the mistakes I made. 1. Asset allocation doesn’t need to be complicated. I wasted months in reading all kinds of books and browsing financial blogs to learn about all the different theories and model portfolios. In the…

Sid Roy I had intended to write this article a while back during the tax season and then some personal events derailed that plan. Now, it is the end of the financial year for many companies in US. And I again got inspired to write about this topic. As the earnings from the companies roll in, I got reminded of an important lesson to be drawn here. Every well-run company sets some goals and measures its progress throughout the year with quarterly statements of its financial health and future prospects. Based on Wikipedia, the main and relevant parts of the…

Sid Roy. If you have somehow found this site, or heard about Dollar Mentor from one of your friends, you might want to take a few minutes to read about what we are hoping to accomplish. Assuming you have done that, and you are still here, we wondered what might be the one thing we want to talk about if we were sitting face to face. Why think about your personal finances? This comes up more often than one would think. If you have been asking this question, you are not alone. This is often the most important hurdle for…