Author: Chris Benson - I'm often asked why we are willing to put so much of our time, energy and money into speaking and attending conferences. The reason is that everything I put in has always come back to me tenfold in the knowledge I take away, connections I make, and ideas I hear for improving the services we provide our clients. I am a firm believer that it's important to never stop learning and to constantly challenge your existing beliefs with new information.
Author: Lyle Benson - Helping clients transition into and through retirement will be critical to the success of financial planning practices in the coming years. We provide a valuable service as many of our clients move into this phase of their lives. For our clients, managing the spend-down phase is very different on many levels than the accumulation phase. It is important for us to understand this also as we work with clients in this area.
Author: Chris Benson - You might not know Charlie Munger, but you've certainly heard of his more famous business partner, Warren Buffett. Both men attribute much of their success to the countless hours they spend reading and learning. It's an attribute we try to emulate here at L.K. Benson & Company as we spend time each and every day keeping up with the latest financial news and research.
By: Chris Benson, Einstein is often quoted (maybe incorrectly) as saying "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." I couldn't agree more with this expression and am always trying to simplify complex topics for clients.
By: Chris Benson, In our January letter we looked back on the years since the 2008 financial crisis and the strong returns of US Large Cap stocks compared to other asset classes. We advised you that holding a diversified portfolio with exposure to international stocks as well as bonds and other asset classes still made sense in spite of the strong returns in US stocks during this time. The first quarter investment results back up our belief in diversification.
By: Chris Benson, H&R Block ran an ad during the Super Bowl showing how they are utilizing IBM's Watson super computer to help you save money on your taxes. What does the future of automation really mean for you and your taxes?