In our first Inside the Economy of the new year, we discuss our economic outlook for 2017. The U.S. is about 7.5 years into the current business expansion, which is approaching the 10-year record from the 1990’s but will the S&P 500 continue to increase in valuation? What can we expect for mortgage rates this year? Listen in to hear more on these topics in our first economic update of 2017!
SH&J Team
Taking a Moment to Reflect on What We Are Grateful For
As Thanksgiving approaches we like to take a moment to reflect on all of the things we have to be grateful for. When we asked the team what they are grateful for, Joel’s response encapsulated how all of us at SH&J feel, “I am grateful for clients who trust us to manage their portfolios.”
From all of us, thank you for your trust in us. We are so grateful for you!
Inside the Economy with SH&J: July 18, 2016
As the frenzy surrounding the Brexit vote calms down, we shift our focus to the U.S. economy where we are rapidly approaching full employment and continue to be perceived as an attractive investment. While a third of the world has negative sovereign debt rates, the U.S. offers better yields, a sense of security and liquidity to domestic and foreign investors. Inflation remains low and we are starting to see real estate slow down to historical trends in many regions. This week, we also touch on the progress of Abenomics along with a possible constitutional change in Japan – listen in to hear what that change may be!
Behind the Scenes: What the SH&J Team Has Been Reading
Did you know many members of our team are avid readers? Whether it is a good story or a book to help us improve as planners, you will often find our noses in a book during our downtime. Today we thought we would share our latest book reviews with you. We’d love to hear what you’ve been reading as well in the comments below!
Inside the Economy with SH&J: May 9, 2016
While our last discussion highlighted segments of the U.S. economy, this week’s discussion highlights segments of China’s economy. Gain insight on China’s debt bubble and the potential effect (or lack thereof) on the U.S. consumer, as well as a comparison of Corporate China today to Corporate America in 2005. This discussion also addresses the latest on U.S. consumer debt, auto sales and the labor markets. Listen in to hear about these issues and more, including updates on the U.S. energy bankruptcies.
Fee-Only Advisors: What are you actually paying for?
Oftentimes, making financial decisions can be overwhelming and emotional. In a world inundated with information via the internet, it can be hard to make heads or tails of it all. Working with a financial advisor can provide direction and peace of mind when making decisions, but how do you find a relationship that you can trust?
A good place to start is asking how the advisor is compensated. Working with a fee-only advisor can largely impact the services you receive. A fee-only advisor is paid by the client for the advice they give, not by product sales or commissions. This fee is typically on a project, hourly or retainer basis, or a percentage of assets under management. Be careful not to confuse fee-only with fee-based, which can include a client fee and commission component. Continue reading
Meet Stephen Weatherby
Name: Stephen Weatherby
Title: Certified Financial Planner™
SH&J team member since: September, 2012
Having grown up in Texas, what prompted you to move to Colorado? Have you carried any specific Texas traditions out here with you?
My family was one of those “Texas Families” that clogged the roads in Colorado during the summer. We would vacation here every year. I always said that one day I would live here. After graduating college, and working in Austin for a while, I just decided to make the move. I love everything about Colorado, but miss the BBQ and Tex-Mex food from my home state.
Being someone who loves the outdoors, what are some of the activities you enjoy most? Do you have a favorite memory or specific moment that stands out for you?
I love to camp and go fly fishing. Some of my favorite memories are doing both of these with my son, Jack. One of my favorite memories is when Jack caught his first fish on a fly rod outside of Silverton, CO a few summers ago.
What do you love most about living in Colorado Springs?
I like the small town feel with the convenience of a larger city. There are also a lot of parks, trails, and beautiful scenery to enjoy on the weekends.
Living in Colorado Springs, and commuting to Denver every day for work means you spend quite a bit of time in your car. What helps you pass the time?
Audio books! I listen to a lot of books. Some of them are educational, but admittedly, most are for entertainment.
You have an extensive background in financial planning. Tell us a bit about your career path, including your work with the military, and how that ultimately led you to Sharkey, Howes & Javer.
I graduated with a very specific degree from Texas Tech University. The degree was in Family Financial Planning. While it had the traditional Finance, Economics, and Accounting classes, it really focused on the people aspect of financial planning. We really dug deep into trying to understand people and their relationships with money, and how that affected all aspects of their lives. I knew I wanted to be on the Fee Only side of the business before I began my career.
One of my previous stops was with a government contractor that provided financial education and training for all branches of the military. This was appealing to me for several reasons. It allowed me to provide education and financial planning services to a group that traditionally may not have had access to financial planning that wasn’t geared around a product sale. It also allowed me to travel to places that I would most likely have never been able to travel to on my own. I loved every minute of the work during this job, but I was hardly ever home. I made the choice to start looking for a more traditional position with a fee only firm in Colorado. I looked for over 2 years before I found Sharkey, Howes, and Javer. After interviewing with SH&J, and hearing about their client relationships and how they approached financial planning, I was sold.
Meet Melissa Baldwin
Name: Melissa Baldwin
Title: Certified Financial Planner™
SH&J team member since: January, 2011
My favorite thing about working at Sharkey, Howes & Javer is…
TEAMWORK! We all come from different backgrounds and have different views and insight on various topics and it is great to be able to use each other as a sounding board. Teamwork and collaboration opens the door for more perspective in problem solving and options for clients to reach their goals.
An Evening of Entertainment with Sharkey, Howes & Javer
On October 22, 2015, we held our annual client appreciation event. This year’s festivities were a little different than our previous events, as Sharkey, Howes & Javer was celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Rather than hosting our usual educational seminar, we hosted “An Evening of Entertainment” to celebrate twenty five successful years with the people who made it all possible, our clients.
The celebration took place at the beautiful Seawell Grand Ballroom within the Denver Center for the Performing Arts complex with approximately 380 of our clients in attendance. With lighting and drapery filling the ballroom, the ambiance set a festive mood for everyone.
The evening began with a cocktail hour, which included appetizers, drinks, and a magician who left guests in wonderment as to how he performed such tricks as turning dollar bills into one hundred dollar bills…If only we all knew his secret!
Following the cocktail hour, Eileen Sharkey presented a series of heartfelt speeches honoring our clients, staff, and her partners of 25 years, Joel Javer and Larry Howes.
Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner, and watched musical performances that took them on a journey through the years of Broadway. Acts included West Side Story, Grease, Chicago, Jersey Boys, and Rock of Ages.
The evening was a very special night for not only the clients in attendance, but for the partners and employees of Sharkey, Howes & Javer as we celebrated this important milestone.
On behalf of the entire team at SH&J, we want to thank each and every client for your continued trust and loyalty. We owe these past 25 years to you, and we look forward to the next 25 with you!
Inside the Economy with SH&J: October 26, 2015
The dollar looks like it might weaken, Puerto Rico could have a political solution, and for the first time the Congressional Budget Office named the public federal government accounts holding 13.1 trillion dollars in debt — all topics covered this week. During the commentary, Larry said, “I’m also in the camp, along with several people, who think China is in a recession…” Listen in to hear what else Larry shared about China and the global economy in this week’s Inside the Economy with SH&J.
https://vimeo.com/143934427%20
Note: We apologize for the audio quality this week. We experienced some technical difficulties during recording and will be back up to snuff in time for our next release in 2 weeks.
Sharkey, Howes & Javer Blog 