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Originally published in the Baltimore Business Journal: March 2, 2018

The popularity of Health Savings Accounts (most commonly referred to as HSAs) has continued to increase with changes in the health care marketplace and rising medical costs. Not only do HSAs help Americans with high-deductible insurance plans cover current out-of-pocket healthcare costs, but their potential growth and tax advantages can also help accumulate resources for future medical expenses during retirement.

Originally published in the Baltimore Business Journal: April 26, 2018

Patience, persistence, and focus—the qualities that help long-term investors thrive in the markets— are advantageous on the golf course as well. Like investors, golfers are most successful when they can keep their emotions in check and adapt their strategy to face unexpected hazards. It’s no wonder investors are drawn to golf despite the commonly referenced quote by Raymond Floyd, “they call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken.

Now and then, investors get a vivid reminder that stocks can fall as well as rise. Let’s look at what happened in the first quarter of 2018 when volatility returned with a vengeance after a year of steady gains for stocks in 2017.

Published in the Baltimore Business Journal :  June 1, 2018

When a privately held company issues its stock to the public for the first time, the excitement is often palpable. An initial public offering, or IPO, can be alluring to investors hoping for a chance to purchase a new stock before it takes off. 

With so many opinions, theories, books, and products to choose from, what are the initial steps to developing a sound investment plan? The answer is fundamental to your investment success. The key to any investment plan is either finding the time, learning the skills, setting aside emotions, and designing and monitoring your portfolio, or developing a trusted relationship with a qualified financial advisor who can help you. Regardless of if you are managing your own investments or using the help of a professional, let’s look at three time-tested investment strategies.

Whether you are driving through the city and staring at office buildings, through the suburbs and looking at homes and apartments, or in the middle of the country passing endless miles of farmland, real estate is abounding. Today, we are going to think about real estate in a different light – as an investment opportunity.

You may have wondered, is art an investment? The short answer is yes, but there is no balance sheet, cash flow or earnings to help determine its value. Perhaps that’s one reason many collectors treat the investment value of art as an afterthought. A recent study from Swiss Bank UBS found that a quarter of wealthy investors have collections, with about 10 percent collecting art. Among collectors, 51 percent had never obtained an appraisal, 44 percent had no insurance on their collection and 39 percent could not estimate the value of their collection.

Creating an art collection and tending to its value as an investment do not need to be mutually exclusive goals. Here are our tips for approaching art as an investment:

FOMO is one of the biggest emotional traps in investing. The tendency to concentrate on investments that have recently appreciated and abandon those that have recently declined in value is all too human. 

Published in the Baltimore Business Journal:  January 12, 2018

The decision to get a new vehicle is sometimes made for  you such as when your old car breaks down and the repairs are too costly to justify. On the other hand, sometimes, purchasing a new car is an impulsive decision after seeing a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign on television and getting that “must have” urge.  And sometimes it is in between; you have had your car for ten years and you deserve a new car with the latest technology and safety features. In either case, while the new vehicle buying process is typically exciting and fun, it may also be stressful as you figure out how to pay for your new and shiny ride. 

If you have recently heard about bitcoin and are curious to know more about it, you aren't alone. Find out answers to questions like: