This week, the AMR team discusses America's consumer price index and updated inflation rates, mentioning the lack of durable goods and Q3's Gross Domestic Product. Following, the team talks about America's new Infrastructure Bill and the impact inflation and the Bill have on investment decision making. 

This week, Chris and the team talk about investing basics, covering what a stock is, common vs preferred stock, and Initial Public Offerings (IPO's).  AMR team members, Brian Regan, CFA®, and Jeff Tomaneng, CFP®, talk about how they started in the industry, discuss their certifications, and how they got to where they are today. 

AMR has a conversation answering mailbag questions regarding different risk appetites between spouses and the difference between technical and fundamental analysis of stock. Listen to what our experts have to say. 

In this short segment, we are joined by Bill Blaisdell, Treasurer, and Joe Taylor, Executive Director, of the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center. We discuss current and upcoming housing project opportunities, Veterans Town Hall meetings, and an upcoming movie. 

This week, Chris and Brian Regan, CFA®, discuss job market and inflation updates from the Federal Reserve, along with America's cash glut and investment fallacies. AMR's team of experts give insight on bad investment habits to break given the implications of politics, taking on too much risk, investing without a financial plan, and more. 

In this "Best of Something More with Chris Boyd" replay from October 18, 2021, Chris and Brian Regan review Q3 portfolios, and Q4 market conditions and portfolio designs.  They discuss the influences of COVID-19, inflation and growth, equity allocation, and fixed income allocation on the markets. 

In this "Best of Something More with Chris Boyd" podcast replay from October 4, 2021, AMR discusses the article "Men over 45 who identify as having 'excellent investment experience' are more likely to panic sell during a market downturn, MIT study finds." Brian reviews things to consider going forward, including covid, savings, wage growth, real estate, S&P 500, SPACS, inflation, durable goods, Evergrande, and the debt ceiling. 

For National Retirement Security Week, the AMR team discusses retirement planning, giving tips on how to save and plan for your retirement with many factors to consider.  Chris Boyd, CFP®, and Scott Birmingham, CFP®, speak on their CFP® certifications, how they started in the industry and how they became Certified Financial Planners in the first place. 

AMR advisors provide their insight on these questions from the client mailbag: Will Roth IRA’s be taxed in the future? Are there any steps we can take to minimize our taxes in 2021/2022? Does it matter when we withdraw from our Required Minimum Distribution? Chris and Jeff Perry discuss the implications of lower tax rates and higher tax collections from political shifts, and misconceptions about corporate taxes. Adam Minsky, attorney and student loan expert, joins to discuss student loan forgiveness changes, including who qualified and how to apply under President Biden’s Expansion of Relief. Chris and Scott Birmingham introduce AMR’s complimentary 401(k) offer, which provides consultation on where to place funds and how to diversify. Call Scott Birmingham at 866-771-8901 to schedule a review. 

Chris and the AMR team discuss challenges the holiday season can bring to one’s financial picture, the use of credit compared to cash purchases, and how saving and budget planning can positively impact your holiday spending habits. Do you own a pet or are you considering adding one to your family? The AMR team discusses the cost of pet ownership beyond initial pet purchase, digging into pet insurance and how budgeting for routine pet expenses can benefit your financial circumstance. 

Chris Boyd and Brian Regan review Q3 portfolios, and Q4 market conditions and portfolio designs. They discuss influences of COVID-19, inflation and growth, equity allocation, and fixed income allocation.

Chris is joined by Cathi Ingersoll and Jeff Perry as they look into the top ways to become a millionaire and the richest people in America.

Chris and the AMR team is joined by Bruce Monrad of Northeast Investor's Trust to discuss portfolio management strategies, the Fed, high-yield bonds, and and many other financial topics. 

Chris, Scott, and Jeff discuss a recent Kiplinger survey asking retiree’s (or those near retirement) how the pandemic has had an  impact on their finances: What are they more worried about? What impact has the pandemic had on their retirement? What are their financial goals for the next year? Jeff discusses the upcoming Something More Mentoring Program and seminar “Financial Impacts of Proposed Policy Changes from Washington, D.C.”. Register at 508-771-8900 or email [email protected].

Did you forget about a 401(k) that you established with a prior employer? It’s best to take care of the 401(k) within a year of leaving the company. Options include rolling the funds over into an IRA (preferred) or to the new employer’s retirement plan. AMR is offering a complimentary financial review of your 401(k) – with consultation on where to place the funds and how to diverse your investment. Call Scott Birmingham at 866-771-8901 to schedule your complimentary 401(k) review or visit us at https://amrfinancial.com/401k-complimentary-consultation/ to learn more.

Nicole Spencer, Executive Director and Kristen Boyd, Board Member of Heroes in Transition join Chris. Heroes in Transition provides transitional support, home modification assistance, and financial assistance to veterans, military members, and their families. Kristen Boyd and Sarah Daley are Co-Chairs of the “Stronger Together” 12th Annual Heroes in Transition Fall Gala. The gala will be held on Saturday, November 6th at the Seacrest Resort in Falmouth, MA to raise funds in support of the troops. Tickets may be purchased at heroesintransition.org, which include a buffet dinner, speakers, and a live auction.  

AMR discusses the Business Insider article “Men over 45 who identify as having 'excellent investment experience' are more likely to panic sell during a market downturn, MIT study finds.” and risk profiles. Brian reviews things to consider in the market: Covid, savings, wages, real estate, S&P 500, SPACS, inflation, durable goods, Evergrande, and the debt ceiling.

Jeff Perry discusses the recent events concerning Chinese company Evergrande with Brian Regan.  Jeff Tomaneng and Scott Birmingham join to answer listener questions from the Mailbag.

Jeff Perry hosts this week as we mark the beginning of the Fall season discussing Fall financial tips/moves to make.  Jeff is joined by Cathi Ingersoll, Jeff Tomaneng, and Scott Birmingham to discuss topics such as estate planning and Roth conversions.

Chris and Brian review the scorecard that AMR developed to help those interested in ESG (Environmental Social Governance) investing. It ranks companies based on their cost, performance, and degree to which they have eliminated various “sin” products. Communication and goal setting is critical for couples when it comes to financial planning as individuals have different beliefs and habits about how to handle money. Prenups are becoming increasingly popular, especially for couples entering a second marriage. Gifting appreciated stock as a Qualified Charitable Distribution may be better served than selling it, taking the capital gains hit, and then donating it. AMR talks about Qualified Charitable Distributions and Donor Advised Funds.  

Chris and Jeff Perry discuss the House Tax Proposal and how it could affect personal finances, they cover – personal income, corporate income, capital gains, estates and gifts, cryptocurrency, and electric vehicle purchases. They also discuss Social Security. The good news is that the cost-of-living increase (COLA) for Social Security is expected to be 6.2% in 2021. The bad news is if nothing changes to Social Security there could be a significant decrease to benefits in 2034.

Chris and Scott think back to their own experiences witnessing the 911 attacks. Scott fills us in on some recent developments in the Nashville market. 

Chris and Brian share financial metrics in 2001 as compared to today, including the Federal Budget, the US GDP, the S&P 500, the Dow Jones, and housing prices. Chris and Jeff discuss new government programs implemented since 911, including Homeland Security, ICE, the Patriot Act, and more.

Chris welcomes Mark Skala, CEO of Cape and Islands United Way and Dorothy Savarese, Chair and CEO of Cape Cod Five. This year’s Power of the Purse event, hosted by Women United, will be held on September 22nd. Dorothy is this year’s recipient of the Women of Impact award and will be honored at the event. Proceeds from the Power of the Purse are directed to programs encouraging self-sufficiency for women.

Asset Management Resources, LLC commemorates September 11, 2001. Brigadier General James (Jim) LeFavor tells his story from a fighter pilot perspective. Jim was one of the F15 fighter pilots scrambled from Otis National Guard Base for the 101st Fighter Squadron to protect our Eastern seaboard on that fateful date. Listen to his riveting story. Chris and AMR team members share where they were on 9/11.

Brian shares what he worries could slow the market down and why, including deflation, geopolitical events, extreme overvaluations and over speculation. Chris and Brian also talk about overseas company valuations and if they are a good investment at this time. With Labor Day representing the unofficial end of summer, the AMR team shares their favorite events from the summer.

In honor Labor Day AMR focuses on the unemployment numbers and how they are measured, reasons why businesses can’t find employees and perks that they are offering, and the hottest jobs over the next five years.

Brian Regan and Jeff Perry join Chris. They discuss the strong corporate earnings and business shifts as a result of Covid. A client asks for advice on where to place funds from the sale of a secondary inherited home since markets are at all-time highs.

Chris talks with Dorian Mintzer, M.S.W., Ph.D., a well-known authority on retirement speaking and coaching. They discuss the importance of retiring from something and to something. Longer lifespans can be an opportunity to use skills in a new way. Don’t internalize all of the myths about aging, keeping active and engaged can help towards living a healthy and fulfilling life at any age.  

Jeff Perry hosts for Chris this week. With students getting ready to go back to school, Jeff Tomaneng talks about ways that people save for college and how a 529 plan works. Brian explains Fed tapering, which has been in the news recently. Tapering is the slowing down of quantitative easing that the Federal Reserve has been doing to keep interest rates low since the beginning of the Covid crisis. Brian also discusses inflation concerns and unemployment.

Jeff Perry hosts for Chris this week. He and Scott talk about getting ready for retirement. They discuss including shifting from a savings to creating a paycheck mentality and other factors to consider. They also discuss RMDs and the benefits/considerations for a ROTH conversion. If considering a Roth conversion, determine it is more beneficial to pay taxes now or later. 

Chris, Jeff, and Cathi talk about the book “The Millionaire Next Door” and the difference between Wealth and Affluence. Wealth represents accumulated assets, whereas affluence is a lifestyle based on a high income. Wealth can be inherited or earned through a disciplined savings plan for people of any financial means. Affluence can be lost due to overspending, or loss of employment and/or other income. In recognition of Financial Awareness Day, Cathi asks Chris, Brian, and Jeff Perry some financial trivia questions. Listen in to see how many you know the answers to.

Chris and Cathi talk about National Financial Awareness Day on Saturday, August 14th. Jeff Perry discusses the $1.2T Infrastructure bill and what’s included. He also talks about the $3.5T budget plan and what has to happen for it to be approved. Chris answers a question from the client mailbag: “As a retiree, where should I take money from for a $100,000 roof replacement?”

Chris and Brian discuss the increased cost in housing, cars, and other goods. Does this mean inflation? Brian answers clients' questions:  “How high can the market go?” "Why are airline and cruise line stocks not going up?” Our interns Ryan Boyd and Ilya Boyd share their experience while working at AMR this summer.

Chris’ guest is Michael Townsend, Managing Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at Charles Schwab. They discuss what’s happening in Washington and how it affects investors. Things to look out for are: The Debt Ceiling – The US is currently at the debt ceiling so Congress will either need to raise it or suspend it for a given period of time. Taxes – The increase in corporate taxes and individual top income tax rate are likely to pass. Less likely to pass are the capital gains taxed as ordinary income for filers with over $1M adjusted gross income and step-up in basis for inherited assets. Crypto-currency - SEC is looking at rules. ESG Investing - SEC looking at new rules to expand disclosure by public companies around climate change.    

Chris talks with Kathy McNamara, CEO at Cape Cod Community College Education Foundation about the new state-of-the-art STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) building being built on campus. The building broke ground a year ago and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2022. It is being funded by the Commonwealth of MA, Cape Cod Community College, and donations through the Cape Cod Community College Foundation. Visit ccccfoundation.org to learn more about this important initiative.

Nicholas Membrillo, Senior Mortgage Lender at Peoples Home Equity (aka Cardinal Financial), talks with Chris and Scott about real estate and mortgage financing in the greater Nashville market. He touches on historic low interest rates and whether it’s more advantageous to finance for 30 years or a shorter term. Due to tightened financial practices, Nicholas doesn’t foresee a housing crisis as in 2008. Less supply and remodeling are leading to increased values in home prices. Nicholas feels that real estate can be a good long-term investment.

Chris and Cathi talk about the Covid-19 Delta variant trends. Gretchen Arvanitopoulos, VP at CORD (Cape Organization for rights of the Disabled), Mike Perna and Jeff Tomaneng of AMR join Chris to talk about financial planning for people with disabilities. CORD helps connect people with disabilities to available resources. They discuss the following and more: It is important to utilize a financial planner and lawyer who have experience in this field and can help navigate the process. Reach out early to understand the benefits that are available to younger children. Plan for guardianship well before the disabled child turns 18 years of age. Think about a plan to care for the disabled child when you cannot; consider a special needs trust. Realize that care needs may change in the future and a personal care attendant may be in order so consider cashflow and investment needs. Use a reputable/monitored rep payee if needed to manage bill payment and money needs. Life insurance may be of benefit in covering costs once parental caregiver is deceased.  

Chris and Jeff Perry discuss the July 31st Debt Ceiling deadline. Once the Congress borrowing limit is reached, lawmakers must raise the ceiling before Treasury can issue more debt (e.g., bonds) to pay US obligations. The national debt is currently $28 trillion, not counting entitlements ( https://www.usdebtclock.org provides more data on US debt information). They also discuss the Infrastructure Deal, which includes proposals for transportation, water, etc. The Infrastructure Deal is not complete and will be going through the amendment process starting this week.  

The AMR team talks about the recent Wall Street Journal article on life expectancy dropping by 1-5 years in 2020 - the largest decline since at least World War II. Scott shares financial planning tips for widowhood. One of the most important is ensuring that cashflow needs are being met to cover expenses. Chris answers a mailbag question from a client on the cost of annuities. With Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson all recently traveling to space, triggered AMR team members to share what they would each do if they had unlimited funds. Listen in for an engaging discussion on financial matters – and some fun too!

Chris and Brian discuss performance for the first half of 2021 and the factors driving the market. The S&P average annual returns have been at 14% for the prior decade and the all-stock index has surpassed 14% over the last six months. Covid continues to be a concern, with the Delta variant 3x more contagious. However, we are getting near herd immunity with fewer hospitalizations and death. The Federal Reserve and AMR use Core PCE to measure long-term inflation. (News outlets often us CPI to measure inflation, which includes energy and food and is more volatile.) This measure has been running at 2.45% annualized rate of return over the last 2 years. Last quarter it ran at 3.39%, which is higher than targeted but not absurd. Inflation could be transient and settle at slightly higher than historic norms. Housing prices have been high with 10-20% gains. This will probably moderate from where it’s been due to low supply and high demand during Covid. Housing prices in 2021 are on par with where were 2018. Cost of lumber is normalizing, where it was extremely high due to the delay in supply during Covid. Unemployment continues to be high with 400k unemployment claims last and 2M workers 25-54of age  still not working. Unemployment benefits, lack of childcare, and fear of virus contribute to the 9M job openings. Wage growth has been stagnate around 3% - low skilled workers are getting raises which will increase inflation modestly but nothing to be concerned about. Millennials are coming of age and buying houses and starting families. This could lead to a little bit of inflation but nothing scary high. More savings and pent-up demand is now leading to spending. This with the demographic considerations bodes well for stocks. Jeff Tomaneng discusses the CNBE article– 'Inflation is the Silent Killer ', where he was recently quoted. In the article, Jeff and others discuss how many retirees are feeling the sting of inflation.  Brian and Chris discuss if inflation protected securities make sense.  if inflation is transient, as the Fed is indicating,  demand for these investments will erode and price will decline.

Do you have financial and personal goals? Jeff Perry and Jeff Tomaneng discuss SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and why they are important. Brian discusses how energy prices affect inflation and the markets. The oil sweet spot price is where marginal cost meets marginal demand; however, this can not be controlled in a free-market economy.   AMR team member share their favor financial book and why: Brian – Crisis Economic, Little Book for Beating the Stock Market Cathi – Too Big to Fail Jeff Tomaneng – The Truth About Money Scott Birmingham - The Millionaire Next Door, The Smartest Guys in the Room Jeff Perry – One up on Wall Street  

Scott reviews AMR's 360 financial planning process. This process intends to understand one's comprehensive picture in order to provide the best financial guidance in consideration of a clients financial and life goals.  Jeff and Cathi discuss National Give Something Away Day. Don't forget to tell us about your favorite financial book by commenting to our July 15th Facebook post. You could win a copy of Susan B. Turnbull's "The Wealth of Your Life: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will" or a Something More with Chris Boyd coffee mug!

Divorce is the 2nd most stressful thing that one can face in life. Scott talks about how to prepare financially before, during, and after. Get organized by pulling tax returns, bank statements, credit card statements, etc. It’s important to discuss Social Security, work pensions, homes, and other individual and shared assets. Keep your beneficiary and estate plan up to date. Questions are answered from AMR’s  Mailbag on the Didi rideshare IPO and  international investments.

Jeff Perry hosts for Chris this week. Sunday was World Population Day. Did you know there are 7.8BN people on Earth and 332M in the US? Brian and Scott review highlights from AMR’s recent tax webinar. They discuss: the proposed tax reform provisions under the Biden administration, how they may impact portfolios, and potential strategies to implement. AMR’s next "Quarterly Economic & Market Update" webinar will be held on July 21st 2 10:00AM. You may register on AMRfinancial.com Previous webinars are available on the AMRfinancial.com Resources page.

Bill Zammer, owner of the Flying Bridge and other local restaurants made a significant contribution to the Cape Cod community. In tribute to him, Chris plays a “Something More With Chris Boyd” radio segment from September 2008, in which he interviewed Bill regarding his success.

Chris introduces AMR’s Margaritas & Money program.  Scott Birmingham, CFP®, ChFC, CDFA®, CAP, CLU, Investment Advisor Representative and Chief Compliance Officer at Asset Management Resources, and his fiancée Kristi Curling critique margaritas at Nashville area restaurants and include 30 seconds of financial information in the process. It’s lots of fun and informative at the same time. Chris, Scott, and Jeff Perry also talk about a change to the Secure Act proposed for January 1, 2022. This change would raise the age in which people are required to take Required Minimum Distributions from 72 to 73, and gradually to 75.  

Brian talks about stock valuations and what drives P/E (price-to-earnings ratios). He also discusses how real estate investments fit into a portfolio during today’s real estate boom.