During this Thanksgiving, talk to your family about your priceless wealth. No, I am not talking about the money or investments. I’m talking about the stories and the history and the childhood memories that define the core of who you are.
Every person’s life is interesting. As we get older the young people will be incredulous at the challenges we faced as children. Believe me, the 1970s might as well be
Read MoreOut of all the discussions I have with clients, the question: “Do you have a will?” brings up the most angst and the most excuses.
Read MoreYears ago, I heard a story. The original version is long lost to me now, so I apologize for not giving appropriate credit to the original author here, but its message captured my attention. Ever since, it has shaped my thoughts about the importance of principled leadership, a courageous long-term perspective, and fostering shared values to overcome the internal struggles with which we all contend. For reasons that are becoming more urgent to me by the day, I feel compelled to recreate it here:
Read MoreOver the years Lucien, Stirling & Gray has covered a wide variety of topics in our monthly enewsletter articles. Around the office you’ll often hear advisors say, “Didn’t we write about this once?” or, “I think we have a great article on that!” We thought it’d be great if we segmented our articles over the years into “classifications”, if you will. If you’ve been a long-time reader – thank you! We hope that it might be beneficial to revisit some of these. If you’ve only recently started receiving our enewsletter, you might find the references below helpful, depending on what life transitions you are either planning for or just completed. We’d love to know what other topics you would like us to cover. As always, thank you for reading!
Read MoreAt Lucien, Stirling & Gray, we’ve always believed that personal wealth is comprised of so much more than just your money and investments. We’ve talked about it time and time again (click to read more about our philosophy around defining wealth, personal wealth, and social wealth). As advisors, we enjoy helping our clients find a sense of fulfillment by showing them how to utilize their financial resources in meaningful ways. For some of our philanthropically-minded clients, charitable giving is an important part of the picture.
Read More“We thought if we lived like students for one more year, we could then go forward and have the life we wanted without the pressure of debt…” -Christin Vasquez
My wife, Christin, worked hard to pay off her $35,000 balance in law school student loans over the 13 months after passing the bar exam. When I walked the stage in 2010, I was debt-free. We are both millennials.
Read MoreEvery so often, especially at various transition points, it is smart to look at the whole picture and ask: are we being courageous in our business decisions? Are we looking at the broad perspective and doing what is best for clients and our team going forward?
In 2017, we celebrated our 25th anniversary, which provoked a lot of reflection. At the end of the year, we made the difficult decision to close the broker dealer portion of our business. For 25 years we had run two separate corporations.
Read MoreWhen my kids were teens we visited the LBJ ranch. During the tour, the docent talked about the huge philosophical gulf that existed between young people and adults during the Vietnam War. Later, my kids asked me more questions about the so-called “generation gap” and I was surprised they didn’t know more about this phenomenon that seemed so prevalent when I grew up.
Read MoreSome of the best money advice I’ve received was from a close friend after his 17-year marriage broke up. He said, “Don’t be cheap like me. Hire a babysitter. It is cheaper than a divorce.” Oh, the price of regret is so high. So how do we use money as a beneficial tool in marriage, instead of a source of conflict?
It is simple, but it isn’t easy. Try to think long term and work together.
Read MoreMajor life transitions almost always create stress – even the good transitions. Whether it’s leaving a career and transitioning to retirement, seeing children off to college after 18 years of nurturing and parenting them, or starting your own business after working for someone else, the stress can be great. Even events that are planned and positive can be filled with emotional and financial challenges. As a result, many people seek the guidance of a financial advisor during those times.
Read MoreAlthough we are in the thick of the holiday shopping frenzy, it’s not too late to slow down and think about how, where and when we will spend our money and time this holiday season. The pressure is on to find the best deals on the “perfect” gifts. Each year it seems that our list to buy for grows. I’m here to say it’s okay to take a little pressure off. Here are some ideas to reduce your gift-giving anxiety and enjoy your holiday season.
Read MoreYou’ve heard this from me before, but it’s always worth repeating: investing, in anything, is first and foremost an act of faith. Yes, there are many other factors that go into a great investment decision. But, whether you’re building a company, investing your hard-earned money in one, committing yourself to a marriage, starting a family, or writing massive checks for your child’s college tuition bills, you must
Read MoreYou’ve heard this from me before, but it’s always worth repeating: investing, in anything, is first and foremost an act of faith. Yes, there are many other factors that go into a great investment decision. But, whether you’re building a company, investing your hard-earned money in one, committing yourself to a marriage, starting a family, or writing massive checks for your child’s college tuition bills, you must
Read MoreIf you’ve been a regular reader, you know that we introduced the idea of “Defining Wealth” in our July newsletter. First, we discussed financial wealth. Then, last month, we explored this topic a little deeper in “Stewarding Social Wealth.” We conclude this series here by introducing the notion of “personal wealth.”
Read MoreLast month we introduced the idea of thinking about wealth as a multi-dimensional concept. We explored the idea that material wealth is just the tip of the iceberg for many people, and there is so much more beneath the surface. In my experiences, a lot of people can grasp
Read MoreHow do you define “wealth”?
For over twenty-five years I have been asking this same question to better understand how to communicate the value of a firm like Lucien, Stirling & Gray. I’ve asked clients, colleagues, friends and business associates in various settings. I’m curious to hear people’s answers, because how they define “wealth,”
Read MoreIn the short eighteen years between 1946 and 1964, almost 76 million people were born in the United States. Between 1954 and 1964 there were approximately 11,000 births per day. This was the most dramatic population explosion ever before witnessed in this country. As that huge wave of people has swept forward through time, “The Baby Boom Generation” has transformed virtually everything it has touched regarding American society, politics, and especially economics.
Read More“I remember the days when we’d have to walk down the street to the bike shop to use their fax machine.” This is one of the favorite stories that is told often (usually to the “new guy”) around the office. You have probably heard by now that Lucien, Stirling & Gray is celebrating 25 years of service in 2017, and we’re excited about it. In case you were wondering, no, we’re no longer walking
Read MoreToday’s article hits home for me. When I first heard this idea, I thought, “I don’t need to take her advice! This won’t happen to my family!” Then I thought about what she said. She said that families are vulnerable when their young adults turn 18. Teens over age 18 are seen as legal adults by the law and by the health care profession. So, if my young adults have an accident or get sick, or have mental issues, I don’t have any rights as a parent.
Read MoreI get it. You have put off having “the talk” with your parents. It’s awkward. It takes courage. You are waiting for the right time to bring things up. Never sounds like the perfect time.
My main message is this: Don’t wait any longer.
Remember when your dad had the birds and bees talk with you at 18
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