Weekly Articles by Osbon Capital Management:
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6 Ways To Know If Your Investments Are Right For You
How do you know your investments are right for you? It’s a fair question to ask, and one your investment advisor can and should answer. Here’s a six-point checklist to evaluate what you own.
Why I Started Osbon Capital
A client asked me to describe the “aha moment” I had as an investor. It’s a two part answer. First there was the ‘aha’ that even with all the smartest people and best resources on Wall Street, we kept coming up short for our individual clients. Then there was the second enlightening ‘aha’ moment that I had to start Osbon Capital to do better for those individuals, because Wall Street never would.
Active Management Can’t Catch A Break
“Passive funds grow 230% to $6tn”. Attracta Mooney wrote that headline in the usual spare Financial Times fashion. This is just one more data point in the dramatic flow of assets from actively managed portfolios to index, aka passive, investment strategies. This seems to be happening even more quickly than the industry expected. Why? And what’s it mean for you?
The Decathlon Comes to Boston
We all get involved in events, activities and causes that change lives, including our own. For Max and me, a prime example is The Wall Street Decathlon. Each summer we run, jump, throw, lift and more, all for charity. This year the event is going national, including a Boston edition. Here’s why we love it.
A Family Advisory Firm Like No Other
It is very difficult and rare to be unique in the investment business. Copycats swarm most models and ideas, hoping for success. Nonetheless, Max and I met a unique firm at the Vanguard Conference The Future of Advice last month. We thinkRayLign is on to something valuable and want to spread the good word. What is RayLign doing that is different and better?
Why We Use Fidelity
Quick, what’s the first question you should ask of a prospective investment advisor? Hint: not many people ask it. The question is “Where will my money be?” Or phrased another way: “Who is your custodian?” The answer matters. The custodian safeguards your assets, gets trades executed, keeps tax records, and does most of the invisible work behind the scenes to make sure your account holds what it should. We use Fidelity. Here’s why.
The Future of Advice
Vanguard was in town last week for a confab at the Langham Hotel. The discussion covered many topics but by far the most compelling subject was The Future of Advice. What did Vanguard say?
Breakfast With Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General
We occasionally write about important non-financial events in the public interest, like this one last week.
Thanks to PR industry leader Geri Denterlein for hosting our energetic attorney general for the Commonwealth, Maura Healey, at last week’s “In The News” breakfast series at the BC Club. An Osbon Capital client who is associated with Denterlein’s agency was kind enough to invite us and we were eager to hear what the chief law enforcer in Massachusetts law had to say.
A Win For The Good Guys
The good guys are you. This win comes courtesy of the US Department of Labor (DOL) who made it official last week. Anyone advising individuals on their retirement accounts must “act like a fiduciary.” What does that mean? Fiduciary is the highest standard in investment management. It means you must put the interests of the person you represent first in all situations. Sounds obvious, but it hasn’t been. We’ve embraced the fiduciary standard since Day One of Osbon Capital in 2005. Many firms can operate without it. This DOL ruling is a big step forward. Here’s why.
