Blog

Monday Morning Motivation - Enough

What is enough to you?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Volunteer

Where would you most like to volunteer?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Risk vs. Volatility - Know the Difference

Last week ended and this week started with extreme market volatility—which is MUCH different from risk. Read on to understand the difference.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Tips With Josh Duncan (Video) - Saving for Retirement

Here we offer a brief overview of commonly available retirement plans, including key differences between 401(k), IRA, and Roth IRA accounts and a few of the benefits they offer.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Remodel

Are you willing to remodel your life?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

It Is NOT Normal to Be Average!

People like to think of investing in terms of averages. This is simply not reality—and, furthermore, it can be very dangerous to your financial health.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Apathy

Are you choosing love or apathy?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Vulnerability

Have you embraced vulnerability in your life?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Hard

Are you willing to take on the things in life that are hard?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Quarterly Market Review – First Quarter 2019

Once per quarter, we roll up our sleeves and take a deeper dive into what's happened in the stock market. Take a look at the attached presentation if you'd like to view the recap for January – March 2019.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - High-Interest Savings Accounts

In this 5-minute video, we discuss the benefits of high-interest savings accounts at online banks—and how to know if this type of account would be a good fit for you.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Worry

Is it really going to help to worry about things?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Date

When was the last time you went on a date with your spouse?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Index Funds Are Just Fine – The Sky is NOT Falling?

The rise in popularity of index funds has caused some to raise concerns about their existence "distorting the stock market." Poppycock! This is just another scare tactic from active managers.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - All About Credit Cards

Understanding credit cards (as tools, as well as all the hidden risks/costs) is essential! In this 4-minute video, we share what you need to know—plus 2 free tools you can use to help stay on top of your credit cards, become/remain debt-free, and achieve financial freedom.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Fear

Are you letting fear or love direct your life?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Believe

What do you believe?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO)- Guidelines for your Spending Plan

Guiding your finances with a spending plan is an important step in achieving personal significance. In this 4-minute video, I'll provide some guidelines for different types of spending. This will help you either get started or evaluate your current situation.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Moment

Are you taking the time to enjoy the moment?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Why You Should NOT Pay Attention to "The Dow"

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is reported all over the place. Have you ever taken the time to understand what it is? Read this post to find out.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - Creating an Awesome Spending Plan

Guiding your finances with a spending plan is an important step in achieving financial freedom. Here's how!

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - How to Get Goals Back on Track

Here we share what to do as soon as you realize you've lost focus or are otherwise not making progress toward your goals. HINT: It's all about how you respond! When you are successful in achieving your goals, they propel you toward personal significance.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Here We Go Again – Déjà Vu and Investing

Rarely is there anything new in investing. That's why you always need to ask these 3 key questions when evaluating adding to your portfolio.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Quarterly Market Review – Fourth Quarter 2018

Once per quarter, we roll up our sleeves and take a deeper dive into what's happened in the stock market. Take a look at the attached presentation if you'd like to view the recap for October – December 2018.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) – 2 Tips for Successful Goal Tracking

You've put effort and care into creating your goals. Now, In this 3-minute video, we'll share two tips for keeping those goals on track. HINT: It's all about 2 goal-supporting habits that will help keep you accountable.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - 5 Keys to Creating Smart Goals

Here we share the 5 keys to creating S.M.A.R.T. goals. When your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, they propel you toward personal significance.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Smoothing Out the Investment Road – Shock Absorbers for Your Portfolio

I grew up with a dad who sold shock absorbers for a living, so I feel qualified to comment on their use in protecting your investment portfolio. Check out this post if you would like to smooth out the ride for your investments.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - 3 Steps to Accomplish Any Goal

Setting a goal is the easy part. How do you accomplish it? In this 4-minute video, we'll cover 3 steps that will support you in accomplishing any goal—and get set on the path to personal significance.

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Your Prescription to Cure the "Down Market" Blues

The recent market correction has left many investors LITERALLY feeling ill. There's ONLY one prescription for this sickness. Read on if you would like the cure!

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Why Should You Diversify?

Recent market volatility has spooked many into asking about "getting out" of the market—right on the heels of many putting ALL their investment dollars in the US market! Both extremes are dangerous and should be avoided. Read on for some critical investment guidance.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

10 Things You Need to Know About 2018 Qualified Charitable Distributions

Ed Slott publishes one of the very best resources on the internet when it comes to IRAs. Today we highlight his recent insights on QCDs.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - Your Christmas Spending Plan

Are ready to keep your Christmas spending in check? Watch this video for helpful tips!

Josh Duncan, CFP®

Partner & Financial Advisor

Year End Tax Planning – Have You Done Yours?

We are about a month and a half from the end of the year. That raises a VERY important question—have you reviewed your 2018 tax liability and taken steps to minimize it?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Predicting the Market - The Impact of Elections

Thankfully the annoying political ads are gone for another two years. But what sort of impact will the election results have on our portfolios? The astute reader already knows the answer—do you? Read on for some critical investment guidance.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Investor Education – Volatility Versus Risk

I believe that nearly 100% of your success as an investor is based on your ability to control your emotions and behaviors. Do you truly understand volatility versus risk? Read on for some insights that have the potential to save you from self-destructing your investment portfolio!

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

F5 Financial Announces the Addition of Josh Duncan

F5 Financial is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Duncan as a financial advisor. Curt Stowers, founder of F5 Financial says, "I have complete confidence that he will excel in supporting the families that work with F5 Financial." Josh and his wife Tammi reside with their three sons in McDonough, Georgia.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure – Understanding Buyers and Sellers

Despite what the talking heads try to get you to believe, there are NEVER more "buyers than sellers" or more "sellers than buyers" in the market. Each trade MUST have both a buyer and a seller—and both must believe that they are getting a fair deal at the time of the transaction. Efficient markets are real. In contrast, the talking heads' version is FAR from real!

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Prediction Season – Why the Pundits are Clueless

We have started the fourth quarter with a not-so-fun rollercoaster ride of stock prices. This has all of the pundits offering us their "wisdom" on what will happen next. News flash—they are all clueless! Read on to find out what you need to know.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Quarterly Market Review – Third Quarter 2018

Once per quarter, we roll up our sleeves and take a deeper dive into what's happened in the stock market. Take a look at the attached presentation if you'd like to view the recap for July – September 2018.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Don't Worry Be Happy – Reframing the Investing Experience

Don't worry be happy! Successful investors understand the importance of expectation vs. perception. Read this post to learn the truth about the way equities work over time—and how to keep yourself from making foolish decisions when we experience market corrections or bear markets.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

The Number Two Goal – Getting the Kids Through College

I speak with hundreds of people, and the number two question I get is "How will I pay for my kids' college?" Read on to hear the answers I share—plus (a bonus!) 3 Key Questions every family needs to ask.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

S&P 500 and Nasdaq Indices at All-Time High – Is it Time to Sell All?

On August 29, 2018, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq indices hit all-time highs. This raises the question: Is it time sell off everything and go to cash? Take a look at this week's blog post to hear F5 Financial's position on this topic.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

No, Indexing is NOT Going to Destroy the Market!

John Bogle launched the first index fund in 1975 and was greeted with proclamations of "Bogle's Folly," and people have continued to throw darts at the concept of index investing. As of yet, they have not been able to "burst the bubble." Today we discuss the misplaced notion that index investing will somehow result in significant pricing distortions in the marketplace.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

An Alternate Reality You Need to Avoid!

I have a Ph.D. in industrial engineering with an emphasis in optimization theory. I have also put in the time and effort to earn my CFP® credentials. Yet I don't spend a moment of time messing around with "alternatives." In my opinion, all the hoopla around alts is merely marketing fluff and an effort to sell product. Disagree? Today's article explains what the alts are—and shows you the data. You decide!

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Graduate Level Investing - Share Repurchases vs. Dividend Payouts

Today's post is more of a "graduate level" topic, as it goes a bit deeper into pricing and valuation of stocks. This article compares and contrasts dividend payouts and share repurchases. Read on to understand how to apply this to your investment strategy.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Back to School

It's hard to believe, but we are only a few weeks away from "back-to-school" season. In this week's blog post, we take a look at the issue of paying for college.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Quarterly Market Review - Second Quarter 2018

Once per quarter, we roll up our sleeves and take a deeper dive into what's happened in the stock market. Take a look at the attached presentation if you'd like to view the recap for April – June 2018.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Where's the BEEF!

OK, I'm doing the "bait and switch" thing with the BEEF promise: The real question here is "Where's the VALUE?"—as in the issue of the value premium in investing! Read on to learn why the value premium matters to YOU.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Techy Stuff – The Inverted Relationship Between Interest Rates and Bond Pricing

Should you fear the impact of interest rates on your bond holdings? Take a look at this post to understand why it is likely NOT an issue for you.

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Graduate Level Investing – Understanding How Indices Work

This week's article takes you deeper into the concept of index funds and reconstitution. It is ONLY for ADVANCED investors!

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Understanding vs. Accepting

Are you open-minded enough to BOTH understand others AND accept that we all have the right to our own opinions?

Curt Stowers, CFP®, PhD, MS

President & Financial Advisor

Monday Morning Motivation - Enough

Monday Morning Motivation - Volunteer

Risk vs. Volatility - Know the Difference

Financial Tips With Josh Duncan (Video) - Saving for Retirement

Monday Morning Motivation - Remodel

It Is NOT Normal to Be Average!

Monday Morning Motivation - Apathy

Monday Morning Motivation - Vulnerability

Monday Morning Motivation - Hard

Quarterly Market Review – First Quarter 2019

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - High-Interest Savings Accounts

Monday Morning Motivation - Worry

Monday Morning Motivation - Date

Index Funds Are Just Fine – The Sky is NOT Falling?

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - All About Credit Cards

Monday Morning Motivation - Fear

Monday Morning Motivation - Believe

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO)- Guidelines for your Spending Plan

Monday Morning Motivation - Moment

Why You Should NOT Pay Attention to "The Dow"

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - Creating an Awesome Spending Plan

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - How to Get Goals Back on Track

Here We Go Again – Déjà Vu and Investing

Quarterly Market Review – Fourth Quarter 2018

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) – 2 Tips for Successful Goal Tracking

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - 5 Keys to Creating Smart Goals

Smoothing Out the Investment Road – Shock Absorbers for Your Portfolio

Financial Freedom Tips (VIDEO) - 3 Steps to Accomplish Any Goal

Your Prescription to Cure the "Down Market" Blues

Why Should You Diversify?

10 Things You Need to Know About 2018 Qualified Charitable Distributions

Financial Freedom Tips (Video) - Your Christmas Spending Plan

Year End Tax Planning – Have You Done Yours?

Predicting the Market - The Impact of Elections

Investor Education – Volatility Versus Risk

F5 Financial Announces the Addition of Josh Duncan

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure – Understanding Buyers and Sellers

Prediction Season – Why the Pundits are Clueless

Quarterly Market Review – Third Quarter 2018

Don't Worry Be Happy – Reframing the Investing Experience

The Number Two Goal – Getting the Kids Through College

S&P 500 and Nasdaq Indices at All-Time High – Is it Time to Sell All?

No, Indexing is NOT Going to Destroy the Market!

An Alternate Reality You Need to Avoid!

Graduate Level Investing - Share Repurchases vs. Dividend Payouts

Back to School

Quarterly Market Review - Second Quarter 2018

Where's the BEEF!

Techy Stuff – The Inverted Relationship Between Interest Rates and Bond Pricing

Graduate Level Investing – Understanding How Indices Work

Monday Morning Motivation - Understanding vs. Accepting

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