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Quarterly Market Review – Third Quarter 2018

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, fee-only, market review, market update, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, quarterly market review

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.

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Costs Matter – Understanding ALL of the Costs

costs, dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, longterminvesting, investments, investing, stockmarket, indexfunds, mutualfunds, financialplanning

Costs matter. Whether you’re buying a car or selecting an investment strategy, the costs you expect to pay are likely to be an important factor in making any major financial decision. Read on to learn about key cost areas that you need to consider when selecting investments to include in your portfolio.

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Don’t Worry Be Happy – Reframing the Investing Experience

dfa info, equities, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner,  expectation, perception

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.

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The Number Two Goal – Getting the Kids Through College

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner,  saving for education, education investing, 529 plans

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.

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A Private Letter from the IRS – Leveraging the 401(k) Plan to Reduce Student Loan Debt

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, private letter ruling, PLR, IRS, 401(k), student loan debt, student debt, student loans

Did you know that you can get a “private letter” from the IRS that has good news? Read on to find out a bit more about “Private Letter Rulings” (PLRs) from the IRS—plus a surprising way one company is helping employees pay off their student loan debt!

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Hey, Chicken Little, the Sky Is NOT Falling!

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, volatility, stability, stock market

What was true in late summer 2017 (when markets were quite stable and volatility low) remains true now—yes, we’ll have some “storms” in the market; HOWEVER, the Chicken Little doomsayers have yet to be proven even marginally intelligent with their “The Sky is Falling!” clucking!

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No, Indexing is NOT Going to Destroy the Market!

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, indexing, index funds

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.

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An Alternate Reality You Need to Avoid!

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, alternatives, alts, hedge funds, private equities, commodities, long-short strategies

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!

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Graduate Level Investing – Share Repurchases vs. Dividend Payouts

dfa info, F5 financial, f5 financial planning, long-term investing, naperville financial, naperville financial planner, graduate level investing, share repurchases, dividend payouts, 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.

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