Rick Brooks
Rick Brooks's Latest Posts
Inflation – Here to Stay
Like most investors, I’ve been surprised by both the magnitude and persistence of the inflation spike we’ve seen over the past several months. The forecasts continue to suggest that inflation should moderate somewhat by year-end and into 2023, but that doesn’t take the sticker shock out of the prices we’re paying today at the store […]
Insurance for International Travel in a COVID World
After more than two years of being stuck at home, there are a lot of people who are ready to pick up and go. ANYWHERE! International travel is more “adventurous” in the COVID era – the pandemic is still raging in much of the world, so the possibility that travel plans could be upset by […]
Ukraine and the Volatility in the Stock Market
As I write this article, Russia has finally made its move into Ukraine. After building up troops along the Ukrainian border, Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale assault on Ukraine with the stated objective of replacing its government. I don’t want to minimize the impact this would have on Ukraine, which will be devastating, but the […]
To Roll or Not to Roll; What to do With Your 401(k)
Every year, millions of Americans change jobs or retire and leave the workforce entirely. Most are faced with a seemingly inconsequential choice: what to do with your company 401k plan. Almost every financial advisor (including yours truly) will recommend rolling funds out of your company retirement plan and into a rollover IRA (that they can […]
Planning is the Key to Goal Achievement
I recently had the pleasure of joining my clients for the christening of their new boat. It was one of those rare experiences when you can share the moment as a lifelong dream comes true. This dream was a long time coming and was the result of a lot of hard work and planning. One […]
Giving Thanks Two Years Into a Pandemic
The past couple of years have been challenging on many levels. There were ups and downs, to be sure. Having my adult daughter living at home for almost a full year was wonderful, though we all agreed it was best when she moved back to school to finish her graduate degree. Not spending 90 minutes […]
Insuring Your New eBike
During the Pandemic, I’ve seen more and more people out riding electric bicycles (“eBikes”) than ever before. In downtown San Diego, they’ve become pretty common, as they do make the hills a lot easier to navigate. So, I was intrigued recently when we were discussing property and casualty insurance market with our resident specialist and […]
What is Sustainable Investing?
One of the more interesting trends in the investment industry is a shift by investors towards a greater use of sustainable investment strategies. This isn’t a new thing, but it is a trend that has been accelerating in recent years as global warming has become more of a concern. So it begs the question, just […]
Don’t Let Taxes Alone Drive Your Investment Decisions
Taxes are a factor that has to be considered when making investment decisions, but they are not the only factor. As we’ve often said: don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog. Planning investment decisions around existing tax rates is relatively straight forward. You can estimate your income and your capital gains for the […]
