The Pros and Cons Of Margin Borrowing
Margin borrowing is one of the most misunderstood tools available to investors—and one of the fastest ways to magnify both good decisions and bad ones. This article explains how margin borrowing interacts with risk, return, tax efficiency, and portfolio gearing—and why the margin interest rate and advisory fees are central to whether margin use is economically sensible at all.
How to Calculate the Rate of Return on a Pension or Annuity
As retirement approaches, many people face a challenging decision regarding their pension benefits: whether to take a single lump-sum payment now or opt for a fixed monthly income for the rest of their lives. This choice is often irrevocable and carries significant implications for your retirement security and legacy.
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Safeguard Your Wealth: How To Identify And Manage Risk
Successful investing isn’t about eliminating risk—it’s about understanding and controlling it. For professional money managers and individual investors alike, knowing how to navigate the complex world of investment risk can mean the difference between achieving your goals and objectives and suffering devastating losses.
Simple Estate Planning Solutions Powered by Trust & Will
At Successful Portfolios, we’re dedicated to safeguarding your financial future—and that includes your legacy. We’re excited to introduce our partnership with Trust & Will, a leading online estate planning platform that makes securing your family’s future simple, affordable, and accessible.
Warren Buffett’s “Know-Nothing” Portfolios: A Critical Perspective
Buffett calls indexing a ‘know-nothing’ strategy – but this ‘protection against ignorance’ beats most active investors trying to prove they ‘know something.’ Sometimes, the wisest approach is admitting you don’t know, and your crystal ball 🔮 is cloudy. On the other hand, $XLK > $QQQ > $SPY > $VTI > $VXUS for 10 years now. Can that continue?
Rainbows in the Rearview Mirror
There’s always a hypothetical pot of gold in the rearview mirror, but that’s not how markets behave in real time. Learn from past performance but focus on the road ahead. Remember hindsight is always 20/20 in the investment world, and back-test performance will always outperform real-time.
Business Continuity Plan
Successful Portfolios LLC has established a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to prepare for business disruptions, including natural disasters like hurricanes. Our plan emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, redundancy, and protecting the interests of our clients. Read this for contact Information for our Clients in the Event of a Business Disruption.
Powerful Free Excel Tools for Income Tax Planning
Today, we highlight two excellent, free Excel-based income tax planning resources that we have used for many years to help our clients minimize or eliminate their tax liability: Geoff Mendal’s Income Tax Planning Excel Sheet and Glenn Reeves’ Excel 1040 Worksheet.
Understanding Investment Risk: The Key to Building Successful Portfolios
Imagine two investors: one cautiously watching their steady but insufficient gains, the other riding a rollercoaster of higher highs and lows. What’s the difference? Their understanding of investment risk. As a financial advisor with years of experience counseling investors, I’ve seen firsthand how grasping this concept can make or break portfolios and retirement nest eggs. Today, let’s demystify investment risk and explore why it’s crucial for achieving your financial goals.