Descriptions of the long-term behavior of the stock market can seem a lot like shampoo instructions: the market goes up, followed by a drop, then it goes back up again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I’ve come to understand that in the newfangled parlance, people are now making New Year’s intentions rather than resolutions. The distinction is lost on me, but in a nod to the modern age, I’ve put together my 2019 New Year’s intentions.

It turns out that some of the techniques that the brain uses to learn, decide and act efficiently can lead us astray.

When we review tax returns, our goal is not to double-check anyone’s math or redo the return. Instead, we’re looking to make sure that our clients are shielding as much of their income from taxes as is appropriate, both now and going forward.

There’s an interesting oft-cited statistic that most working families spend more time planning their annual vacation then they spend on their finances. Why not hand off your financial planning to a professional?

But unbeknownst to her, my daughter gave me the best Father’s Day present that any financial advisor could ask for, when, upon glancing at the back of the Business section of the newspaper that I was reading, she asked, “Daddy, what are all those funny looking charts?”