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.

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?”

Because of its massive size and unique internal and external structure, it serves as a home and water source for multiple other species in its ecosystem. But this fascinating plant also offers some powerful “investment portfolio” lessons.