The Woodward Financial Advisors Blog

I recently attended a conference in Washington, D.C., alongside a group of women from across the financial planning industry, each with different roles, backgrounds, and client experiences. As stories were shared about planning techniques and client situations, my biggest takeaway wasn’t found in the technical details. It came from the idea of challenging the role individuals play in their financial life ...

Like much of the world, you may have spent a whole weekend watching the winner of The Masters Tournament slip on the green jacket and take home millions of dollars in prize money. But just a few miles away, thousands of homeowners in Augusta, Georgia may be having an even more tax-efficient week, quietly earning income that the IRS never sees ...

April Fools! Here’s the spoiler: We have not cracked the code on market timing. And most importantly, neither has anyone else. While that may sound like an April Fools’ reveal, it’s actually one of the most important investment truths we can share. The idea that someone can consistently predict when to get in and out of the market (whether based on headlines, forecasts, or intuition) is not supported by evidence. What the data shows, time and again, is that market timing is unreliable at best, and harmful at most often.

Gold has been making headlines lately. Again! When markets feel uncertain - whether due to global events, political noise, or economic concerns - investors often start looking for something that feels more stable. Recently, that attention has turned toward gold, especially as prices have surged and conversations about “safe haven” assets have increased. This naturally leads to a common question: Should gold have a place in my portfolio?

Collectively, clients of Woodward Financial Advisors donated in the neighborhood of $2 million to charities in 2025. This is just the amount that we know about being donated via our assistance - it’s very likely the number is much higher if you include other gifts that were made. There is always great interest in topics around giving back, and we feel blessed to play a small part in helping you impact others in a positive way. I, too, share a passion for giving, and it is from this shared interest that I am inspired to share my three-part framework for giving ...

Market declines aren’t rare events or signs that something is “broken” or “wrong.” They are a normal and recurring part of long-term investing. At some point, to some magnitude, the market will decline. It always does. And because we know this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, or a reason to panic, when it happens ...