One of the most practical books we recommend on personal finances is The Millionaire Next Door. This New York Times best seller, written in 1996 by Thomas Stanley, Ph.D. and William Danko, Ph.D., studies the money habits of people who consistently become wealthy.   7 Factors describe those who build substantial wealth: They live well below their...Read More

As the S&P500 recovers from a recent correction we have an opportunity to review the risk vs return of stocks.  Last year, the S&P500 finished up 24.9% with a drawdown of 8.5% – That’s a swing of 33.4%! This year the index fell approximately 20% before rebounding, but of course, we don’t know how this...Read More

We truly value our client relationships and the trust placed in us.  Our mission is to provide our clients with peace of mind as we look after the process of investing for them. We optimize our “pension-style” portfolios so you can spend your time doing what you love.  Check out what our clients are saying about us: We are very happy with the service we receive from Graz, Paul and Joseph, enjoying our retirement and...Read More

Investors sometimes ask, “Should we wait until stock markets have bottomed before we invest?”  We would like to share two reasons why our answer is “no.” Stock markets bottom well before economic downturns are at their worst.    Life is more important than worrying about negative headlines.    Stock markets look forward. Prices bottom long before corporate...Read More

“The real key to making money in stocks is to not get scared out of them.” ~ Peter Lynch, Fidelity The most successful investors often surprise us with advice that seems counterintuitive: Do not attempt to forecast financial markets. Maintain your investment discipline during periods of market turmoil.  The average investor may find it difficult to follow these...Read More

Ethics are of vital importance, especially in the investment industry.  Our CommonWealth team of professionals uphold the highest ethical standards as we manage your money. We maintain our independence so we can provide you with objective investment recommendations. In fact, we personally invest our money alongside yours in the same funds we recommend to our clients, showing...Read More

We would like to provide you with some relevant perspective on the current market volatility.  Corrections are a process and they are eventually met with an effective policy response. This encouraging chart shows how the S&P500 historically performed during the year following a sucessful resolution:   Source: Alpine Macro The point of maximum financial opportunity occurs during...Read More

Do you want to know how to build meaningful wealth during a lifetime? The most proven way is achieved through business ownership. By investing wisely in the shares of companies trading on public stock exchanges, we become owners of companies which allows us to “share” in their growing corporate profits.  Evidence for the ability of business...Read More

In the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” there is a very important conversation about money.  A despairing George Bailey, asks his guardian angel, Clarence, “You don’t happen to have $8,000 bucks on on you, do ya?” Clarence responds, “Oh no, we don’t use money in heaven.” George replies, “Comes in pretty handy down here, bub!” ...Read More

Whether you are planning for retirement or are already in retirement, the Commonwealth Financial Strategies team can help you to explore your retirement roadmap ensuring that you take advantage of all available financial strategies. We invite you to a personal Zoom meeting to discuss: 1. The lifestyle you would like to maintain throughout your retirement....Read More