Avoiding Familiarity Bias as an Investor

by Elle Kaplan | Jun 6, 2016 | Blog, Investing

Often, we’re inclined to buy local or to go with something that we’re familiar with. Take produce, for instance – if there was a local farm you had visited, you’d probably be more likely to purchase food from there over an unknown source from the supermarket. This is...

Should You Pay off Your Mortgage Early or Invest?

by Elle Kaplan | Jun 1, 2016 | Blog, Wealth Management

One thing we’ve been taught about money since we could understand its meaning is that debt is inherently bad. So if you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably wanted to eliminate your mortgage for good, and seriously pondered if you should pay off your mortgage early or...

Does An Active Lifestyle Affect Your Retirement Income Needs?

by Elle Kaplan | May 31, 2016 | Blog, Retirement

How do you plan to spend your golden years? If you plan to have an active lifestyle in retirement, you aren’t alone – according to studies by George Washington University, the amount of retirees who are living an active lifestyle (such as frequently...

Does the Presidential Election Affect the Stock Market?

by Elle Kaplan | May 25, 2016 | Blog, Investing

With the highly publicized and heated election coming up, a question I often get asked is “does the presidential election affect the stock market?” Many are concerned that the huge uncertainty before the election can affect the stock market and plenty more are also...

Avoiding Loss Aversion in Investing

by Elle Kaplan | May 24, 2016 | Blog, Investing

We naturally don’t enjoy losing – whether it’s just a through a friendly sports game or an intense competition, we’ve all felt that sting before. What you may not realize is that we naturally despise losing so much that we notice it far more than a gain. In...

Avoiding Overconfidence in Investing: a Key to Long-term Success

by Elle Kaplan | May 23, 2016 | Blog, Investing

While there are some instances where having excess confidence is helpful (like in a job interview), it can often prove harmful. For example, numerous studies have been developed on the confidence of drivers – and around 80-90 percent of them wind up rating themselves...