Not sure about you, but I am so glad January is over. This quote from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, helped me through the month that seemed to last forever:

“When working with people, assume good intentions.

When listening to people, interpret their words in a generous way.

You will occasionally get burned and mistreated by always assuming the best in others, but it is a far better way to live than the opposite.”

Here’s what else I’ve been reading:

Be Curious

A good read about investing with a tie-in to my favorite Covid show Ted Lasso!

The Two Things to Do When the Stock Market Gets Crazy

Knowing yourself is so important in investing. When the market acts crazy, which it does often and unpredictably, your present self wants to stop the pain by taking action. Often, these knee jerk reactions are not in the best interest of your future self.

Sounds weird that you need to do soul searching for investing. But it is critical to understand what your tolerance for market uncertainty is so you can take planned actions instead of reacting emotionally when markets go sideways.

How to Survive When Stocks Behave Badly

In this fearful market, there are a lot of loud voices shouting (bad) advice at you. This article gives you some balanced advice.

Who Should Consider an Annuity (and Who Shouldn’t)

Recently I had someone come to me with 7 different variable annuities without an understanding of why her financial advisor had recommended them. Annuities are complicated and can be expensive. There is not a right or wrong answer when it comes to annuities. The key is to know what you are buying and why.

As a reminder, if you have a current advisor or are searching for one, be sure to do your due diligence and check them out on FINRA’s BrokerCheck. I was actually so appalled by what I saw in the woman’s portfolio that I looked up her current advisor. He had 9 dings on his record. That’s 9 too many… Buyer beware.

Lunar New Year 2022: Welcoming the Year of the Tiger 

Happy Lunar New Year! ???? Another reason to celebrate the end of January! Plus our first snow day of 2022!

Til next time!

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Disclosures: 

BW Financial LLC dba BW Financial Planning is an Investment Adviser registered with the State of Colorado.

All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. We may, from time to time, have a position in the securities mentioned and may execute transactions that may not be consistent with this communication’s conclusions. This communication is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, accounting and/or tax advice. Should you have any questions and/or issues in these areas, please consult your legal, tax and/or accounting adviser.