I hugged my baby girl goodbye. Pulling a giant duffle, dressed in her hippie-farm clothes, she shouldered a loaded backpack with a single, deft movement. My youngest was off to a creamery in Montana to learn about making cheese.   A talented and prolific artist growing up, we thought sure she’d go to college, majorRead more about A Tale of Two Daughters: College vs Wwoofing[…]

Life was great in 2008. I’d just sold the biggest listing of my career, a record-setter at the time. I’d had a few good years working my way up the food chain, selling more expensive homes, getting awards, media quotes, vendors chasing me—and I’d been able to finally start saving money again toward college educationsRead more about Two Things Every Realtor Should Know Before Hiring a Financial Advisor[…]

Have you ever wondered why, when you open an investment account, no matter how small, advisors ask for every little detail about your money, income, debt, savings, investments, real estate, personal assets, goals, experience and even attitudes toward investing?   Seriously, do they really need to know? Actually, yes. We as advisors have a legalRead more about Why is Your Financial Advisor so Nosy?[…]

On March 21, 2017, the S&P 500 dropped 1.24%, ending a history-setting trading streak. Not a good day for most, but because my money manager saw the trend, sold my positions and moved to cash, my personal account only declined by 0.13%. Even if it’s boring and doesn’t pay well, cash is a legitimate asset class.Read more about Cash is Sometimes the Best Position to Be In[…]

Back in the dotcom days, the hubby and I made a pact. I’d hold a corporate job for stability and benefits, and he’d throw mind, body and soul into what became a series of startups, hoping we’d become IPO-rich. At one point, we held 3% of a company that received a $400 million buyout offer,Read more about What to Do With $10 Million[…]

Robo advisors are on the rise. Wall Street invented a nifty new product, and retail investors are flocking toward it. On the surface, the concept seems fantastic. Computer algorithms pick stocks based on trading rules set up by finance masterminds, removing emotion from the investing process. That’s a good thing, as emotion often leads toRead more about What Scares Me Most About Robo Investing[…]

A dear old friend called me the other day. Expecting her first child, her finances were scattered—Roth IRA here, a brokerage account there, some insurance, a home with equity and not enough left over to invest. She’d read all the books but still needed to get her financial house in order. The whole thing seemedRead more about How to Find a Good Financial Planner[…]

I’m Diane Cohn, financial advisor with Maxim Partners. We’re not like most investment advisory firms. Here are six things you should know about us: We manage portfolios for investors looking for better returns. That’s our focus. Our biggest benefit to clients is access to an incredibly talented portfolio manager. He’s a former analyst, investment banker, management consultant andRead more about 6 Things to Know About Our Investment Advisory Firm[…]