The Smarter Investor Blog

Over the years, myself and many of my evidence-based investing colleagues have noticed interesting reactions from our newer not-for-profit clients during times of market distress. Frequently, we will be asked

Every four years the citizens of the United States exercise their constitutional right to vote. It is also around this time of year that opinions, predictions and prognosticators reappear after

Investors have started asking questions around a passive investing “bubble” they’ve been hearing about recently. The basic argument behind the financial press coverage of this “bubble” is that the popularity

In my early years of playing in the MLB, it was always said that one of the most difficult feats in all of sports is hitting a Major League curve

One of the most effective ways a wealth advisor can deliver consistent value to their clients is to engage in efficient tax-management of their portfolio. This has ALWAYS been easier

As the economic and capital markets landscape continues to rapidly shift and evolve, the most common questions we receive from clients has changed in kind. In early March, our clients

U.S. stocks have significantly outperformed international stocks in recent years. Further, U.S.-based multinationals are major players in the world economy. Here at Claris, we have had clients ask whether they

A critical component to your client experience with our firm is the formation of a robust investment plan to guide you and us as we build and maintain your portfolio

Claris Advisors, LLC is proud to announce that Scott Iverson, CFP®, ChFC, CEBS, CRPS has been named a Member of the company effective 1/1/20. Scott has served as a wealth

As evidence-based investors, Claris and our clients follow decades of Nobel Prize-winning research and tilt investment portfolios toward long-term sources of higher expected returns. These sources, or premiums, were conclusively

Coming off years of strong investor confidence, volatility has become the name of the game. 2018 was a hard year for equity markets when, for the first time in almost

The bucket strategy is a commonly used investment strategy, dividing a retirement portfolio into at least two different accounts. One account is invested in a more aggressive manner for future

It’s not unusual for someone to ask us why we exclusively use one mutual fund company to manage our clients’ portfolios. The simple answer: it’s based on planning and implementation.

“Sellers were out in force on the market today after negative news on the economy.” It’s a common line in TV finance reports. But have you ever wondered who is

No rain, cool temps, good food, great company and top that off with a 5-3 win for the St. Louis Cardinals to hold their National League Wildcard spot! Our client

Even when we do everything right – listen to the evidence, invest for the long-term, tune out the market noise – we don’t invest in a vacuum. Ultimately, we need

Small business owners interested in taking advantage of the new 20 percent qualified business income (QBI) deduction under the 2017 tax law should consider taking a look at pairing a

Every spring we shake off the winter tedium, set our clocks forward, pack up the flannel, and clean out the fireplace. All out of necessity and habit. But what about

Tuning Out the Noise takes you on a journey through the “lost decade,” featuring the media’s amplified coverage of headline events and pointing to the positive outcome that a disciplined

Check out the article written by David Goetsch, executive producer of The Big Bang Theory.  Dave reflects on how his transformed view of investing has helped him navigate this year’s

Our 5th Annual Claris Education Event was a success, and a huge thank you to Manisha Thakor for enlightening us about how women are going to rule the world!….Well, that’s

We at Claris Advisors are excited to announce the rollout of our dedicated app and online portal, available in both the Apple and Google Play store!  Get access to… Daily investment

Robo-advisor platforms are on the rise, and many of us are familiar with the pros and cons of these platforms. On the “pro” side, robo-advisors provide their customers with high-quality,

Many of us remember a time in the not too distant past when retirees could hold a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed income investments and live off the dividends

Most individual investors spend a lifetime saving and accumulating assets so that one day they will be able to fund a comfortable retirement. By the time these individuals reach the

For such a data-driven and somewhat stiff and boring industry, finance never ceases to amaze in its capacity to evoke raw, real emotion in individuals who depend on it to

We discussed the importance of implementing an appropriate asset allocation in part 3 of our blog series. Given the importance of allocation, it’s also crucial to maintain that allocation over

Cost effective portfolio implementation should be a critical component of every advisor’s toolkit. This is based on the simple truth: Gross investment returns – Costs = Net investment returns. Costs

An 8 part series exploring the value that a fiduciary advisor may bring to client relationships Most, if not all, fiduciary advisors are confident they are able to deliver significant

Claris Advisors believes strongly in the power of using evidence-based investing concepts to help our clients meet their financial goals. As independent advisors, we are not wedded to any particular

Americans have almost no affinity for the concept of average, or in the case of the stock market, market returns. From the time we’re very young most of us are

More and more young workers are taking on “sandwich generation” responsibilities early on, acting as a financial supporter of their parents. This additional responsibility requires preparation and planning of retirement and financial