Author: Mike Shell
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Disability Income Planning Is Harder for Families With Meaningful Capital Than It Appears
Disability planning can be frustrating for high earners. The financial risk is meaningful, but the coverage available may fall short of expectations. That disconnect exists for several reasons. Individuals with substantial assets or investment income… Read More
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The Market Isn’t Just Expensive. It’s Dependent.
Valuation is the wrong frame. Not because it doesn’t matter. Because it doesn’t tell you what the market is depending on. Read it here. Read More
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The Market Isn’t Just Expensive. It’s Dependent.
Valuation alone is the wrong frame. Not because it doesn’t matter. Because it doesn’t tell you what the market is depending on. Right now, the market is depending on earnings velocity. Yardeni Research recently raised… Read More
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Matching Term, Whole Life, and Universal Life to the Objective
Life insurance decisions often become product debates. That is the wrong starting point. The more useful question is what the policy is intended to accomplish and over what time horizon. Term insurance is generally the… Read More
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Stocks Up, Volatility Up: What It Tells Us About the Market
When stocks rise and volatility rises with them, most investors instinctively assume something defensive is happening. Sometimes that’s true. Read it here. Read More
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Spot-Up, Vol-Up: When the Market Starts Paying for Upside
When stocks rise and volatility rises with them, most investors instinctively assume something defensive is happening. Sometimes that’s true. If the S&P 500 index is rising, VIX is rising, and put skew is steepening, the… Read More
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Long-Term Care Planning Is a Liquidity Decision With Family Consequences
Long-term care planning sits at the intersection of health, liquidity, and family governance. That is why it is rarely a simple yes-or-no decision. Long-term care differs from acute medical care because it often extends over… Read More
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Beneficiary Designations and Tax Rules Can Reshape the Outcome
It is possible to have the correct amount of insurance and still direct it the wrong way. That is why beneficiary review is not an administrative detail. It is part of strategic planning. As family… Read More
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Advanced Life Insurance Strategies Require Strong Guardrails
Advanced life insurance planning is where complexity begins to compound. That is precisely why discipline matters more. Before discussing any specialized strategy, the underlying foundation must be evaluated carefully. Carrier financial strength, underwriting standards, reserve… Read More
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Revocable Living Trusts Are About Continuity as Much as Probate
Revocable living trusts are often discussed primarily in the context of probate avoidance. That framing is incomplete. For many families, the larger benefit involves continuity of management during incapacity, administrative coordination after death, and centralized… Read More