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News & Podcasts
YHB Wealth Advisors has joined Glass Jacobson Wealth Advisors
27 Sep 2022
YHB Wealth Advisors has joined Glass Jacobson Wealth Advisors to bring clients an even larger network of resources, services, and experts in the industry.
Is there a Recession coming…or is it already here and we just don’t know it yet?
29 Jul 2022
There has been a lot of chatter recently about whether we're headed for a recession or not.
The Perils of Too Much Credit Card Debt
29 Jul 2022
As the level of inflation increases, and the cost of nearly everything rises, recently there have been numerous stories in the press citing the increasing level of credit card debt by American consumers.
Rebalancing Your Portfolio
29 Jul 2022
It’s a good idea to periodically check the allocation of your investment portfolio to ensure it accurately reflects your objectives and risk tolerance levels.
What's the Best Age to Receive Social Security?
14 Mar 2022
Advice from the Social Security Administration can guide your decision
Practical Tips to Starting a New Business
9 Mar 2022
Simple steps to help you bounce back quickly from challenging situations
February 24, 2022
24 Feb 2022
“Russia Invades Ukraine”
This is the headline we all woke up to this morning.
The Sunday Night Blues Can Attack Retirees Too
15 Dec 2021
Retirement brings a change in lifestyle and can be difficult if not planned
Healthy at 75 Should Be Your Retirement Mantra
7 Dec 2021
Good health means you can both accumulate wealth and enjoy it
Five Common Misconceptions About Retirement
2 Dec 2021
Retirement is not what you retire from, but what you retire to
Understanding the Advantages of an HSA
9 Nov 2021
HSAs can be particularly beneficial to those who are young and healthy
Inherited IRAs: What You Should Know
1 Nov 2021
The rules and consequences of IRA beneficiary arrangements are complex.
Don’t Be Scared to Re-Allocate Your Portfolio
28 Oct 2021
If your portfolio is loaded up with tech stocks, it’s time to reassess
Five Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid
12 Oct 2021
These simple steps might save you a great deal of money and heartache.
Charitable Ideas for What to Do With Your Money
4 Oct 2021
Learn from the great givers and let your advisor be your sounding board
12 Estate Planning Must-Dos
27 Sep 2021
Many of you already have estate documents, probably executed many years ago. Preferably you should have an estate attorney look over your documents every 10 years or so. Here are a dozen points to review.
Questions to Ask an Agent When It’s Time to Sell
2 Aug 2021
Your home is likely your biggest investment – don’t go it alone
Four Tips for Gaining Financial Independence
29 Jul 2021
The golden rule of financial planning: if you can plan it, you can achieve it
Inheritance Planning Can Help Avoid Headaches
1 Jul 2021
Your advisor can help ensure you leave your estate in the best possible way.
ABCs of Investing for College
23 Jun 2021
Invest early. Invest often. Invest for growth.
YHB Wealth Advisors named on 2021 Wealth Magnets - Top 150 Firms by AUM
14 Jun 2021
YHB Wealth Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisory firm, is pleased to announce it was recently ranked on Accounting Today’s The Top 150 Firms by AUM.
Navigating Income After Retirement
22 Apr 2021
Declining yields have created a challenging environment for retirees hoping to design a very conservative allocation. How can they extract income from their portfolios in an era of incredibly shrinking yields?
Will 2021 be the Comeback Year for Value Stocks?
22 Apr 2021
It is still early in 2021, but there may appear at least to be the potential for the value style of investment to make its comeback.
Doing some home improvement projects? You aren't alone
22 Apr 2021
During the pandemic, home improvement projects have gone through the roof (no pun intended).
Why Monte Carlo Isn’t Just a Place in the Mediterranean
9 Oct 2020
While no model can perfectly forecast the market, the Monte Carlo analysis is one key aspect of our financial plan that enables us to sleep well at night knowing that we have a plan that is working for us.
Converting IRAs From Traditional To Roth
6 Oct 2020
Converting your traditional IRA funds into a Roth IRA could have significant tax benefits to yourself and your family members, if planned correctly. Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), there is an opportunity to take advantage of historically low tax rates before the rates are scheduled to reset to the previous levels by the end of 2025.
We Aren't Off This Ride Yet...
2 Oct 2020
Equity investors have been on quite a roller-coaster ride this year. After hitting an all-time high in February, the S&P 500 Index plunged a gut-wrenching 34% over the next month, marking the quickest bear market in U.S. history. Smaller company stocks did even worse during that period, losing more than 40%. Thankfully, because our client portfolios were not fully invested in equities prior to the decline, our average client account did not experience the full brunt of the volatility. However, the flip side of that conservative allocation means we also didn’t experience the equally surprising and gravity-defying upturn. From the March low, the market roared back to make a new high in September. Talk about whiplash.
Unmasking The Financial Markets
12 Aug 2020
Though the effects of the mandatory shutdown of most of the global economy in order to stem the spread of the virus have been devastating, the news is becoming less bad as the countries around the world take steps to restart growth. If the news continues to improve, and there doesn’t appear to be a sharp resurgence of infection, this combined with the effect of stimulus and low rates could propel further upside for the equity markets.
Using Your Time At Home To Plan for the Fun Things
5 Aug 2020
What must you consider as you shelter-in-place, remain safe-in-place, and possibly make the decision to transition to work from home (WFH) on a permanent basis?
So, You've Been Offered Early Retirement...
28 Jul 2020
Many people have not only found themselves working from home in recent months, but they’ve been wondering when they will get back in the office. Others have received the offer of never having to return to the office. Perhaps your company has given you such an offer of “early retirement” and you’re wondering whether or not you should take it.
2020 Wealth Magnets - Top Firms by AUM
22 Jun 2020
YHB Wealth Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisory firm, is pleased to announce it was recently ranked on Accounting Today’s 2020 Wealth Magnets - Top Firms by AUM (assets under management). YHB Wealth Advisors ranked as the 5th largest based in Virginia.
Investment Market Update
16 Mar 2020
The odds of the US economy falling into recession are increasing daily from the government and consumer response to the spread of the coronavirus. Up to this point, because of a conservatively oriented diversification, generally our client accounts have held up well when compared to the broad equity market. However capital preservation is a key element of total long term return...
March Madness…
13 Mar 2020
The global economy essentially just got a one-two punch to the face. The psychological impact of the spread of the Coronavirus on the general public and the actions being taken by governments to contain it have reached the point where a health concern is now morphing into an economic concern as events are cancelled and people stop spending on everything except hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
When China Sneezes…
3 Mar 2020
There is a saying in global economics, that “When China Sneezes, the World Catches a Cold”, and it seems from all indications over the past few weeks, China is dealing with something much more serious than just a bad cold.
Is This the “Melt Up?”
31 Jan 2020
According to Investopedia, a Melt Up is a “dramatic and unexpected improvement in the investment performance of an asset class or broad market index, driven in part by a stampede of investors who don't want to miss out on its rise, rather than by fundamental improvements in the economy.” The current record setting run in the equity markets seems likely destined to end the year in strong fashion, and in my opinion, fits this definition. The full year returns that will show up on December 2019 brokerage statements will be enhanced by the sharp sell-off the equity market experienced in the 4th quarter of 2018. But, even considering that fact, there is no question 2019 has been a good year for the broad markets, and some stocks have had spectacular runs.
The Personal Refi: the art of the personal finance, refinance
31 Jan 2020
Heading into the end of the year I often hear, and read, about aspects of finance that are readily overlooked. Budgets, charitable giving, credit cards, insurance, employee benefits, retirement contributions, property taxes, and the list goes on. Admittedly I used to not give ample attention to the majority of my personal financial life. Thankfully, I’m better educated on the topic than I used to be. I’ve grown to call this annual exercise the Personal Refi; partly because some items are legitimate refinance items, but also because we are simply revisiting our personal finances. Allow me to share some refinance items that my family is practicing as we head out of 2019 and into 2020.
The New Year is a perfect time to “Re-Balance”
9 Jan 2020
What is portfolio rebalancing? Put simply, the act of rebalancing ensures that your portfolio stays within your desired allocation over time. This is necessary because the assets in your portfolio will naturally change in value over time and the percentage relationship with one another will change as a result.
Every Investor Should Understand the Benefits of Tax-Loss Harvesting
12 Oct 2019
Even in the best of times, not every investment will be a winner. Fortunately, losing investments do have a silver lining: You may be able to use them to lower your tax liability and better position your investment portfolio going forward. This strategy is called tax-loss harvesting, and it’s one of the many tax-smart strategies that investors should understand and consider using when appropriate.
4th Quarter Market Commentary
9 Oct 2019
The most recent – and perhaps the most important – concern for the investment markets has been the inversion of the 10-year/2-year Treasury yield curve. The yield curve “inverted” which simply means for a period of time, the 10-year Treasury yielded less than the 2-year Treasury – which is not the usual circumstance. This is important because it has preceded every recession in the last 40 years.
Required Minimum Distributions: 3 Ideas To Consider
7 Oct 2019
Created in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, required minimum distributions (RMDs) are set dollar amounts the government mandates you take a withdraw from your retirement accounts once you reach the age of 70 ½. Once this age is reached, you have until April 1 of the year following turning 70 ½ to take the distribution from your retirement account or accounts. For each year after, the RMD must be taken by Dec 31. A few details here are important to be mindful of.
2019 Year-End Tax Planning Strategies
1 Oct 2019
As Autumn begins and the leaves start to fall, our thoughts turn to year-end tax planning for our clients. Although many of the tried and true tax planning strategies may still be advantageous under the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), there are some new “twists” in the opportunities to reap tax savings, as well as an end to some old favorites.
Sharp Sell-off in the Equity & Income Markets
7 Aug 2019
The recent sharp sell-off in the equity and income markets is, in large part, due to some of the risks that have been simmering (or bubbling if you will) under the surface of the markets since the start of the year, but have largely been ignored as the market moved higher. Many of these risks have been present for some time slowly boiling under the surface.
The Hindenburg Omen
29 Jul 2019
The Hindenburg Omen is a market breadth indicator, named after the German zeppelin that caught fire and crashed in 1937. It utilizes data from the New Highs and New Lows list of stocks in a particular equity market to gauge market indecision.
5 Reasons You Should have a Portfolio Review
29 Jul 2019
Regular Portfolio reviews are a great opportunity for you to assess your progress toward your financial future, and ensure your portfolio hasn’t drifted away from the asset allocation that best matches your risk tolerance and time horizon. Here are five important reasons to regularly review your portfolio.
Counting on Social Security in Retirement?
18 Jul 2019
The Social Security (SS) system was created in 1935 with the objective of helping individuals and families cover their basic living needs once they reach retirement. Essentially, the program is a forced savings for retirement. However, there is growing concern about the current health of the system.
Invest in Quality
23 May 2019
My theory of investing in these items for my own personal collection is the exact same theory that drives the investment philosophy for my own accounts, as well as those of the clients we manage: Invest in the very best quality you can afford. I would also add a caveat to that line of thinking – don’t overpay even for the best quality.
Should you “Sell in May & Go Away?”
30 Apr 2019
There are some interesting strategies that could be employed by active investors to best take advantage of the potential total return impacts that seasonality has on the equity markets, and long-term investors are wise to consider more important factors that should influence investment decisions
A Look at Q1 2019
5 Apr 2019
The New Year has brought with it a new wave of optimism, with equities rallying strongly across the world. Coming off the 4th quarter of 2018, when the S&P 500 saw its worst quarterly performance since 2011, the index rebounded in the 1st quarter of 2019 to recover 80% of the previous decline and turned in its best quarterly performance in ten years.
Taking “The Game” Out of Wall Street
13 Mar 2019
The actions of the Federal Reserve since the Financial Crisis have been directly related to their efforts to sustain inflated assets valuations in the investment markets, and have led to a series of asset bubbles. People come to see investing as a game Wall Street plays for its own benefit. In fact, it is anything but a game.
How the Federal Reserve Impacts the Market
28 Feb 2019
Recently, there has been a major change in the way the Fed has approached their role in monetary policy and how their actions have impacted the global investment markets. This change could have a large impact on the short term direction of the investment markets.
The History of the Central Banking System
25 Feb 2019
The history of the development of a Central Banking system in this country helps you understand exactly how much impact the decisions made and actions taken by the Federal Reserve impact the investment markets. It all starts literally at the birth of our Nation.
The FED Tries to Extend the Dance
20 Feb 2019
The change in stance by the Federal Reserve from its announced plan in late December to continue hiking interest rates and reducing its balance sheet in 2019, to its early January announcement that it may have reached rate "normalization' already and will be open to adjustments to its balance sheet going forward, means Powell has fallen into line with his predecessors to provide a protective "Put" to equity market valuation levels.
Recent Market Volatility | What you need to know.
12 Oct 2018
The recent increased volatility and sharp declines in the equity markets may be causing you some anxiety and as a result you may have feelings of uncertainty about your investments. I am writing to you today in the hope that I can help satisfy some of your concerns.

You might be wondering what has suddenly changed to cause this increased volatility in the markets and pushed the broad indexes sharply lower. While the precise driving factors will probably never be known for certain, it is very likely that a combination of factors are behind the most recent movements. These factors have been present and recognized by investors for some time, but as is true of many things in life, they weren't really focused on, until they are suddenly deemed important.
When can I retire? More importantly, when do I want to retire?
28 Sep 2018
Everyone in the world, regardless of their current net worth, has some perspective on retirement. The breadth of their perspectives range from working by choice, satisfying their compulsive travel habits, or simply enjoying a quiet life at home. The ebb and flow of life, political climates, and economic events often dictate varied shifts in when we believe we are capable of retiring, or altogether even begin to take the steps to plan for it. Yet should these events really dictate so much of the steps we do or do not take in planning for our retirement?
Corporate Stock Buybacks
20 Aug 2018
As a value investor, one of the metrics I often look at when analyzing a particular company is whether the company management is acting in a “shareholder friendly” manner. Part of that analysis involves looking to see if they have bought back stock over the years – and what valuation level they paid.
Recent Volatility in the Investing World
28 Jul 2018
Equity markets continue the trend of increased volatility that started in late January. The S&P 500 has already seen more than 4 times the number of 1% up or down days so far in 2018 than it saw in all of 2017! The heightened volatility can’t be pegged to just one or two reasons – there have been a mixture of earnings surprises, Fed uncertainty, rising inflation, rising interest rates, higher priced oil, and recurring geopolitical concerns that have been the “headline” drivers of the swings.
Social Security - Will it be there when you are ready to retire?
13 Jul 2018
The Trustees of the Social Security Trust Fund recently released their report to Congress, and the picture isn't pretty. For the first time in 36 years, they will have to begin drawing down their reserves to pay all beneficiaries. Without significant changes, the funds will be exhausted by 2034. In this podcast Randy discusses the implications of these revelations, and outlines some actions you should be taking now if you are planning to retire within the next decade.
Stock Buybacks - Are They Good or Bad?
1 Jun 2018
In December, 2017 the government passed a new tax bill that lowered the corporate tax rate. One of the big benefits of this reduction touted by the administration was the ability of US companies to plow the savings into increasd capital spending and wage increases for their employees. Fast forward to today, and there here has been an increase in capital equipment spending, but not nearly as much as expected. What has seen a sizable increase? Corporate stock buybacks. Share buybacks have averaged $4.8 billion per day. That's double the rate seen at this point in 2017, and expectations are companies will buy back $800 billion by year end - 50% more than last year and a new record. Does all this spending by companies to buy back their own stock benefit the individual shareholder? The answer is - it depends. In this episode we discuss this trend and point out the factors that make buybacks positive for investors.
4 Key Values When Investing
25 May 2018
These are the points of our core set of investing values. They’ve proven over the long term to be useful guidelines to increase the chance of achieving success for us, but they don’t have to match your set of beliefs. The key is to develop your own, and then stick to them. Having a set of guiding beliefs will help you avoid the risk of investing based upon emotion, which is rarely going to lead to success.
Investing with a Value Philosophy
15 May 2018
Over the last 12-18 months, the value style of investing has underperformed the growth style, but on a longer term basis, there are numerous studies that have shown value performs best, and with less risk. Why do you think that is the case?
Short Term Sentiment and Long Term Value
30 Apr 2018
In today's podcast we examine the drivers of market direction in both the short and longer term time frames. Factors like earnings and economic growth, interest rate direction and valuation influence the patterns we see in the equity market over multiple cycles. However when you are looking at very short term timeframes, these factors often are relegated to the back seat in favor of emotion and momentum. We will discuss several indicators of short term sentiment released last week that seem to point to the potential for a near term move higher. For those with a longer term preference, we'll discuss the fundamentals of a sector where we currently find some value.
Developing a Core Set of Investing Beliefs: Have a Plan
25 Apr 2018
Seasoned investors understand that successful long-term investing is much more focused on developing the ability to reduce risk and limit the downside. Understanding that means you have to give up on the idea that you’re going to uncover a couple hot stocks, or that you have the ability to more accurately time the short term moves in the market than everyone else. Instead, you develop a core set of beliefs that guide your decision making & you hone your analysis skills until you are an expert.
How to Handle the Increased Volatility
16 Apr 2018
For most of 2017, the equity markets seemed to be marching higher without much of any volatility. All that changed in early February, 2018, when the Dow recorded a decline of 1,175 points in a single trading day. Since that time, the investment markets have experienced significant daily swings. Increased volatility of this kind can cause high levels of anxiety among investors, and drive them to make poor decisions based on emotion. In this episode of Let's Talk Investing, Randy analyzes the 2018 volatility, provides some historical context and offers some ideas to help individual investors better handle their emotions.
Planning for a Long Retirement
2 Apr 2018
Improvements in medical care, more active lifestyles and healthier diets are providing the benefit of longer life expectancies. All this is great news, but along with living longer comes the reality that we may need to plan for much longer retirement periods as well. In this podcast, Randy discusses how you can protect yourself from longevity risk and, most importantly, from outliving your retirement savings.
Lessons to be Learned from the Collapse of Bear Stearns
26 Mar 2018
The month of March marked 10 years since the collapse of the Bear Stearns, the 5th largest investment bank in the financial system at the time. Though there were warning signs of impending trouble if you were looking for them, its ultimate demise happened very swiftly and cost its employees and many investors significant losses. Looking back, as investors what lessons can we learn from this epic event in market history?
What’s Going on with the Yield Curve?
19 Mar 2018
In this episode Randy discusses the recent movements in interest rates as graphically expressed in the Yield Curve. He explains how rates have recently narrowed along the curve, what are the likely drivers of these changes, and what it means for the income and equity portions of your investment portfolio.
What is Value Investing?
12 Mar 2018
In this episode of Let’s Talk Investing, Randy discusses the history behind the development of the Value Investing Style, explores some of the variations in the philosophy that have been developed since its debut, and outlines how Value Investing principals guide the investment management process for clients of YHB Wealth Advisors. He also gives listeners several book ideas for their own further research.
Asset Allocation: What it is and Why You Should Care
5 Mar 2018
In today’s show Randy discusses some of the factors driving the continued volatility in the equity market. Pointing out the potential risks of rising inflation as an unintended consequence of the recent announcement by the Trump administration to enact trade tariff’s. He also covers the topic of asset allocation, discussing why investors should pay close attention to the overall allocation of their portfolio, even in a bull market, and how it is vital to long term risk reduction and improved returns.
Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Expands Benefits of 529 Savings Plans
1 Mar 2018
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017. While most of the focus has been on the changes to corporate and personal tax rates and deductions, the plan also includes many other small provisions that tend to be overlooked. One of these provisions expands the benefits of 529 savings plans.
Developing a Core Set of Investing Beliefs
26 Feb 2018
In this inaugural episode of Let's Talk Investing, we discuss the importance of developing your own set of core values to guide your investing success. Just as its important to have a guiding set of moral values to steer you though the tough times of life, having a guiding set of core principals for your investing will keep you from being swayed by emotional decision making during times of market volatility. 
Will C Corporations be the Comeback Kid of 2018?
28 Jan 2018
Business owners are curious about the decrease in the C corporation income tax rate to a flat 21%, which begins in 2018 as a result of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This decrease in the corporate income tax rate is a real cost savings to owners of C Corporations. Will C Corporations be the Comeback Kid of the future?
5 Reasons for Business Succession Planning
15 Jan 2018
It is never too early to create a business succession plan.  Whether you choose to sell your business or the unexpected happens, it is inevitable that one day you will no longer be involved in your business.  A business succession plan will help to protect you and your hard earned assets during this transition.
Equifax | When the bad guys have everything, what do we do next?
1 Oct 2017
We have all become accustomed to hearing about Cybersecurity Breaches but this one may be the Mother of all Breaches.  The latest estimate, released October 2, is that 145.5Million people were impacted by the breach.  So almost half of America has had their Social Security Number compromised.