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PHYSICIAN INVESTING: Understanding Risk and Return

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Investment Risk and Return

One of the major concepts that most investors should be aware of is the relationship between the risk and the return of a financial asset. It is common knowledge that there is a positive relationship between the risk and the expected return of a financial asset. In other words, when the risk of an asset increases, so does its expected return. What this means is that if an investor is taking on more risk, he/she is expected to be compensated for doing so with a higher return. Similarly, if the investor wants to boost the expected return of the investment, he/she needs to be prepared to take on more risk.

PORTFOLIO ALPHA: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/07/02/managing-for-endowment-portfolio-alpha/

Harry Max Markowitz (August 24, 1927 – June 22, 2023) was an American economist who was a professor of finance at the Rady School of Management at UCSD. He is best known for his pioneering work in modern portfolio theory, studying the effects of asset risk, return, correlation and diversification on probable investment portfolio returns.

One important thing to understand about Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is Markowitz’s calculations treat volatility and risk as the same thing. In layman’s terms, Dr. Markowitz uses risk as a measurement of the likelihood that an investment will go up and down in value – and how often and by how much. The theory assumes that investors prefer to minimize risk. The theory assumes that given the choice of two portfolios with equal returns, investors will choose the one with the least risk. If investors take on additional risk, they will expect to be compensated with additional return.

MARKOWITZ: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2011/01/19/the-living-legacy-of-dr-harry-markowitz/

According to MPT, risk comes in two major categories:

Systematic risk – the possibility that the entire market and economy will show losses negatively affecting nearly every investment; also called market risk

Unsystematic risk – the possibility that an investment or a category of investments will decline in value without having a major impact upon the entire market.

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Diversification generally does not protect against systematic risk because a drop in the entire market and economy typically affects all investments. However, diversification is designed to decrease unsystematic risk. Since unsystematic risk is the possibility that one single thing will decline in value, having a portfolio invested in a variety of stocks, a variety of asset classes and a variety of sectors will lower the risk of losing much money when one investment type declines in value. Thus putting together assets with low correlations can reduce unsystematic risks.

DIVERSIFICATION: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/08/13/the-negative-short-term-implications-of-diversification/

a. Understanding the Risk

Although broad risks can be quickly summarized as “the failure to achieve spending and inflation-adjusted growth goals,” individual assets may face any number of other subsidiary risks:

Call risk – The risk, faced by a holder of a callable bond that a bond issuer will take advantage of the callable bond feature and redeem the issue prior to maturity. This means the bondholder will receive payment on the value of the bond and, in most cases, will be reinvesting in a less favorable environment (one with a lower interest rate)
Capital risk – The risk an investor faces that he or she may lose all or part of the principal amount invested.
Commodity risk – The threat that a change in the price of a production input will adversely impact a producer who uses that input.
Company risk – The risk that certain factors affecting a specific company may cause its stock to change in price in a different way from stocks as a whole.
Concentration risk – Probability of loss arising from heavily lopsided exposure to a particular group of counterparties
Counterparty risk – The risk that the other party to an agreement will default.
Credit risk – The risk of loss of principal or loss of a financial reward stemming from a borrower’s failure to repay a loan or otherwise meet a contractual obligation.
Currency risk – A form of risk that arises from the change in price of one currency against another.
Deflation risk – A general decline in prices, often caused by a reduction in the supply of money or credit.
Economic risk – the likelihood that an investment will be affected by macroeconomic conditions such as government regulation, exchange rates, or political stability.
Hedging risk – Making an investment to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset.
Inflation risk – The uncertainty over the future real value (after inflation) of your investment.
Interest rate risk – Risk to the earnings or market value of a portfolio due to uncertain future interest rates.
Legal risk – risk from uncertainty due to legal actions or uncertainty in the applicability or interpretation of contracts, laws or regulations.
Liquidity risk – The risks stemming from the lack of marketability of an investment that cannot be bought or sold quickly enough to prevent or minimize a loss.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", CMP Program, finance, Glossary Terms, Marcinko Associates, Portfolio Management | Tagged: call risk, CMP, commodity risk, company risk, concentration risk, credit risk, currency risk, deflation risk, economic risk, finance, interest rate risk, Investing, investment, legal risk, liquiidity risk, Marcinko, MPT, personal-finance, return, systemic, unsystemic, volatility | Leave a comment »

INVESTMENT POLICY STATEMENT CONSTRUCTION: For Physicians and Medical Professionals

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

THE ESSENTIAL DOCUMENT

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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In order to create and monitor an investment portfolio for personal or institutional use, the physician executive, financial advisor, wealth manager, or healthcare institutional endowment fund manager, should ask three questions:

How much do we have invested?
How much did we make on our investments?
How much risk did we take to get that rate of return?

Introduction to the IPS

Most doctors, and hospital endowment fund executives, know how much money they have invested. If they don’t, they can add a few statements together to obtain a total. But, few can answers the questions above or actually know the rate of return achieved last year; or so far this year. Everyone can get this number by simply subtracting the ending balance from the beginning balance and dividing the difference. But, few take the time to do it. Why? A typical response to the question is, “We’re doing fine.”

POOR DOCTORS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/07/29/why-too-many-physician-colleagues-dont-get-rich/

Now, ask how much risk is in the portfolio and help is needed [risk adjusted rate of return]. In fact, Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz, Ph.D. said, “If you take more risk, you deserve more return.” Using standard deviation, he referred to the “variability of returns;” in other words, how much the portfolio goes up and down, its volatility [Markowitz, H: Portfolio Selection. Journal of Finance, March, 1952].

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IPS Construction(1)Download

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PHYSICIANS: Do You Use A Financial Planner?

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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TO: All Physicians and Dentists

QUESTION?

Do you use a financial advisor?

What has been your experience with him or her?

THANK YOU

EDUCATION: Books

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PARADOX of Financial Health

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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FINANCIAL HEALTH

Classic Definition: Research from Ernst-Young [Nikhil Lele and Yang Shim] uncovered a chasm between how consumer patients think they’re doing financially, and the actual state of their finances. Even more striking, their study suggested that improving consumers’ financial health will become one of the top imperatives in reframing consumer financial services.

Modern Circumstance: For example, the study asked consumers to rate their own financial health, and 83 percent rated themselves “good,” “very good” or “excellent.” Now, contrast this figure with what is known about their actual situation:

60 percent of Americans say they are financially stressed.
56 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.
40 million American families have no retirement savings at all.
40 percent of Americans are not prepared to meet a $400 short-term emergency.

Paradox Example: Fortunately, even though the vast majority of consumers rate themselves as financially healthy, the study found that most still want to improve. Importantly for health economists, the attractive 25-34 and 35-49 year-old age groups were most likely to be extremely or very interested in improving their financial and economic health.

Paradox Example: Massively affluent consumer patients are even more interested in improving this paradox than their mass market counterparts.

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DAILY UPDATE: Both ACA Premiums and Stock Markets Rise

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
How May We Serve You?

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ADVERTISE ON THE ME-P: https://tinyurl.com/ytb5955z

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CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

What’s up

Krispy Kreme and GoPro got caught up in the new meme stock craze—the donut maker jumped 4.60%, while the wearable camera company leaped 12.41%.
Nintendo rose 2.36% after the company’s new Switch 2 console sold 1.6 million units in June, making it the fastest-selling console in US history.
GE Vernova gained 14.58% thanks to an impressive beat-and-raise earnings report for the power equipment manufacturer.
USANA Health Sciences soared 12.37% after the nutritional supplement maker crushed earnings estimates.
Cal-Maine Foods, the biggest egg producer in the country, added 13.80% after profiting from the high cost of eggs over the previous quarter.
Lamb Weston sizzled 16.31% higher as shareholders applauded the french fry giant’s strong earnings report and new cost-cutting program.

What’s down

Texas Instruments tumbled 13.34% after the semiconductor company revealed a disappointing third-quarter earnings forecast.
Enphase Energy plunged 14.16% thanks to weak earnings guidance, with the solar company’s management blaming tariffs for squeezing its margins.
SAP lost 5.03% after the enterprise software company missed Q2 revenue estimates.
Fiserv may have beaten analyst forecasts last quarter, but the fintech still sank 13.85% due to weaker-than-expected financial guidance.
Going down: Otis Worldwide dropped 12.38% after the elevator manufacturer lowered its fiscal guidance due to weak demand.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Insurers selling plans on ACA exchanges are expected to hike premiums next year as subsidies on them are set to expire, with the average person expected to be paying 75% more, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan research group KFF.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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When Economic Facts Become Political Opinions: A Financial Advisor’s Dilemma

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler MSFP CFP™

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QUESTION: “How will this administration’s trade policies affect my retirement savings?” “What does it mean for our plans to travel internationally if the value of the dollar declines?” “Is it wise to borrow right now to expand my business?”

Clients who ask questions like these expect and deserve honest answers from their financial advisors. Their financial and retirement planning depend on accurate information. Yet in the current polarized and chaotic climate, every economic explanation carries potential political interpretations.

Historically, political parties and administrations debated policies on taxes, spending, and regulation. Yet they shared a basic understanding of core mechanisms. Both parties recognized that central banks fight inflation, that tariffs raise prices, and that court rulings are binding. Disagreements focused on applications and political philosophies, not fundamental aspects of our governmental system and the rule of law.

That consensus has collapsed.

This distortion creates a professional bind for advisors. To fulfill their fiduciary duty to clients, advisors must explain economic realities like the link between tariffs and increased consumer costs. They owe it to clients to consider the impact on the U.S. dollar when a president threatens the independence of the Federal Reserve. They should be aware of information such as a CNBC survey that found 66% of small business owners reported being or expecting to be impacted by tariffs. They cannot ignore the difficulties of making business and investment decisions when policies change almost daily and legal rulings are delayed or ignored.

Considering the ramifications of political decisions on clients’ affairs is not an abstract concern. When international confidence in American institutions is wavering and U.S. business owners are uncertain, the consequences affect real money in the accounts of real people.

Yet talking about such issues may trigger accusations of partisanship. Many people get the bulk of their political and economic information from social media and from competitive news outlets that may be as much entertainment as journalism. The biases in some of these sources go so far beyond partisan leanings that they offer conflicting information purporting to be factual. What was once a neutral middle ground where essential facts were agreed upon has become harder to find, particularly when reporting covers politics and the economy.

That neutral territory is exactly where responsible financial advisors need to get the facts on which they base their advice. It’s challenging to stay there if clients are getting their news from outlets that are strongly biased toward either end of the political spectrum. Nuanced explanations can be interpreted as bias or context seen as spin. For the advisor whose information is questioned, remaining silent fails the client. Speaking truthfully risks the relationship with the client.

I have seen advisors lose clients, on both ends of the political spectrum, when advisors and clients held different views. The professional cost of maintaining standards has become substantial.

The financial planning profession faces an unprecedented challenge. Our traditional advisory principles assume a shared understanding of economic fundamentals. That foundation is no longer solid, and trust in advisors’ expertise is eroding.

These disruptions raise a core question. Should financial advisors prioritize economic truth over client comfort or client retention? Or should they accommodate clients’ political sensitivity and compromise the integrity of the advice they provide? Either path risks the loss of clients and revenue.

The choice is not theoretical. It defines the advisor’s professional identity and the quality of financial guidance itself. When economic mechanisms are politicized, the profession’s standards weaken and client service suffers.

The stakes are clear. This is a conflict over whether facts still function as the basis of financial advice.

The resolution will determine whether financial planning remains a profession or becomes another form of political posturing.

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Beware of Borrowing That Helps Your Advisor – Not You

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler MSFP CFP™

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When Maria needed $400,000 for a down payment on a new home, her broker at a large Wall Street firm offered a solution: “Don’t sell investments and trigger capital gains. Just take out a margin loan.”

A margin loan is a line of credit from a brokerage firm, secured by the client’s investment portfolio. It offers quick access to cash with no immediate tax consequences and minimal paperwork. But the convenience comes at a cost. As of mid-2025, margin loan interest rates range from 6.25% to over 11%.

Margin loan recommendations are often presented by brokers as tax-savvy strategies that allow clients to access “tax-free” cash while keeping their portfolios intact. In many cases, however, the math benefits the advisor more than the investor. The cost of borrowing often exceeds what an investor is likely to earn by holding on.

For example, let’s assume an interest rate of 7.5% on Maria’s $400,000 margin loan. While borrowing delayed the payment of $20,000 in capital gains tax, she will eventually have to pay that tax anyway unless she holds the investments until her death. Two years later, with portfolio returns of 4% annually, she had earned around $32,000 from the $400,000 in investments she might have sold. Meanwhile, she had paid $60,000 in interest—leaving her some $28,000 worse off. That’s without factoring in ongoing interest payments, or the risks of a margin call if the investments securing the loan drop in value.

Why do advisors keep recommending margin loans? Because selling investments reduces the portfolio size and the advisor’s fee. Borrowing keeps the portfolio intact and the compensation unchanged—while the firm receives additional income from interest on the loan. In some cases, advisors suggest using margin loans to buy more investments, increasing both the portfolio and the fee they collect.

None of this is illegal. But when the borrowing cost is higher than expected returns and the advisor benefits financially, the ethics are questionable. The client takes the risk, while the advisor keeps the revenue.

This kind of conflict appears more often in portfolios where compensation is tied to asset volume and the company’s primary culture rewards gathering assets over delivering unbiased advice. By contrast, fee-only financial planning and investment advisors typically operate on simpler hourly, flat, or tiered fee structures. Their compensation doesn’t depend on whether a client borrows, sells, or holds. The culture of the firm focuses on conflict-free advice aligned with the client’s best interest.

Wall Street brokers are often held to a fiduciary standard, but structure still matters. In 2024 the SEC reported their examinations of brokers would continue to focus on advisor recommendations unduly influenced by the company’s compensation and incentives.

There are rare situations where a margin loan may be appropriate. A client with large unrealized gains might use a short-term margin loan to minimize taxes. An elderly investor might borrow tax-free rather than sell assets that will receive a step-up in basis at their death. Even in those cases, the math must be exact and the client must clearly understand the risks, including the possibility of a margin call.

If your advisor recommends a margin loan, especially to buy more investments, ask strong questions. What’s the interest rate? What return is realistic? What are the tax consequences of selling? How does this affect the advisor’s income?

If you don’t get direct answers, that’s a warning sign.

In a high-rate, low-return environment, margin loans rarely favor the client. The exceptions are narrow. The risks are significant. And the conflict of interest is measurable.

Sometimes the smartest move is the simplest: sell what you need, pay the tax, and leave leverage out of your plan.

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PARADOXES: Beware Financial and Investing Contradictions

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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As we plan for our financial future, I think it’s helpful to be cognizant of these paradoxes. While there’s nothing we can do to control or change them, there is great value in being aware of them, so we can approach them with the right tools and the right mindset.

Here are just seven of the paradoxes that can bedevil financial planning and investment decision-making:

There’s the paradox that all of the greatest fortunes—Carnegie, Rockefeller, Buffett, Gates—have been made by owning just one stock. And yet the best advice for individual investors is to do the opposite: to own broadly diversified index funds.
There’s the paradox that the stock market may appear overvalued and yet it could become even more overvalued before it eventually declines. And when it does decline, it may be to a level that is even higher than where it is today.
There’s the paradox that we make plans based on our understanding of the rules—and yet Congress can change the rules on us at any time, as it did just a few weeks ago.
There’s the paradox that we base our plans on historical averages—average stock market returns, average interest rates, average inflation rates and so on—and yet we only lead one life, so none of us will experience the average.
There’s the paradox that we continue to be attracted to the prestige of high-cost colleges, even though a rational analysis that looks at return on investment tells us that lower-cost state schools are usually the better bet.
There’s the paradox that early retirement seems so appealing—and has even turned into a movement—and yet the reality of early retirement suggests that we might be better off staying at our desks.
There’s the paradox that retirees’ worst fear is outliving their money and yet few choose the financial product that is purpose-built to solve that problem: the single-premium immediate annuity.

Assessment

QUESTION: How should you respond to these paradoxes? As you plan for your financial future, embrace the concept of “loosely held views.” In other words, make financial plans, but continuously update your views, question your assumptions and rethink your priorities.

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The GENIUS Act

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By A.I.

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The GENIUS Act is the law of the Land

President Trump signed the bill into law Friday, setting up a framework for regulating stablecoins—digital currency pegged to traditional assets—that are linked to the US dollar. It’s a big win for the crypto industry, and Trump said it was a “giant step to cement American dominance of global finance and crypto technology.”

The law could help push stablecoins into the mainstream, and major companies like Walmart and Amazon have been said to be considering launching their own, according to Morning Brew.

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Do Political Biases Shape Your Financial Planner’s Advice?

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Career Development, economics, Ethics, finance, Financial Advisor Listings, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Investing, LifeStyle, mental health, Professional Liability | Tagged: advice, bias, CFP, economics, economy, Ethics, finance, financial advice, financial advisor, ground news, Investing, Investment Advice, mental health, money, personal-finance, political bias, political views, rick kahler, Smerconish | Comments Off on Do Political Biases Shape Your Financial Planner’s Advice?

Can You Contribute to Both a Roth IRA & 401(k)?

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters, AI and the Linqto Team

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Yes, you can contribute to both a Roth IRA and a 401(k), provided you don’t exceed annual contribution limits for each account.

Determining whether to contribute to a Roth IRA, 401(k), or both can be an important step in planning for your retirement. Here are the key differences, including tax advantages, employer contributions, and investment options.

Eligibility requirements are the first consideration when contributing to a Roth IRA and a 401(k). For Roth IRA contributions, your eligibility is determined by your income. Specifically, if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds certain thresholds, your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA may be reduced or eliminated. However, there are no income limits for contributing to a 401(k), making it accessible to anyone with earned income.

IRS rules do allow for contributions to both a Roth IRA and a 401(k), provided you adhere to the annual contribution limits for each account.

This means you can take advantage of the higher contribution limits of a 401(k) while also benefiting from the tax-free growth of a Roth IRA. This dual approach can be a strategy for maximizing your retirement savings. The advantages to contributing to both accounts present some key benefits, such as:

Tax diversification in retirement, allowing for better management of taxable income.
Potential reduction of overall tax burden.
Maximization of savings potential by taking full advantage of the benefits each account offers.³

Balancing contributions between a Roth IRA and a 401(k) requires careful planning. You might start by contributing enough to your 401(k) to receive the full employer match, which is essentially free money, if your employer offers this. Once you’ve secured the match, consider maxing out your Roth IRA contributions, if you’re eligible.

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BIAS: Beware Overconfident Investing

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters and A.I.

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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OVERCONFIDENT INVESTING BIAS

Overconfident Investing Bias happens when we believe we can out-smart other investors via market timing or through quick, frequent trading. This causes the results of a study to be unreliable and hard to reproduce in other research settings.

Example: Data convincingly shows that people and financial planners/advisors and wealth managers who trade most often under-perform the market by a significant margin over time. Active traders lose money.

Example: Overconfidence Investing Bias moreover leads to: (1) excessive trading (which in turn results in lower returns due to costs incurred), (2) underestimation of risk (portfolios of decreasing risk were found for single men, married men, married women, and single women), (3) illusion of knowledge (you can get a lot more data nowadays on the internet) and (4) illusion of control (on-line trading).

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ELDER ABUSE: Financial Exploitation Protection

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler CFP™

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One serious risk to financial wellbeing in retirement that is difficult to talk about is financial exploitation. Someone whose cognitive abilities are declining is vulnerable to harm from both financial predators and their own financial misjudgments. Protecting such clients is a crucial part of a financial advisor’s role.

A little-known but important law, the Senior Safe Act, was enacted in 2018. It encourages financial advisors and institutions to report suspected elder abuse by offering immunity from legal liability when reports are made in good faith and with reasonable care. To qualify for these protections, financial professionals must undergo annual training to recognize the signs of exploitation and know how to act on their suspicions.

In many ways, the Senior Safe Act mirrors the duty of therapists to report when clients are threats to themselves, such as when a client becomes suicidal. Just as a therapist must balance confidentiality with the moral and legal responsibility to protect their client from harm, a financial advisor must weigh privacy against the need to prevent financial exploitation. Both roles rely on professional judgment, training, and the courage to act when the stakes are high.

Financial advisors, accountants, and attorneys are often the first to notice troubling signs that someone is being taken advantage of financially. These might include sudden large withdrawals, changes to account ownership or beneficiaries, or a newly and overly involved friend or family member. Behavioral shifts like confusion, anxiousness, secretiveness, or uncharacteristic deference are also red flags. These patterns are unsettling and demand attention, even when stepping in is uncomfortable.

Reporting possible elder abuse isn’t always straightforward, especially if the suspected abuser is a family member. As an advisor, I worry about misunderstandings, potential conflicts with the family, and even the possibility of damaging a relationship with the client. None of this is easy, But when the signs of exploitation become clear, staying silent could mean allowing harm to continue. That’s a risk I can’t take.

One of the tools I started using decades ago is the trusted contact disclosure form. This simple but powerful document allows clients to name someone my firm can contact if they notice unusual activity, such as a suspicious withdrawal or transfer. The trusted contact does not have control over the client’s account but serves as a resource to verify their well-being and ensure that their financial decisions align with their long-term goals. If you as a client have not signed such a form, it’s worth discussing with your advisor as a preventative step.

If you are concerned about the financial well-being of an elderly loved one, it’s crucial to alert not only their financial advisor but also other professionals like accountants, attorneys, or bankers. These professionals may have insights or access to information you don’t have, and by sharing your concerns, you provide a broader picture that can help them detect and address issues more effectively. Even if they are already monitoring for red flags, your input can provide valuable context to guide their next steps.

Difficult though it may be, stepping into uncomfortable territory is often essential to protecting vulnerable individuals. Whether it’s a financial advisor detecting exploitation or a therapist intervening in a mental health crisis, the goal is the same—to prevent harm while respecting the person’s autonomy.

The Senior Safe Act is a reminder that sometimes the most impactful safeguards work quietly behind the scenes. Taking simple steps like completing a trusted contact form or encouraging your loved one to work with a reputable, fiduciary advisor can make all the difference. Vigilance is an act of care that helps protect someone’s financial assets as well as their dignity and well-being.

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HSA: Avoid Investments in Low-Yield Options

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, CMP Program, finance, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Healthcare Finance, Portfolio Management, Taxation | Tagged: Accounting, CMP, ETFs, finance, health savings account, HSA, HSAs, Investing, Mutual Funds, personal-finance, tax | Comments Off on HSA: Avoid Investments in Low-Yield Options

FINANCIAL COACHING: For Physicians!

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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DEAR COLLEAGUES

If you are just starting out managing your finances and don’t know where to begin, a financial coach may be a good option for you. They are helpful for someone who wants to become proficient in the basics of finance, from learning how to budget or save money to building an emergency fund or creating a plan for paying off debt. If you have short-term money goals, like saving for a big purchase or just practicing better money habits, a financial coach can help you reach them by working with you to create a plan and holding you accountable. Even more for physicians and most all medical professionals.

Pros and Cons of Working with a Financial Coach
A financial coach can have a positive impact on your financial well–being and your life in a number of ways:

Financial coaches see the bigger picture of how you relate to money. They can help you develop better habits, resulting in positive personal growth.
By providing education and encouragement, they can reduce financial stress, confusion, and what it is about money that overwhelms you.
Through accountability and support, they can help you accomplish your goals and help you feel more confident in your finances.
Available 24/7/365.
Modest fees.

At you service.
Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP

CONTACT: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

LINK: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/01/23/personal-coaching-dr-marcinko-at-your-service/

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MORE INVESTING TERMS: All Doctors Should Know

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Here is a list of the most common and helpful investment terms you’ll come across and should know.

Ask. The price that someone looking to sell stock wants to receive.
Bid. The price that someone is willing to pay for stock.
Buy. To acquire shares and thereby take a position in a company.
Sell. To get rid of shares whether because you’ve reached your goal or to prevent losses.
Bull market. Market conditions in which investors expect prices to rise.
Bear market. Market conditions in which investors expect prices to fall.
Dividend. A portion of a company’s earnings paid to shareholders.
Blue chip stocks. Shares of large and well-recognized companies that have a long history of solid financial performance.
Earning per share. A company’s net profit divided by the number of outstanding common shares.
Mutual fund. A collection of investments — stocks, bonds, commodities, and more — bundled together and held in common by a group of investors.
Asset. Something you own that could generate a return in the form of more assets.
Asset allocation. Your investment strategy, essentially — the mix of assets you choose to put your money into, whether that be cash, bonds, stocks, commodities, real estate or something else.
Broker. A person or firm — or robot — that arranges transactions between buyers and sellers in exchange for a commission (that is, a fee).
Capital gain (or capital loss). The money you make (or lose) on the sale of an asset.
Diversification. Investing in a variety of sectors, such as health care, energy and IT as well as across different geographic locations.
Dow Jones Industrial Average. A price-weighted list of 30 blue-chip stocks. It’s often used to help get a sense of the overall health of the stock market, even though it only reflects a small portion of the players.
Exchange-traded fund (ETF). A collection of investments that is traded like a stock.
Index fund. A type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund that allows you to invest in a portfolio that mimics a market index, which is basically a list that tracks the performance of a group of investments either for a specific sector or the overall market.
Hedge fund. A type of investment partnership. Partners pool money from investors and try out a few different investing strategies. Generally, hedge funds will make riskier investments than your typical investor. They’ll also often use leverage (that is, borrowed money) or place bets against the market to get bigger returns. They make their money by charging their investors management fees based on a percentage of their profits.
Expense ratio. The percentage-based fee that mutual fund managers charge you to manage your investments.
Market price. How much it would cost right now to buy or sell an asset or service.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). An independent government body that was created to protect investors and the national banking system. The SEC enforces laws that maintain orderly, fair and efficient markets.
Short selling. A tactic available to investors who predict a stock’s price is about to drop. An investor borrows a quantity of shares through a broker and then sells them, intending to repurchase them later, at a lower price, and return them to the lender.
Stock exchange. A place buyers and sellers come together to buy, sell and trade stock during set business hours. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the most important stock exchange in the world, but there are a total of 16 exchanges around the world.
Stock market. Refers in general to the collection of markets and exchanges where the buying, selling and trading of investment vehicles takes place.
Price per share. A simple way of calculating a company’s market value at a given moment. To find the price per share, you take a company’s most recent share price and multiply it by its total number of outstanding shares.
Prospectus. A legal document that contains in-depth information about anything you might be planning to invest in: stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

EDUCATION: Books

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STOCK PERFORMANCE: Growth v. Value Investing for Physicians

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BY DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO: MBA MEd CMP™

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Performance of Growth & Value Stocks

Although many academics argue that value stocks outperform growth stocks, the returns for individuals investing through mutual funds demonstrate a near match.

Introduction

A 2005 study Do Investors Capture the Value Premium? written by Todd Houge at The University of Iowa and Tim Loughran at The University of Notre Dame found that large company mutual funds in both the value and growth styles returned just over 11 percent for the period of 1975 to 2002. This paper contradicted many studies that demonstrated owning value stocks offers better long-term performance than growth stocks.

The studies, led by Eugene Fama PhD and Kenneth French PhD, established the current consensus that the value style of investing does indeed offer a return premium. There are several theories as to why this has been the case, among the most persuasive being a series of behavioral arguments put forth by leading researchers. The studies suggest that the out performance of value stocks may result from investors’ tendency toward common behavioral traits, including the belief that the future will be similar to the past, overreaction to unexpected events, “herding” behavior which leads at times to overemphasis of a particular style or sector, overconfidence, and aversion to regret. All of these behaviors can cause price anomalies which create buying opportunities for value investors.

Another key ingredient argued for value out performance is lower business appraisals. Value stocks are plainly confined to a P/E range, whereas growth stocks have an upper limit that is infinite. When growth stocks reach a high plateau in regard to P/E ratios, the ensuing returns are generally much lower than the category average over time.

Moreover, growth stocks tend to lose more in bear markets. In the last two major bear markets, growth stocks fared far worse than value. From January 1973 until late 1974, large growth stocks lost 45 percent of their value, while large value stocks lost 26 percent. Similarly, from April 2000 to September 2002, large growth stocks lost 46 percent versus only 27 percent for large value stocks. These losses, academics insist, dramatically reduce the long-term investment returns of growth stocks.

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However, the study by Houge and Loughran reasoned that although a premium may exist, investors have not been able to capture the excess return through mutual funds. The study also maintained that any potential value premium is generated outside the securities held by most mutual funds. Simply put, being growth or value had no material impact on a mutual fund’s performance.

Listed below in the table are the annualized returns and standard deviations for return data from January 1975 through December 2002.

Index Return SD

S&P 500 11.53% 14.88%

Large Growth Funds 11.30% 16.65%

Large Value Funds 11.41% 15.39%

Source: Hough/Loughran Study

The Hough/Loughran study also found that the returns by style also varied over time. From 1965-1983, a period widely known to favor the value style, large value funds averaged a 9.92 percent annual return, compared to 8.73 percent for large growth funds. This performance differential reverses over 1984-2001, as large growth funds generated a 14.1 percent average return compared to 12.9 percent for large value funds. Thus, one style can outperform in any time period.

However, although the long-term returns are nearly identical, large differences between value and growth returns happen over time. This is especially the case over the last ten years as growth and value have had extraordinary return differences – sometimes over 30 percentage points of under performance.

This table indicates the return differential between the value and growth styles since 1992.

YEARLY RETURNS OF GROWTH/VALUE STOCKS

Year	Growth	Value
1992	5.1%	10.5%
1993	1.7%	18.6%
1994	3.1%	-0.6%
1995	38.1%	37.1%
1996	24.0%	22.0%
1997	36.5%	30.6%
1998	42.2%	14.7%
1999	28.2%	3.2%
2000	-22.1%	6.1%
2001	-26.7%	7.1%
2002	-25.2%	-20.5%
2003	28.2%	27.7%
2004	6.3%	16.5%
2005	3.6%	6.1%
2006	10.8%	20.6%
2007	8.8%	1.5%
2008	-38.43%	-36.84%
2009	37.2%	19.69%
2010	16.71%	15.5%
2011	2.64%	0.39%
2012	15.25%	17.50%

Source: Ibbottson.

Between the third quarter of 1994 and the second quarter of 2000, the S&P Growth Index produced annualized total returns of 30 percent, versus only about 18 percent for the S&P Value Index. Since 2000, value has turned the tables and dramatically outperformed growth. Growth has only outperformed value in two of the past eight years. Since the two styles are successful at different times, combining them in one portfolio can create a buffer against dramatic swings, reducing volatility and the subsequent drag on returns.

Assessment

In our analysis, the surest way to maximize the benefits of style investing is to combine growth and value in a single portfolio, and maintain the proportions evenly in a 50/50 split through regular rebalancing. Research from Standard & Poor’s showed that since 1980, a 50/50 portfolio of value and growth stocks beats the market 75 percent of the time.

Conclusion

Due to the fact that both styles have near equal performance and either style can outperform for a significant time period, a medical professional might consider a blending of styles. Rather than attempt to second-guess the market by switching in and out of styles as they roll with the cycle, it might be prudent to maintain an equal balance your investment between the two.

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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PARADOXICAL CONTRADICTIONS: All Financial Advisors Must Know to Win Clients!

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

The Ultimate Psychological Challenge to Influence Clients and Close More Sales

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By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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A psychological paradox is a figure of speech that can seem silly or contradictory in form, yet it can still be true, or at least make sense in the context given.

This is sometimes used to illustrate thoughts or statements that differ from traditional ideas. So, instead of taking a given statement literally, an individual must comprehend it from a different perspective. Using paradoxes in speeches and writings can also add wit and humor to one’s work, which serves as the perfect device to grab a reader or a listener’s attention and/or persuade them to action, sales and closing statements. But paradoxes for the financial sector can be quite difficult to explain by definition alone, which is why it is best to refer to a few examples to further your understanding.

One good psychological paradox example is The Paradox of Thrift which suggests that while saving money is generally considered a prudent financial behavior, excessive saving during times of economic downturn can actually hinder economic recovery. When consumers collectively reduce their spending and increase their savings, it creates a decrease in aggregate demand. This reduction in demand can lead to lower production levels, job losses, and ultimately a decline in economic output. In other words, what may be individually rational behavior (financial saving) can have negative consequences for the overall economy.

The following paradoxical contradictions will help financial advisors guide clients to close more sales to the benefit of both.

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In the intricate world of finance sales, advisors are often at the crossroads of various paradoxes that challenge client decision-making. While the journey towards financial security involves calculated strategies, it’s the nuanced understanding of paradoxes that can help the advisor close more sales.

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But, what seems true about money often turns out to be false, according to colleague Finance Professor John Goodell, PhD from the University Akron:

The more we try to trade our way to profits, the less likely we are to profit.

The more boring an investment—think index funds—the more exciting the long-run performance will probably be.

The more exciting an investment—name your latest Wall Street concoction, Special Purpose Acquisition Company [SPAC] or anything crypto—the less exciting the long-term results typically are.

The only certainty is uncertainty and the only constant is change. Today’s market decline will eventually become a bull market, and today’s market leaders will eventually yield to other stocks.

Big market trends play a huge role in investment results, and yet trying to time macroeconomic cycles or guess which market sectors will outperform is a fool’s errand. Many big market rotations are set in motion by something wholly unanticipated, like a virus pandemic or a war.

To be happy when wealthy, we also need to be happy with far less money. The fact is, above a relatively modest income level, no amount of extra money will change our level of happiness. More money might even make us miserable, as many lottery winners have discovered.

The more we hate an investing trait—or any trait for that matter—the more likely it is that we’re resisting seeing that trait in ourselves. It’s what Carl Jung MD called the Shadow of Undesirable Personality Aspects that we hide from ourselves. Do prospects get irritated listening to your unsolicited financial advice? There’s a good chance that you often give unsolicited financial advice but don’t like to admit it.

The more we learn about investing, the more we realize we don’t know anything. We should just buy index funds and instead spend our time worrying about stuff we can actually control.

The more an investor is convinced he’s right, the more likely he is to be wrong. Short sellers, in particular, are likely to succumb to this paradoxical trap.

The more options we have, the less satisfied we’ll be with each one. This is the Paradox of Choice; revised. Anyone who has spent hours “optimizing” his or her portfolio knows this all too well. Its close cousin is information overload, another frustration paradox when investing.

The more afraid we are of losing money, the more likely we are to take unwitting risks that lose us money. Sitting in cash seems wise during market selloffs. But the truth is, none of us can reliably time the market. Pull up any chart of the stock market over any period longer than a decade and you’ll see that the riskiest decision is sitting in cash, which gets destroyed by inflation.

The more we think about our investments and look at our financial accounts, the more likely we are to damage our results by buying high because of greed and selling low because of fear. It can pay to look away.

ASSESSMENT

How should you respond to these financial paradoxes? As you plan for your own financial future, as well as your own client prospecting endeavors, embrace the concept of “loosely held views.”

In other words, make financial and client acquisitions plans, but continuously update your views, question your assumptions and paradoxes and rethink your priorities. Years of experience with clients certainly support the futility of trying to help them change their financial behavior by telling them what they “should” know or do.

CONCLUSION

Remember, it is far more useful to listen to client beliefs, fears and goals, and to suggest options and offer encouragement to help them discover their own path toward financial well-being. Then, incentivize them with knowledge of the above psychological paradoxes to your mutual success!

EDUCATION: Books

REFERENCES:

1. Goodell, J: Full publication list on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=lJyDADsAAAAJ

2. Jung, Carl, Gustav: Full publication list on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C11&q=carl+jung+publications&btnG=

READINGS:

Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]. CRC Productivity Press, New York, 2016.

Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, New York. 2006

Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]. CRC Productivity Press, New York, 2015.

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ASSETS: Under Advisement V. Management

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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What are Assets Under Management?

Assets under management (AUM) is a significant parameter in the financial world. It answers financial questions like – how many investments does a company manage? What is the net value of the investments that the company manages? Finally, how many investors have trusted their assets with the company? The higher the answer to these three questions, the more glory to the company.

A wealthy investor who is not concerned by higher fees but wants maximum returns of their asset will probably choose an asset manager based on its AUM. Thus, the AUM indicates the financial performance of the firm. Also, based on the funds under management, the firm collects fees from other clients.

So, what are the investments which qualify as AUM? Any liquid asset of the investor they have entrusted the asset manager with monitoring and control. For example, bank deposits, cash balances, equity shares, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments.

What are the services an asset manager provides to their clients? The most important function is decision-making. With the constant fluctuations and rapid movements in the market, an asset manager has to make decisions about holding or selling an investment. The firm communicates with the investors and advises them about the necessary action.

Once the decision is taken, the firm acts on the decision, i.e., the investor does not have to enter the field. In addition, the asset management company will buy, sell, and make any other transactions on behalf of the investor. Finally, the firm also renders services like accounting, tax reporting, proxy voting (equity shares), client reporting, and other financial services.

What are Assets Under Advisement?

Assets under advisement refer to assets on which your firm provides advice or consultation but for which your firm does either does not have discretionary authority or does not arrange or effectuate the transaction. Such services would include financial planning or other consulting services where the assets are used for the informational purpose of gaining a full perspective of the client’s financial situation, but you are not actually placing the trade.

Assets under advisement could also be those which you monitor for a client on a non-discretionary basis, where you may make recommendations but where the client is the party responsible for arranging or effecting the purchase or sale. A common example of this scenario is when an adviser reviews a participant’s 401(k) allocations. If the adviser does not have the authority or ability to effect changes in the portfolio, these assets are likely considered assets under advisement rather than regulatory assets under management.

Assets under advisement are permitted to be disclosed on Form ADV Part 2A as a separate asset figure from the assets under management. There is no requirement to disclose the assets under advisement figure, but some advisers opt to include the figure to give prospective clients a more complete picture of the firm’s responsibilities. If you choose to report your assets under advisement, be sure to make a clear distinction between this figure and your regulatory assets under management.

NOTE: Essay with thanks to Chat GPT.

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CORRELATION: Diversification in Finance and Investments

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

DEFINITION

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Correlation measures the relationship between two investments–the higher the correlation, the more likely they are to move in the same direction for a given set of economic or market events. Correlation, in the finance and investment industries, is a statistic that measures the degree to which two securities move in relation to each other. Correlations are used in advanced portfolio management, computed as the correlation coefficient which has a value that must fall between -1.0 and +1.0.

So if two securities are highly positively correlated, they will move in the same direction the vast majority of the time. Negatively correlated investments do the opposite–as one security rises, the other falls, and vice versa. No correlation means there is no relationship between the movement of two securities–the performance of one security has no bearing on the performance of the other.

CAUSATION: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/06/05/correlation-is-not-causation/

Correlation is an important concept for portfolio diversification--combining assets with low or negative correlations can improve risk-adjusted performance over time by providing a diversity of payouts under the same financial conditions.

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DAILY UPDATE: Medicaid, HIV Vaccine, CDC and the Rising Stock Markets

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
How May We Serve You?

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SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/sponsors/

ADVERTISE ON THE ME-P: https://tinyurl.com/ytb5955z

Your Referral Count -0-

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Stat: 2%. That’s the portion of Medicaid expansion enrollees who were either not working or in school due to “lack of interest” in finding a job. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Quote: “It’s just devastating. So much human toil has gone into this. Just when it looked like we could beat this virus, we’re going to give up.”—Dennis Burton, a Scripps Research Institute immunologist, on how a new HIV vaccine was about to start clinical trials before federal funding cuts (NPR)

Read: A look at HHS Secretary RFK Jr.’s new appointees to the CDC vaccine advisory panel. (Stat)

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

🟢 What’s up

The wait is finally over: US Steel climbed 5.10% after President Trump signed an executive order approving its takeover by Nippon Steel.
Roku jumped 10.43% after announcing a partnership with Amazon that gives advertisers the ability to reach roughly 80% of American households with connected TVs.
Advanced Micro Devices rose 8.81% on an upgrade from Piper Sandler analysts, who think the semi stock’s AI business will boom.
EchoStar exploded 49.11% after Trump pushed the FCC to resolve its ongoing spectrum dispute with the satellite company.
Victoria’s Secret rose 2.36% on reports that the struggling retailer has attracted the attention of an activist investor.
Sage Therapeutics soared 35.37% on the news that it will be acquired by Supernus Pharmaceuticals in a $795 million deal.
MGM Resorts climbed 8.10% after the casino company revealed that its Bet MGM online gambling platform is expected to pull in more revenue than previously thought.
Kering, the parent company of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and other luxury brands, popped 12.37% on the news that it has convinced Renault’s CEO to run the company.

What’s down

Sarepta Therapeutics plunged 42.12% after the pharma company reported a second death of a patient taking its Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment Elevidys.
Reports that Iran wants to end hostilities pushed oil prices lower this afternoon, hurting shares of energy stocks like APA Corp (down 2.43%), Devon Energy (down 1.45%) and ConocoPhillips (down 2.02%).

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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EDUCATIONAL TEXTBOOKS: https://tinyurl.com/4zdxuuwf

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ETFs: Alternatively Weighted Investments

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Alternatively Weighted Exchange Traded Funds are designed to track an index that is constructed based on criteria other than market capitalization (the methodology used for most traditional indexes).

Instead, alternatively weighted indexes select and weight securities based on other factors, such as growth, valuation, and price momentum, among others. Examples include:

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEARCA: RSP)

SPDR Technology ETF (NYSEARCA: XNTK)

First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (NYSEARCA: FBT)

Amplify Online Retail ETF (NASDAQ: IBUY)

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (NYSEARCA: EUSA)

ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF (NYSEARCA: EQL)

These may also be known as “smart beta” funds.

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MUTUAL FUNDS, SECTOR FUNDS, ETFs & INDEX FUNDS

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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MUTUAL FUNDS, SECTOR FUNDS, ETFs AND INDEX FUNDS

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

here are many ways for a doctor, osteopath, podiatrist or dentist to financially invest. Traditionally, this meant picking individual stocks and bonds. Today, there are many other ways to purchase securities en mass. For example:

MUTUAL FUND: A regulated investment company that manages a portfolio of securities for its shareholders.

Open End Mutual Funds: An investment company that invests money in accordance with specific objectives on behalf of investors. Fund assets expand or contract based on investment performance, new investments and redemptions. Trade at Net Asset Value or the price the fund shares scheduled with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) trade. NAV can change on a daily basis. Therefore, per-share NAV can, as well.

Closed End Mutual Funds: Older than open end mutual funds and more complex. A CEMF is an investment company that registers shares SEC regulations and is traded in securities markets at prices determined by investments. Shares of closed-end funds can be purchased and sold anytime during stock market hours. CEMF managers don’t need to maintain a cash reserve to redeem or / repurchase shares from investors. This can reduce performance drag that may otherwise be attributable to holding cash. CEMFs may be able to offer higher returns due to the heavier use of leverage [debt]. They are subject to volatility, less liquid than open-end funds, available only through brokers and may sells at a heavily discount or premium to [NAV] determined by subtracting its liabilities from its assets. The fund’s per-share NAV is then obtained by dividing NAV by the number of shares outstanding. .

Sector Mutual Funds: Sector funds are a type of mutual fund or Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) that invests in a specific sector or industry such as technology, healthcare, energy, finance, consumer goods, or real estate. Sector funds focus on a particular industry, allowing investors to gain targeted exposure to specific market areas. The goal is to outperform the overall market by investing in companies within a specific sector that is expected to perform well. However, they are also more susceptible to market fluctuations and specific sector risks, making them a more specialized and potentially higher-risk investment option.

STOCKS, BONDS AND MUTUAL FUNDS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/06/11/stocks-bonds-and-commodities/

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EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS: ETFs are a type of fund that owns various kinds of securities, often of one type. For example, a stock ETF holds stocks, while a bond ETF holds bonds. One share of the ETF gives buyers ownership of all the stocks or bonds in the fund. If an ETF held 100 stocks, then those who owned the fund would own a stake – albeit a very tiny one – in each of those 100 stocks.

ETFs are typically passively managed, meaning that the fund usually holds a fixed number of securities based on a specific preset index of investments. These are tax efficient. In contrast, many mutual funds are actively managed, with professional investors trying to select the investments that will rise and fall.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is perhaps the world’s best-known index, and it forms the basis of many ETFs. Other popular indexes include the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations [NASDAQ] Composite Index.

ETFs based on these funds are called Index Funds and just buy and hold whatever is in the index and make no active trading decisions. ETFs trade on a stock exchange during the day, unlike mutual funds that trade only after the market closes. With an ETF you can place a trade whenever the market is open and know exactly the price you’re paying for the fund.

ETFs: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/01/06/etfs-alternatively-weighted-investments/

INDEX FUNDS: Index funds mirror the performance of benchmarks like the DJIA. These passive investments are an unimaginative way to invest. Passive index funds tracking market benchmarks accounted for just 21% of the U.S. equity fund market in 2012. By 2024, passive index funds had grown to about half of all U.S. fund assets. This rise of passive funds has come as they often outperform their actively managed peers. According to the widely followed S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) scorecards, about 9 out of 10 actively managed funds didn’t match the returns of the S&P 500 benchmark in the past 15 years.

ASSESSMENT

Investing in individual stocks is psychologically and academically different than investing in the above funds, according to psychiatrist and colleague Ken Shubin-Stein MD, MPH, MS, CFA who is a professor of finance at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business When you buy shares of a company, you are putting all your eggs in one basket. If the company does well, your investment will go up in value. If the company does poorly, your investment will go down. Fund diversification helps reduce this risk.

CONCLUSION

Investing in the above fund types will help mitigate single company security risk.

References:

1. Fenton, Charles, F: Non-Disclosure Agreements and Physician Restrictive Covenants. In, Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]. Productivity Press, New York, 2015.

Readings:

1. Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR; Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017

2. Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, NY 2006

3. https://www.ft.com

4. Shubin-Stein, Kenneth: Unifying the Psychological and Financial Planning Divide [Holistic Life Planning, Behavioral Economics, Trading Addiction and the Art of Money]. Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR; Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", CMP Program, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Portfolio Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: bonds, CMP, diversification, ETFs, finance, Index Funds, Investing, Ken Shubin-Stein, Marcinko, Mutual Funds, personal-finance, Portfolio Management, Sector funds, Shubin-Stein, SPIVA, stocks, wealth management | Leave a comment »

MARCINKO ASSOCIATES: How our Second Investment Portfolio Opinions are Different?

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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We make second investment portfolio opinions affordable

Approximately 1 million allopathic physicians, 150,000 dentists, 200,000 osteopaths, 15,000 podiatrists and 6 million nurses often find it difficult to get an unbiased and fiduciary second opinion on their retirement or brokerage accounts. By offering second opinions for a flat fee, the monetary barriers that prevented colleagues from receiving a second opinion in the past have been removed.

We make second investment portfolio opinions convenient

Here’s how we work: you book an initial appointment with us, answer a few preliminary questions and email us your portfolio information. We then provide a second opinion. It is then up to you to incorporate or not.

INVESTMENT ADVISORY: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/04/investment-advisory-portfolio-second-opinions-for-physician-colleagues/

We make second investment portfolio opinions timely

Financial markets, jobs and colleague age change like the weather. It is not always okay to wait a week, year or more, to seek a professional second financial portfolio opinion. You need to receive an opinion now. That’s where we come in. We are standing by, ready to take your email [MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com] and schedule a free initial consultation within two or three days, or less.

ASSET ALLOCATION: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/10/23/musings-on-a-famous-portfolio-asset-allocation-study-3/

We make second investment portfolio opinions accurate

Fiduciary and non-sales orientated second opinions have the power to change financial lives in the long term. We’ve seen it happen many times. What characterizes a good second opinion? Three things: the opinion must be individualized to your investment portfolio[s], informed and results-oriented. That’s the informed fiduciary approach we take. We are colleagues and look forward to working with you.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/27/physicians-personal-portfolio-management/

CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA CPHQ: Email: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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Filed under: "Doctors Only", Experts Invited, Financial Advisor Listings, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Health Economics, Healthcare Finance, Investing, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: asset allocation, doctors, finance, Financial Markets, Investing, investment, Marcinko, personal-finance, physicians, portfolio, Portfolio Management, second opinions, stock markets, stocks | Leave a comment »

Simplifying the Investment Decision

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

A Basic Overview for Emerging Physician and Medical Professional Investors

By Somnath Basu; PhD, MBA

There are three basic considerations in any investment decision.

1] The first is the understanding of the investment objective or why the investment is being made. While this may seem somewhat irrelevant at first – why would you be investing if you do not know what you are doing – combining investment objectives can pose problems down-stream.

For example, if you are saving for your retirement so that you can afford the retirement lifestyle you desire (the investment objective), your saving plan should not include any savings you are making for your children’s education (a separate investment objective). Compounding the two savings streams in one plan can very easily lead to one or both of the plans failing.

2] The second consideration is the time horizon of the investment. As a rough guide, investments that need to mature in the next 5-7 years can be considered as short term, 8-15 years as medium term and the rest as long term.

3] Finally, and probably the most important consideration of all is the importance you attach (priority) to achieving your investment objective; in other words, how safe and secure should your investments be. For example, if you are 70 years old and considering how you should invest your retirement funds so that your expenses are covered say for the next 25 years, you do not want a large margin of error in how your investments turn out; you can ill afford to be broke when you are older and hence you want your investments to be as secure as possible.

On the other hand, if the investment is for a second home or a boat, for example, you may wish to engage in some risk taking which may help in lowering your upfront investment needs. It is very important for any investor to clearly understand how much loss they can bear from any investment decision.

Decision Matrix

It is useful to express the investment framework described above as a simple decision matrix. Using the matrix (shown below) as a decision support system should clarify and simplify most investment decisions.

Link: Investment Scenarios

Understanding where in the matrix your decision falls is a very good first step of your decision. Both these elements (safety and time) will ultimately decide the kinds of financial instruments that will reside in your portfolio. We will examine the structure of each of the 9 possible combinations shown in the matrix. Before doing so, let us start by examining the various investment alternatives (e.g. stocks, bonds, etc.) since they have an implicit connection with the two dimensions portrayed in our matrix.

Stocks

Stocks are the most well known and popular form of financial investments. Stocks may be further segregated between large cap and small cap stocks, where the term “cap” is surrogate for the size of the underlying corporation or firm.

Stocks may represent investments in both domestic and international companies. Within the international category, stocks may represent corporations registered in developed (safer) or emerging (riskier) markets. In terms of our matrix dimensions, stocks are best suited when the decision is of medium or long term. In terms of safety, large cap (both domestic and international) stocks are the safest, while small cap and emerging market stocks are the most risky. The riskier the stock, the greater are the profit possibilities as are the chances of large losses.

Bonds

The second common type of investment are bonds Generally, bonds are much safer than stocks with the exception of a class of bonds known as high yield (or junk) bonds. Bonds are issued by companies, governments (domestic and international) and other agencies such as local governments (municipal bonds or “munis” which are especially desirable for those in high income tax rate categories) and quasi-government agencies such as Federal Home Loan Bank, Student Loan Administration, Agricultural Cooperative Banks, etc (collectively known as “Agency” bonds such as Ginnie/Fannie/Sallie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc.).

Government bonds are the safest, followed by agency and municipal bonds and then by bonds issues by corporations.

Corporate bonds may be safe (which are assigned credit safety ratings such as AAA, AA, BBB, etc.) or risky (junk bonds with ratings such as BB, CCC, CC etc.).

Bonds can be used for all time horizons, their maturities ranging from 3 months to 30 years. Very short term bond and bond like instruments (with maturities of one year or less) are known as money market securities which are generally safer than most other investments.

Alternate Investments

Other types of investments include real estate (long term, risky), commodities (such as energy, basic building materials, precious metals, etc.) which are also risky and which may be used for both short term and long term purposes and provide a good hedge (counter balance) in an inflationary environment, derivatives (options and futures) which are very risky and typically short term in nature. Derivatives are generally suggested for very sophisticated investors and are best left alone otherwise.

Risk Reduction

A very important feature about investments is that when various types of investments are bundled together in a portfolio, they help to reduce the risk of the investment decision without affecting the profits in a comparable way. This basic aspect of mixing various kinds of investments (stocks, bonds, etc) to reduce risk is known as diversification and it is a “must” for any investment portfolio. It is a “must” because this technique of risk reduction is generally costless (unless you are paying a financial advisor to do this for you) and it is very worthwhile. All other methods of risk reduction have cost implications.

Scenario Matrix

Armed with this nomenclature regarding various investment types we can now go about examining what the 9 combination (Scenario) portfolios may look like for investment purposes.

Link: Investment Scenarios

Starting with Scenario 1, if you wish to make a short term decision that is very important to you and needs to be very safe, investments should be made in very short term bonds (government or treasury bills)and other similar money market (short term, safe) securities. International short term bonds of developed countries may also be included. Such investment products are generally available through mutual funds or Exchange Traded Funds (or ETFs). ETFs are just like mutual funds except that they are usually cheaper, much easier to buy and sell and may provide tax deferral benefits.

If your investment falls in the Scenario 2 category, include agency/municipal bonds as well as some domestic and international (developed country) large cap stocks while for Scenario 3, smaller portions of small cap and emerging market stocks may be added proportionately while reducing some of the safer investments.

If your investment was a Scenario 4 type of investment, corporate large cap stocks (both domestic and international) could be added to agency or corporate (domestic and international) bonds. Before investing in stocks (in any Scenario) for this Scenario 4, a good question to ask is the following: how profitable were stock investments in the last 3-5 years? If the answer is “very profitable” then reduce the proportion of stocks as compared to bonds in the portfolio. If the last few years were not good, then it would be good to increase their comparable shares. The main reason for this “fine tuning” is that the fortunes of stocks (and many other types of investments) follow a cyclical pattern and the cycle is related to the general cycle of economic (GDP) growth and contraction.

It can be seen now how Scenarios 5 and 6 (as also 8 and 9) will follow a similar pattern as before, increasing proportionally in stocks (of all sizes, domestic/international), real estate, commodities, etc. Portfolios falling in these groups may also include some small cap and emerging market stocks as well as high yield or junk bonds. The proportion of these riskier investments would of course be higher for Scenario 6 over Scenario 5 (and Scenario 9 over 8).

For Scenario 7, the investment portfolio would typically resemble one that would be like an opposite of the portfolio in Scenario 1 and would include a greater proportion of large cap (domestic/international) stocks and a much smaller proportion of bonds. As we move towards Scenarios 8 and 9, the portfolios would be dominated by small cap and emerging market stocks as well as junk bonds.

Assessment

In the discussion above, I have tried to generalize the investment decision in a simplifying way. While the discussion may have centered more on stocks and bonds, it is important to note that all portfolios must “diversify” the investment risks by expanding upon the various types of investment products contained in the portfolios. The very fact that a portfolio contains various types of investments will ensure that the portfolio will perform better than those which are not as well diversified. This will be so in spite of any one of the investment types underperforming at any point in time and the diversification benefit will be received consistently over long periods of time. A popular analogy to this diversification benefit is the common phrase of not putting all eggs in one basket.

Editor’s Note: Somnath Basu PhD is program director of the California Institute of Finance in the School of Business at California Lutheran University where he’s also a professor of finance. He can be reached at (805) 493 3980 or basu@callutheran.edu

Conclusion

The above approach to investment decision-making can be considered as a basic template that can be used universally. For those seeking greater sophistication and who have a foundation built on the above model, expert advice is strongly recommended.

And so, your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Financial advisors please chime in on the debate? Is Basu correct; why or why not? Review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, be sure to subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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DOCTOR INVESTING MISTAKES: Top Five PLUS 1 Vital Tip

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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FIVE INVESTING MISTAKES OF DOCTORS; PLUS 1 VITAL TIP

As a former US Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] Registered Investment Advisor [RIA] and business school professor of economics and finance, I’ve seen many mistakes that doctors must be aware of, and most importantly, avoid. So, here are the top 5 investing mistakes along with suggested guideline solutions.

Mistake 1: Failing to Diversify Investment but Beware Di-Worsification

A single investment may become a large portion of your portfolio as a result of solid returns lulling you into a false sense of security. The Magnificent Seven stocks are a current example:

Apple, up +5,064%% since 1/18/2008
Amazon, up +30,328% since 9/6/2002
Alphabet, up +1,200% since 7/20/2012
Tesla, up +21,713% since 11/16/2012
Meta, up +684% since 2/20/2015
Microsoft, up +22% since 12/21/2023
Nvidia, up +80,797% since 4/15/2005

Guideline: The Magnificent Seven [7] has grown from 9% of the S&P 500 at the end of 2013 to 31% at the end of 2024! That means even if you don’t own them, you’re still very exposed if you have an Index Fund [IF] or Exchange Traded Fund [ETF] that tracks the market. Accordingly, diversification is the only free lunch in investing which can reduce portfolio risk. But, remember the Wall Street insider aphorism that states: “Di-Versification Means Always Having to Say Your Sorry.”

The term “Di-Worsification” was coined by legendary investor Peter Lynch in his book, One Up On Wall Street to refer to over-diversifying an investment portfolio in such a way that it reduces your overall risk-return characteristics. In other words, the potential return rises with an increase in risk and invested money can render higher profits only if willing to accept a higher possibility of losses [1].

IPO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/03/02/ipo-road-show-with-pros-and-cons/

Mistake 2: Chasing Stock Market Performance

A podiatrist can easily fall into the trap of chasing securities or mutual funds showing the highest return. It is almost an article of faith that they should only purchase mutual funds sporting the best recent performance. But in fact, it may actually pay to shun mutual funds with strong recent performance. Unfortunately, many struggle to appreciate the benefits of their investment strategy because in jaunty markets, people tend to run after strong performance and purchase last year’s winners.

Similarly, in a market downturn, investors tend to move to lower-risk investment options, which can lead to missed opportunities during subsequent market recoveries. The extent of underperformance by individual investors has often been the most awful during bear markets. Academic studies have consistently shown that the returns achieved by the typical stock or bond fund investors have lagged substantially.

Guideline: Understand chasing performance does not work.Continually monitor your investments and don’t feel the need to invest in the hottest fund or asset category. In fact, it is much better to increase investments in poor performing categories (i.e. buy low). Also keep in remind rebalancing of assets each year is key. If stocks perform poorly and bonds do exceptionally well, then rebalance at the end of the year. In following this strategy, this will force a doctor into buying low and selling high each year.

STOCKS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/04/18/stocks-basic-definitions/

Mistake 3: Assuming Annual Returns Follow Historical Averages

Often doctors make their investment decisions under the belief that stocks will consistently give them solid double-digit returns. But the stock markets go through extended long-term cycles.

In examining stock market history, there have been 6 secular bull markets (market goes up for an extended period) and 5 secular bear markets (market goes down) since 1900. There have been five distinct secular bull markets in the past 100+ years. Each bull market lasted for an extended period and rewarded investors.

For example, if an investor had started investing in stocks either at the top of the markets in 1966 or 2000, future stock market returns would have been exceptionally below average for the proceeding decade. On the other hand, those investors fortunate enough to start building wealth in 1982 would have enjoyed a near two-decade period of well above average stock market returns. They key element to remember is that future historical returns in stocks are not guaranteed. If stock market returns are poor, one must consider that he or she will have to accept lower projected returns and ultimately save more money to make up for the shortfall. For example,

The May 6th, 2010, flash crash, also known as the crash of 2:45, was a United States trillion-dollar stock market plunge which started at 2:32 pm EST and lasted for approximately 36 minutes.

And, investors who have embraced the “buy the dip” strategy in 2025 have been handsomely rewarded, with the S&P 500 delivering its strongest post-pull back returns in over three decades.

According to research from Bespoke Investment Group, the S&P 500 has gained an average of 0.36% in the trading session following a down day so far in 2025. The only year with a comparable performance was 2020, which saw a 0.32% average post-dip gain [2].

The most recent example came on May 27, 2025 when the S&P 500 surged more than 2% after falling 0.7% in the final session before the holiday weekend. The rally was sparked by President Trump’s decision to scale back huge previously threatened tariffs on EU —a recurring catalyst behind many of 2025’s rebound.

Guideline: Beware of projecting forward historical returns. Doctors should realize that the stock markets are inherently volatile and that, while it is easy to rely on past historical averages, there are long periods of time where returns and risk deviate meaningfully from historical averages.

REVENUE BONDS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/12/20/bonds-revenue/

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Mistake 4: Attempting to Time the Stock Market

Some doctors believe they are “smarter than the market” and can time when to jump in and buy stocks or sell everything and go to cash. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the clairvoyance to be out of stocks on the market’s worst days and in on the best days?

Using the S&P 500 Index, our agile imaginary doctor-investor managed to steer clear of the worst market day each year from January 1st, 1992 to March 31st, 2012. The outcome: s/he compiled a 12.42% annualized return (including reinvestment of dividends and capital gains) during the 20+ years, sufficient to compound a $10,000 investment into $107,100.

But what about another unfortunate doctor-investor that had the mistiming to be out of the market on the best day of each year. This ill-fated investor’s portfolio returned only 4.31% annualized from January 1992 – March 2012, increasing the $10,000 portfolio value to just $23,500 during the 20 years. The design of timing markets may sound easy, but for most all investors it is a losing strategy.

More contemporaneously on December 18^th 2024, the DJIA plummeted 2.5%, while the S&P 500 declined 3% and the NASDAQ tumbled 3.5%

Guideline: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. While jumping into the market at its low and selling right at the high is appealing in theory, we should recognize the difficulties and potential opportunity and trading costs associated with trying to time the stock market in practice. In general, colleagues are be best served by matching their investment with their time horizon and looking past the peaks / valleys along the way.

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/12/stocks-and-alternative-investments/

Mistake 5: Failing to Recognize the Impact of Fees and Expenses

A free dinner seminar or a polished stock-broker sales pitch may hide the total underlying costs of an investment. So, fees absolutely matter.

The first costing step is determining what the fees actually are. In a mutual fund, these costs are found in the company’s obligatory “Fund Facts”. This manuscript clearly outlines all the fees paid–including up front fees (commissions and loads), deferred sales charges and any switching fees. Fund management expense ratios are also part of the overall cost. Trading costs within the fund can also impact performance.

Here is a list of the traditional mutual fund fees:

Front End Load: The commission charged to purchase a fund through a stock broker or financial advisor. The commission reduces the amount you have available to invest. Thus, if you start with $100,000 to invest, and the advisor charges up to an 8 percent front end load, you end up actually investing $92,000.

Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) or Back End Load: Imposed if you sell your position in the mutual fund within a pre-specified period of time (normally one – five years). It is initiated at a higher start percentage (i.e. as high as 10 percent) and declines over a specific period of time.

Operating Fees: Costs of the mutual fund including the management fee rewarded to the manager for investment services. It also includes legal, custodial, auditing and marketing fees.

Annual Administration Fee: Many mutual fund companies also charge a fee just for administering the account – usually under $100-150 per year.

Guideline: Know and understand all fees.

For example: A 1 percent disparity in fees may not seem like much but it makes a considerable impact over a long time period.

Consider a $100,000 portfolio that earns 8 percent before fees, grows to $320,714 after 20 years if the investor pays a 2 percent operating fee. In comparison, if s/he opted for a fund that charged a more reasonable 1 percent fee, after 20 years, the portfolio grows to be $386,968 – a divergence of over $66,000!

This is the value of passive or index investing. In the case of an index fund, fees are generally under 0.5 percent, thus offering even more savings over a long period of time.

One Vital Tip: Investing Time is on Your Side

Despite thousands of TV shows, podcasts, textbooks, opinions and university studies on investing, it really only has three simple components. Amount invested, rate of return and time. By far, the most important item is time! For example:

Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 in 2009, you’d have $338,103 today.
Apple: if you invested $1,000 in 2008, you’d have $48,005 today.
Netflix: if you invested $1,000 in 2004, you’d have $495,679 today.

Start prudently investing now and do not wait!

ETFs: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/01/06/etfs-alternatively-weighted-investments/

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, this list of investing mistakes is still being made by many doctors. Fortunately, by recognizing and acting to mitigate them, your results may be more financially fruitful and mentally quieting.

REFERENCES:

1. Lynch, Peter: One Up on Wall Street [How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market]: Simon and Shuster (2^nd edition) New York, 2000.

2. https://www.bespokepremium.com

Readings:

1. Marcinko, DE; Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017.

2. Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 2006.

3. Marcinko, DE; Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] CRC Press, New York, 2015.

BIO: As a former university Professor and Endowed Department Chair in Austrian Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, the author was a NYSE Registered Investment Advisor and Certified Financial Planner for a decade. Later, he was a private equity and wealth manager

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", CMP Program, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Investing, Marcinko Associates | Tagged: Alternative Investments, bonds, charges, CMP, dividends, DJIA, DOW, DSc, ETF, FEES, finance, financial advisor, financial plan, financial planner, Financial Planning, Flash Crash, Investing, investing mistakes, IPO, loads, Magnificent 7, Marcinko, Mutual Funds, NASDAQ, personal-finance, RIA, S&P 500, SEC, SPAC, stock market, stocks, time, Wall Street, wealth management | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Stocks, Commodities & Crypto-Currency

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

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🟢 What’s up

Tesla climbed another 5.67% on signs that Elon Musk and President Trump are mending fences and on hype around the robotaxi reveal this week.
TSMC rose 2.63% after the semiconductor company reported that its revenue in the month of May rose 39.6% year over year.
Disney rose 2.65% higher a day after agreeing to purchase Comcast’s stake in streaming service Hulu for $438.7 million. Comcast climbed 2.95%.
Solar stocks got a bit of hope after the Wall Street Journal reported that tech companies are lobbying Congress to keep clean energy subsidies in the tax and spending bill. SolarEdge rose 11.81%, and Sunrun gained 7.13%.
Insmed exploded 28.65% thanks to strong results for the biopharma company’s new treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Casey’s General Store rose 11.59% after the retailer crushed Wall Street’s profit expectations last quarter and raised its dividend.

What’s down

J.M. Smucker tumbled 15.59% on mixed earnings results and a weaker-than-expected fiscal forecast for the snack foods company.
McDonald’s lost 1.43% thanks to a double downgrade from Redburn Atlantic analysts, who think the fast food titan’s slowing foot traffic and headwinds from obesity drugs will hurt its growth. That’s the company’s third downgrade in three days.
Snap fell just 0.12% after the social media company unveiled its new augmented reality glasses.
Calavo Growers plunged 16.26% after the avocado distributor reported much worse quarterly results than Wall Street was expecting.
Biopharma stocks Liquidia and United Therapeutics lost 16.87% and 14.32%, respectively, on competitor Insmed’s good news.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Stocks: Markets meandered higher as investors awaited news from ongoing US & China trade negotiations in London. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said talks were going well and could continue into tomorrow.
Commodities: Oil soared to its highest price since April on hopes that a trade deal between the world’s largest economies could spur demand, but plunged back to earth after the US said oil output will fall next year.
Crypto: After just barely holding on last week, Bitcoin has now stayed above $100,000 for 30 days straight for the first time ever—a signal to traders that there’s a new level of support for the crypto king.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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HEDGE FUNDS: Defined for Doctors

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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WHAT IS A HEDGE FUND?

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Many doctors are surprised to learn of an alternative investment known as a hedge fund, pooled investment vehicle or private investment fund. Unlike mutual funds, they can be structured in many ways. However, these funds cannot be marketed or advertised, but they are far from illegal or illicit.

In fact, physicians were among the early investors in one the most successful hedge funds. Warren Buffett got his start in 1957 running the Buffett Partnership, a hedge fund not open to the public. His first appearance as a money manager was before a group of physicians in Omaha, Nebraska. Eleven decided to invest some money with him. A few then followed into Berkshire Hathaway Inc, now among the most highly valued companies in the world.

And, more recently, Scion Asset Management® LLC, is a private investment firm founded and led by my eloquent colleague Michael J. Burry, MD and featured in the movie, The Big Short. Other hedge fund mangers of note include: George Soros, Carl Icahn, Ken Griffin, David Tepper, John Paulson and Bill Ackman.

MASTER FEEDER FUND: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/27/master-feeder-structure-hedge-funds/

Definition

A hedge fund is a limited partnership of private investors whose money is managed by professional fund managers who use a wide range of strategies; including leveraging [debt] or trading of non-traditional assets [real-estate, collectible, commodities, cyrpto-currency, etc] to earn above-average returns. Hedge funds are considered a risky alternative investment and usually require a high minimum investment or net worth. This person is known as an “accredited investor” or “Regulation D” investor by the US Securities Exchange Commission and must have the following attributes:

A net worth, combined with spouse, of over $1 million, not including primary residence
An income of over $200,000 individually, or $300,000 with a spouse, in each of the past two years

MANAGERS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/23/hedge-fund-hiring-separate-managers/

TERMS AND FEES

Hurdle Rate

The hurdle rate is part of the fund manager’s performance incentive compensation. Also known as a “benchmark,” it is the amount, expressed in percentage points an investor’s capital must appreciate before it becomes subject to a performance incentive fee. Podiatrists should view the hurdle rate as a form of protection or the fee arrangement.

The hurdle rate benchmarks a single year’s performance and may be considered mutually exclusive of any other year, or the hurdle rate may compound each year. The former case is more common. In the latter case, a portfolio manager failing to attain a hurdle rate in the first year will find the effective hurdle rate considerably higher during the second year.

Once a fund manager attains the hurdle rate, the investor’s capital account may be charged a performance incentive fee only on the performance above and beyond the hurdle rate. Alternatively, the account may be charged a performance fee for the entire level of performance, including the performance required to attain the hurdle rate. Other variations on the use of the hurdle rate exist, and are limited only by the contract signed between the fund manager and the investor. The hurdle rate is not generally a negotiating point, however.

Example: A fund charges a performance fee with a 6 percent hurdle rate, calculated in mutually exclusive manner. A podiatrist places $100,000 with the fund. The first year’s performance is 5 percent. The doctor therefore owes no performance fee during the first year because the portfolio manager did not attain the hurdle rate. During year two, the portfolio manager guides the fund to a 7 percent return. Because the hurdle rate is mutually exclusive of any other year, the portfolio manager has attained the 6 percent hurdle rate and is entitled to a performance fee.

High Water Mark

Some hedge funds feature a “high water mark” provision known as a ”loss-carry forward.” As with the hurdle rate, the high water mark is a form of protection. It is an amount equal to the greatest value of an investor’s capital account, adjusted for contributions and withdrawals. The high water mark ensures that the manager charges a performance incentive fee only on the amount of appreciation over and above the high water mark set at the time the performance fee was last charged. The current trend is for newer funds to feature this high water mark, while older, larger funds may not feature it.

Example: A fund charges a 20 percent performance fee with a high water mark but no hurdle rate. A podiatrist contributes $100,000 to the fund. During the first year, the hedge fund manager grows that capital account to $110,000 and charges a 20 percent performance fee, or $2,000. The ending capital account balance and high water mark is therefore $108,000. During year two, the account falls back to $100,000, but the high water mark remains $108,000. During year three, in order for the manager to charge a performance fee, the manager must grow the capital account to a level above $108,000.

Claw Back Provision

Rarely, a hedge fund may provide investors with a “claw back” provision. This term results in a refund to the investor of all or part of a previously charged performance fee if a certain level of performance is not attained in subsequent years. Such refunds in the face of poor or inadequate performance may not be legal in some states or under certain authorities.

ASSESSMENT

Managers of hedge funds, like colleague Dimitri Sogoloff MBA who is the CEO of Horton Point investment-technology firm, often aim to produce returns that are relatively uncorrelated with market indices and are consistent with investors’ desired level of risk.

While hedging may reduce some risks overall, they cannot all be eliminated. According to a report by the Hennessee Group, hedge funds were approximately one-third less volatile between 1993 and 2010.

HEDGE FUND PENSION PLANS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/05/18/medical-practice-pension-plan-hedge-fund-difficulties/

CONCLUSION

For a podiatrist who already holds mutual funds and/or individual stocks and bonds, a hedge fund may provide diversification and reduce overall portfolio risk. Consider investing in them with care.

References and Readings:

1. https://www.scionasset.com 

2. Burry, Michael, J: Hedge Funds [Wall Street Personified]. In, Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017.

3. Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]. Productivity Press, New York, 2015.

4. Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, NY 2006

5. https://www.hortonpoint.com/

6. http://hennesseegroup.com

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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FINANCIAL ADVISORY FEES: What All Doctors Must Know

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

WHAT YOU “MUST KNOW“ ABOUT FINANCIAL ADVISORY FEES

Investment fees still matter despite dropping dramatically over the past several decades due to computer automation, algorithms and artificial intelligence, etc. And, they can make a big difference to your financial health. So, before buying any investment, it’s vital to uncover all real financial advisor and stock broker costs.

HEDGE FUND FEES: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/04/18/stocks-basic-definitions/

SIX TYPES OF FEES AND EXPENSES

1. Up-front salesperson commissions. It is easy to ask; “If I buy this investment today and want to get out tomorrow, how much money do I get back?” If the answer is not “all your money,” the difference is probably upfront fees and commissions. These fees may run as high as 30% of the money invested. If you were to earn 5% a year on the investment, it would take 8 years just to break even.

2. Ongoing advisory fees. These are monthly, quarterly, or annual fees paid to advisors for their investment advice and oversight. This includes working with you to pick the asset classes, set diversification, select a portfolio manager, optimize taxes, re-balance holdings and other periodic tasks.

These fees have many names including wrap fee or investment advisory fees. The normal “rule of thumb” is 1% of assets managed, although fees can range from 0 to 7%. Today, it can even be as low as .5%. It can be charged even if the advisor receives an upfront commission. It can be easy to see, or hidden in the fine print.

3. Additional service fees. Find out specifically what services are included financial advisory fees. Additional fees for financial planning or other services are rarely disclosed. They can range from minimal hand-holding focused on your investments to comprehensive financial planning.

4. Ongoing managerial expense ratio fees. These are incredibly well hidden that you may not see them in your statements or invoices. The only way to know is to read the prospectus or other third party analysis, like Morningstar.com. And, they can vary greatly for the same investment, depending on the class of share you buy.

For example, American Fund’s New Perspective Fund’s expense ratio ranges from 0.45% to 1.54%. The average expense ratio of a mutual fund that invests in stocks is 1.35%. Conversely, the average expense ratio of a Vanguard S&P 500 Fund is 0.10%. The difference of 1.25% is staggering over time.

5. Miscellaneous fees. Some advisors charge $50 – $100 a year per account to open or close an account, and even fees to dollar cost average your funds into the market.

6. Transaction fees. Every time you buy or sell a fund, a fee is typically paid to a custodian. These can range from $5 to hundreds of dollars per transaction.

7. Fee Only: Paid directly by clients for their services and can’t receive other sources of compensation, such as payments from fund providers. Act as a fiduciary, meaning they are obligated to put their clients’ interests first

8. Fee Based: Paid by clients but also via other sources, such as commissions from financial products that clients purchase. Brokers and dealers (or registered representatives) are simply required to sell products that are “suitable” for their clients.

A “suitable” investment is defined by FINRA as one that fits the level of risk that an investor is willing and able, as measured by personal financial circumstances, to take on. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is a private American corporation that acts as a Self Regulatory Organization (SRO) that regulates member stock brokerage firms and exchange markets. These criteria must be met. It is not enough to state that an investor has a risk-friendly investment profile. In addition, they must be in a financial position to take certain chances with their money. It is also necessary for them to

A net worth, combined with spouse, of over $1 million, not including primary residence
An income of over $200,000 individually, or $300,000 with a spouse, in each of the past two years

Not a fiduciary.

A Review of Investing Expenses

Ways to minimize fees

Choose the fee structure. The fee structure should align with your needs. Consider the type of advice you seek, the number of times needed and the complexity of your financial situation. You can always negotiating tactics are free to ask for a better deal.

Compare fees. It is essential to research and compare different fees. Be sure to read the fine print for details or costs that are not a base fee.

Robo-advisors: For simple investment goals, with little specificity, robo-advisors may be a cost-effective option. They charge lower fees than conventional financial advisors and provide an automated, algorithmic approach to managing your investments.

Assessment

The average cost of working with a human financial advisor in 2024 was 0.5% to 2.0% of assets managed, $200 to $400 per hourly consultation, a flat fee of $1,000 to $3,000 for a one-time service, and/or a 3% to 6% commission fee on the product types sold.

ADVISORY FEES: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/02/26/be-aware-financial-advisory-fees-fee-based-versus-fee-only/

Conclusion

When ruminating over financial advisory fees; read and understand the contract with disclosures, do not sign a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement, and do not waive your right to a lawsuit. According to colleague Dr. Charles F. Fenton IIII JD, forced legal settlements almost always favor the advisor over the client.

References and Readings:

1. https://www.capitalgroup.com [American Funds]

2. Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR; Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017.

3. Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, NY 2006

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: For E.S.G. Investors?

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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An Informed Op-Ed Piece

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd

As many medical, dental and podiatric colleagues are aware, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing refers to a set of standards for a company’s behavior used by socially conscious investors to screen potential investments. Over the last decade, or so, I have seen many investors pursing this laudable aim.

Yet, more than 80% of private equity fund managers have now stepped away from at least one deal due to ESG concerns, according to the 2023 BDO Private Capital Survey. The reasons are complex, and point towards fund managers’ sentiment towards risk-reward in the current economic environment.

This retreat from ESG is due to backlash from conservatives who are critical of the idea that mutual fund managers should be considering any other factor but a company’s share holders in their investment decisions. Accusations of “Greenwashing” have also plagued many ESG funds, which is when an asset management firm charging higher fees or a specific thematic fund without actually delivering a unique investment strategic competitive advantage.

Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or misleading information about how a company’s products are environmentally sound. Greenwashing involves making an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers and / or investors into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than they actually do. Greenwashing may also occur when a company attempts to emphasize sustainable aspects of a product to overshadow the company’s involvement in environmentally damaging practices.

ESG: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/09/23/mas-and-esg-profit/

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According to internationally known linguistics and cognitive science Professor, Mackenzie Hope Marcinko PhD of the University of Delaware, greenwashing is performed through the use of environmental imagery, misleading labels, cognitive biases and tendencies hiding tradeoffs. Greenwashing is also a play on the term “Whitewashing,” which means using false information to intentionally hide wrongdoing, errors or an unpleasant situation in an attempt to make it seem less bad than it really is.

To be sure, uncertainty around ESG regulations in the USA is leading financial deal makers to tread carefully. For example, Jim Clayton MBA, a private equity advisor also from the University of Delaware recently stated:

“We’re a year past when the SEC said they were going to issue ESG reporting standards for public filers which has created more noise in the system.”

“People are nervous about what I would call ESG-intense exposed industries, in other words, those with “heavy carbon footprints”.

MORE ESG: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/03/27/on-socially-responsible-investing-2/

And, a federal judge in Texas said that American Airlines violated federal law by basing investment decisions for its employee retirement plan on environmental, social, and other non-financial factors. The ruling in January 2025 by US District Judge Reed O’Connor appeared to be the first of its kind amid growing backlash by conservatives to an uptick in socially-conscious investing. O’Connor said American had breached its legal duty to make investment decisions based solely on the financial interests of 401(k) plan beneficiaries by allowing BlackRock, its asset manager and a major shareholder, to focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors.

Even the State of Florida pulled $2 billion from the investment management firm BlackRock in the largest divestment ever made. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claimed that by taking ESG standards into account when making investment decisions, the firm isn’t prioritizing the financial bottom line for Floridians.

Assessment

But, for a few years at least, things were indeed good. In 2020 and 2021, ESG funds outperformed the market by ~4.3%.

Conclusion

So, always remember [caveat emptor]: let the buyer beware!

References and Readings:

1. 2023 BDO Private Capital Survey: https://insights.bdo.com/2023-BDO-Private-Capital-Survey.html

2. Marcinko, DE; Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™] Productivity Press, New York, 2017

3. Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, NY 2006.

4. Zymeri, Jeff: ‘Not Going to Fly Here’ [DeSantis Signs Far-Reaching Anti-ESG Bill into Law]. 2023: https://www.yahoo.com/news/not-going-fly-desantis-signs-121648679.html

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

***

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Ethics, iMBA, Inc., Investing, Portfolio Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: BDO, BlackRock, DeSantis, environment, environmental, ESG, finance, green washing, Investing, Jim Clayton, Marcinko, Portfolio Management, reed OConnor, SEC, Social and Governance, sustainability, white washing | Leave a comment »

DIVIDEND STOCK ARISTOCRATS: Pros and Cons

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By AI

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

According to wikipedia, the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats is a stock market index composed of the companies in the S&P 500 index that have increased their dividends in each of the past 25 consecutive years. It was launched in May 2005.

There are other indexes of dividend aristocrats that vary with respect to market cap and minimum duration of consecutive yearly dividend increases. Components are added when they reach the 25-year threshold and are removed when they fail to increase their dividend during a calendar year or are removed from the S&P 500. However, a study found that the stock performance of companies improves after they are removed from the index The index has been recommended as an alternative to bonds for investors looking to generate income.

To invest in the index, there are several exchange traded funds (ETFs), which seek to replicate the performance of the index.

STOCK DIVIDENDS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/03/02/stock-dividends-company-earnings-distribution/

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And so, to clarify, the following are the advantages and disadvantages of US dividend aristocrats:

Advantages

They certainly display consistent, blue-chirp corporations with an extended history of vital funds and dividend increments.
Additionally, these stocks offer fixed revenue growth.
In other words, they tend to possess lower price volatility.
Please note that dividend investing supporters prefer a credible income source.
They are sufficiently stable for continuous annual dividend increments across decades, certainly even through recessions.
Above all, it helps quicker portfolio building through reinvestment in these stocks.
They certainly ensure successful long-term investing.
Regarded as among the most famous investment strategies, they relish extensive consumer confidence.

Disadvantages

To clarify, they are considered taxable earnings.
In other words, they offer a lack of control over their distribution timing.
Above all, these shares have under performed S&P 500.
Company development certainly consumes a lot of time.
Additionally, they are subject to market fluctuations.
Moreover, they are considered unimaginative.

STOCK: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/08/20/preferred-versus-common-stock/

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DAILY UPDATE: Home Prices and 23andMe as Stock Markets Wobble

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

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Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
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The median home price jumped 1.6% YoY last month and is sitting at $431,931. Meanwhile, mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed loan (the most common) are still hovering just under 7%. The chief economist of the National Association of Realtors said lower mortgage rates are the key to getting buyers to buy homes again.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

What’s up

Ulta Beauty is sitting pretty, up 11.78% after the cosmetics retailer crushed earnings expectations and raised its fiscal guidance for the year ahead.
Costco Wholesale rose 3.12% after beating Wall Street’s earnings expectations, though same-store sales did slip a bit.
Zscaler climbed 9.79% on strong earnings for the cybersecurity company, including 23% revenue growth.
Palantir popped 7.73% on a report from the New York Times that the Trump administration has asked the company to help the government compile data on US citizens.

What’s down

Nvidia slipped 2.92% as rhetoric between the US and China over semiconductor import restrictions reignited investor fears.
Gap plunged 20.18% after the retailer revealed that tariffs will cost between $100 and $150 million.
Marvell Technology fell 5.55% after the chip maker barely beat Wall Street expectations last quarter, failing to impress shareholders.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals tumbled 19.01% thanks to mixed results for its new respiratory drug in late stage trials. The medication is made in partnership with Sanofi, which also dropped 5.61%.
Dell Technologies sank 2.08% after missing earnings expectations last quarter, though it did manage to beat on revenue.
Elastic NV beat analyst forecasts last quarter, but still fell 12.09% after the software company issued lower-than-expected revenue guidance.
PagerDuty, which is in fact a cloud computing company and not a seller of 1990s tech, lost 11.43% after issuing lower second-quarter guidance than Wall Street forecast.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

23andMe peaked at a $6 billion valuation in 2021 but never made a profit. It filed for bankruptcy on March 23rd and was put up for auction.

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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FINANCIAL LIFE PLANNING? For Physicians and Medical Professionals

Posted on May 29, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd CMP™

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Life planning and behavioral finance as proposed for physicians and integrated by the Institute of Medical Business Advisors Inc., is unique in that it emanates from a holistic union of personal financial planning, human physiology and medical practice management, solely for the healthcare space. Unlike pure life planning, pure financial planning, or pure management theory, it is both a quantitative and qualitative “hard and soft” science, with an ambitious economic, psychological and managerial niche value proposition never before proposed and codified, while still representing an evolving philosophy. Its’ first-mover practitioners are called Certified Medical Planners™.

Life planning, in general, has many detractors and defenders. Formally, it has been defined by Mitch Anthony, Gene R. Lawrence, AAMS, CFP^© and Roy T. Diliberto, ChFC, CFP^©of the Financial Life Institute, in the following trinitarian way.

Financial Life Planning is an approach to financial planning that places the history, transitions, goals, and principles of the client at the center of the planning process. For the financial advisor or planner, the life of the client becomes the axis around which financial planning develops and evolves.

Financial Life Planning is about coming to the right answers by asking the right questions. This involves broadening the conversation beyond investment selection and asset management to exploring life issues as they relate to money.

Financial Life Planning is a process that helps advisors move their practice from financial transaction thinking, to life transition thinking. The first step is aimed to help clients “see” the connection between their financial lives and the challenges and opportunities inherent in each life transition.

But, for informed physicians, life planning’s quasi-professional and informal approach to the largely isolate disciplines of financial planning and medical practice management is inadequate. Today’s practice environment is incredibly complex, as compressed economic stress from HMOs managed care, financial insecurity from insurance companies, ACOs and VBC, Washington DC and Wall Street; liability fears from attorneys, criminal scrutiny from government agencies, and IT mischief from malicious electronic medical record [eMR] hackers. And economic bench marking from hospital employers; lost confidence from patients; and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [PP-ACA] more than a decade ago. All promote “burnout” and converge to inspire a robust new financial planning approach for physicians and most all medical professionals.

The iMBA Inc., approach to financial planning, as championed by the Certified Medical Planner™ professional certification designation program, integrates the traditional concepts of financial life planning, with the increasing complex business concepts of medical practice management. The former topics are presented in this textbook, the later in our recent companion text: The Business of Medical Practice [Transformational Health 2.0 Skills for Doctors].

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For example, views of medical practice, personal lifestyle, investing and retirement, both what they are and how they may look in the future, are rapidly changing as the retail mentality of medicine is replaced with a wholesale and governmental philosophy. Or, how views on maximizing current practice income might be more profitably sacrificed for the potential of greater wealth upon eventual practice sale and disposition.

Or, how the ultimate fear represented by Yale University economist Robert J. Shiller, in The New Financial Order: Risk in the 21st Century, warns that the risk for choosing the wrong profession or specialty, might render physicians obsolete by technological changes, managed care systems or fiscally unsound demographics. OR, if a medical degree is even needed for future physicians?

Say, what medical license?

Dr. Shirley Svorny, chair of the economics department at California State University, Northridge, holds a PhD in economics from UCLA. She is an expert on the regulation of health care professionals who participated in health policy summits organized by Cato and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She argues that medical licensure not only fails to protect patients from incompetent physicians, but, by raising barriers to entry, makes health care more expensive and less accessible. Institutional oversight and a sophisticated network of private accrediting and certification organizations, all motivated by the need to protect reputations and avoid legal liability, offer whatever consumer protections exist today.

Yet, the opportunity to revise the future at any age through personal re-engineering, exists for all of us, and allows a joint exploration of the meaning and purpose in life. To allow this deeper and more realistic approach, the informed transformation advisor and the doctor client, must build relationships based on trust, greater self-knowledge and true medical business management and personal financial planning acumen.

[A] The iMBA Philosophy

As you read this ME-P website, we hope you will embrace the opportunity to receive the focused and best thinking of some very smart people. Hopefully, along the way you will self-saturate with concrete information that proves valuable in your own medical practice and personal money journey. Maybe, you will even learn something that is so valuable and so powerful, that future reflection will reveal it to be of critical importance to your life. The contributing authors certainly hope so.

At the Institute of Medical Business Advisors, and thru the Certified Medical Planner™ program, we suggest that such an epiphany can be realized only if you have extraordinary clarity regarding your personal, economic and [financial advisory or medical] practice goals, your money, and your relationship with it. Money is, after only, no more or less than what we make of it.

Ultimately, your relationship with it, and to others, is the most important component of how well it will serve you.

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", "Doctors Only", CMP Program, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Healthcare Finance, iMBA, iMBA, Inc., Insurance Matters, Investing, Managed Care, Marcinko Associates, Op-Editorials, Portfolio Management, Practice Management, Practice Worth, Professional Liability, Recommended Books, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: ACA, ACOs, behavioral finance, certified medical planner, CFP, CMP, DO, doctors practice management, DPM, finance, Financial Planning, HMO, iMBA, Investing, life planning, Marcinko, MBA, MD, medical business advisors, personal-finance, PPACA, PPO, retirement planning, VBC | 1 Comment »

PHYSICIANS: Personal Portfolio Management?

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BY DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO; MBA MEd CMP®

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Most individual physician portfolios are simply a list of stocks. Doctors with such lists usually know the cost of each position and when they acquired it. It is not unusual to find inherited low cost stocks in the account that have been held for many years.

When you inherit securities, a new cost basis is established (the price of the stock on the date of death or six months later—the executor of the estate makes this determination). Even though there would be no capital gain liability if the stock were sold immediately after date of death, most people simply don’t do anything, just hold the stock. Of course taxes should be considered when selling securities but the investment merit should be the overriding factor.

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Doctor and Accountant Opinions

In a personal communication, Mr. L. Eddie Dutton, CPA said, “First make an investment decision and if it fits into the tax plan, so much the better. Doctors often wonder where they will get the money to pay the taxes. I say to get it from the sale of the appreciated stock and cry all the way to the bank with your profit.”

Dr. Ernest Duty MD, a very successful private investor advises “Ask yourself this question: If you had the money instead of the stock, would you buy the stock? If your answer is ‘Yes’ then, hold on to the stock but if you say ‘No, I wouldn’t buy that stock today’ then, sell it” [personal communication].

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: E-MAIL CONTACT: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

***

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Investing, Portfolio Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: budgeting, certified medical planner, CMP, finance, Financial Planning, Investing, ISP, Marcinko, personal-finance, Portfolio Management, stock management, stocks | Leave a comment »

Cashier’s Check V. Money Order

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters and AI

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What is a cashier’s check?

Unlike a personal check, a cashier’s check is guaranteed by a bank, drawn from the bank’s own funds, and signed by a bank representative. It’s typically used for large or important transactions, such as buying a car or making a down payment on a home, because it offers more security to the recipient than a personal check.

Traditionally, bank customers obtain a cashier’s check by visiting a bank or credit union in person. There’s usually no limit on the amount of the cashier’s check as long as you have the money to cover it. You and the bank or credit union representative sign the check, and the money is withdrawn from the financial institution’s funds when the check is cashed. However, some online banks may allow you to order a cashier’s check online or over the phone.

If you need a cashier’s check the same day and your bank doesn’t have physical branches, a credit union in your area might issue cashier’s checks even if you’re not a customer. Otherwise, consider signing up with a bank or credit union with physical branches in your area.

There is typically a fee to get a cashier’s check, though the amount isn’t significant. Often, you’ll pay less than $20 even for cashier’s checks of several thousand dollars. The relatively low fees for cashier’s checks and guarantee of funds make them useful when making large, important transactions.

Checks: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/03/27/checks-cashier-v-certified-v-money-order-v-bank-draft/

What is a money order?

A money order is another paper payment method similar to a check. You pay the amount up front (usually in cash or debit), plus a small fee, and the issuer prints a money order that can be filled out to a specific recipient. Because the payment is prepaid, money orders are considered a safe alternative to personal checks, especially for smaller transactions or when sending money through the mail.

Money orders are available at many banks and credit unions as well as some retailers, grocery stores, and post offices. Domestic money orders can’t exceed $1,000, so they aren’t suitable for large transactions. However, while there is a limit on the amount of each money order, you can purchase multiple money orders to pay for more than one expense.

Debit Card Rules: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/10/05/debit-cards-the-new-rules/

Money orders also have relatively low fees. For example, the United States Postal Service (USPS) charges $2.35 for money orders of $0.01 to $500.00, and $3.40 for money orders between $500.01 and $1,000.00

Which payment method is safer: cashier’s check vs. money order?

Cashier’s checks and money orders are both relatively safe forms of payment — both ensure the payment will not bounce.

However, cashier’s checks are generally safer due to the process financial institutions follow. Cashier’s checks are backed by a bank’s own funds, not your personal account, and are signed by a bank employee — making them harder to counterfeit and more trusted by recipients. The payee must also provide a photo ID when cashing the check, so only the person the financial institution specifies can access the money.

Money orders are paid from your personal bank account funds. They can be easier to forge, especially the ones purchased at retail outlets rather than banks.

Debit Cards: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/08/17/use-credit-cards-not-debit-cards/

That said, both are safer than personal checks or mailing cash, and both can be tracked if lost. But for high-value purchases, a cashier’s check is the more secure option.

Credit Cards: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/03/17/bin-credit-card-attack/

EDUCATION: Books

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Investing | Tagged: bank account, banks, cashier's check, checks, credit card, credit cards, Debit cards, finance, money, money order, personal-finance | Leave a comment »

HEDGE FUND: Hiring Separate Managers?

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

By Staff Reporters

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A hedge fund is a limited partnership of private investors whose money is pooled and managed by professional fund managers. These managers use a wide range of strategies, including leverage (borrowed money) and the trading of nontraditional assets, to earn above-average investment returns. A hedge fund investment is often considered a risky, alternative investment choice and usually requires a high minimum investment or net worth. Hedge funds typically target wealthy investors.

Growing Funds: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/01/15/hedge-funds-a-growing-sector-of-investing/

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I want to invest with a manager that has the skills to “hedge” a portfolio, but I do not wish to mix my money with other investors as in a hedge fund.

QUESTION: Can I hire hedge fund managers to manage my account separately?

Some hedge fund managers do take the time to recruit and manage separate accounts, with or without the help of referring brokers.

However, before long the administrative burden of managing so many separate accounts can become quite significant. Hence, the minimums for such separate accounts are generally much higher than if one were to invest in the manager’s hedge fund.

Hedge Fees: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/07/09/hedge-funds-understanding-fees-and-costs/

The best feature of these separate accounts is that potentially every aspect of the investment account, including fees, is negotiable. Other features include greater transparency and increased liquidity, since separately managed accounts can often be shut down on short notice.

Hedge Monitors: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/07/09/how-to-monitor-hedge-funds/

Investors must be aware, however, that for practical purposes the portfolio manager generally will buy and sell the same securities in the separately managed accounts that the portfolio manager buys and sells in the hedge fund, yet the expenses incurred by the investor will likely be higher.

Hedge IRA: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/04/02/hedge-funds-in-individual-retirement-accounts/

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, CMP Program, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Insurance Matters, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: alternate investments, CMP, finance, financial advisor, financial planner, hedge funds, Investing, investment, investment manager, money, personal-finance, stocks | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Stocks End Day Mixed

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

***

http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
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Stocks wavered throughout the day as the 10-year Treasury yield rose back above 4.5%, making a convincing argument for investors to buy risk-free bonds with big yields rather than equities.
Yields on both 20-year and 30-year Treasuries traded above 5% after the Republican tax and spending bill passed the House, raising fears of a bigger US deficit and lower creditworthiness in the years ahead.
Bitcoin continued to climb last night, hitting a new record high of $111,886.41 in the wee hours of the morning before losing some ground throughout the trading session today.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

What’s up

Nike gained 2.30% on the news that it will begin selling its shoes on Amazon for the first time since 2019.
Fannie Mae popped 46.73% and Freddie Mac jumped 42.50% on President Trump’s comments that he’s seriously considering bringing the mortgage giants public.
Advance Auto Parts exploded 57.14% higher after better-than-feared earnings made it clear that its turnaround plan is working.
Urban Outfitters soared 22.84% after reporting EPS of $1.16 last quarter, far better than the $0.84 per share analysts had forecast.
Snowflake gained 13.47% thanks to a strong first quarter and management’s expectation that revenue will rise about 25% this quarter.

What’s down

Walmart lost 0.48% on the news that it will cut 1,500 jobs in a corporate restructuring.
Analog Devices fell 4.63% even though the semiconductor maker beat Wall Street estimates on both sales and profits last quarter.
Health insurance stocks took a hit on reports that the US government will conduct “aggressive” Medicare Advantage audits. Humana sank 7.58%, UnitedHealth Group fell 2.08%, and CVS Health dropped 3.06%.

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Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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Filed under: Financial Planning, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Recommended Books | Tagged: Bitcoin, bonds, crypto, cryptocurrency, DJIA, DOW, finance, Investing, Marcinko, money, NASA, NASDAQ, S&P 500, textbooks, VIX, WSJ | Leave a comment »

STAGFLATION? Slow Growth, High Unemployment and Rising Prices.

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINED

By Staff Reporters

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Stocks ticked down yesterday, ending a six-day rally after some influential CEOs—including JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon—warned that markets have grown too complacent about tariffs and potential stagflation. But it was a spectacular day for Warby Parker, which climbed more than 15% after Google announced it’s partnering with the eyewear company on ~~Google Glass (RIP)~~ a new smart glasses device.

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Stagflation is the simultaneous appearance in an economy of slow growth, high unemployment, and rising prices.
Once thought by economists to be impossible, stagflation has occurred repeatedly in the developed world since the 1970s.
Policy solutions for slow growth tend to worsen inflation, and vice versa. That makes stagflation hard to fight.

Stagflation is the combination of high inflation, stagnant economic growth, and elevated unemployment.

The term stagflation, a blend of “stagnation” and “inflation,” was popularized by British politician Lain MacLeod in the 1960s, during a period of economic distress in the United Kingdom. It gained broader recognition in the 1970s after a series of global economic shocks, particularly the 1973 oil crisis, which disrupted supply chains and led to rising prices and slowing growth. Stagflation challenges traditional economic theories, which suggest that inflation and unemployment are inversely related, as depicted by the Phillips Curve.

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According to Wikipedia, stagflation presents a policy dilemma, as measures to curb inflation—such as tightening monetary policy—can exacerbate unemployment, while policies aimed at reducing unemployment may fuel inflation.

In economic theory, there are two main explanations for stagflation: supply shocks, such as a sharp increase in oil prices, and misguided government policies that hinder industrial output while expanding the money supply too rapidly.

NOTE: A portmanteau word or part of a word made by combining the spellings and meanings of two or more other words or word parts (such as smog from smoke and fog).

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2019/06/25/what-is-a-portmanteau/

The stagflation of the 1970s led to a re-evaluation of Keynesian economic policies and contributed to the rise of alternative economic theories, including monetarism and supply-side economics.

PHILLIPS CURVE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/10/04/about-the-phillips-curve/

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: Chase, demand, Dimon, economics, economy, finance, inflation, Keynesian, Lain Macleod, monetarism, Phillips Curve, Portmanteau, stagflation, stagnation, supply, supply shock, Warby Parker, wikipedia | Leave a comment »

PARADOX: Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK)

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA

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I am back from what has become over the past two decades an annual pilgrimage to Omaha.

What’s fascinating about this trip is that it has everything and nothing to do with Warren Buffett. The main event that draws everyone to Omaha – the Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) annual meeting – is actually the least important part. I could have watched the shareholder meeting livestreamed on YouTube from the comfort of my living room couch.

The emergence of the Berkshire phenomenon reminds me of China’s manufacturing evolution. China initially attracted capital because of its cheap labor. But over time, China took this capital and plowed it into infrastructure. Factories were built next to each other, each specializing in certain areas. A specialized ecosystem emerged.

Today, Chinese labor is no longer cheap. It’s been replaced by automation, and now China is a powerhouse for manufacturing anything and everything.

The transformation that the BRK weekend has undergone followed a similar progression. Initially, the only way to absorb Buffett and Munger’s wisdom was to come to Omaha, as the event was not streamed. But then something interesting happened. The BRK weekend attracted people who shared the same value system, and friendships were formed. A variety of smaller events began to be scheduled throughout the same weekend across Omaha, and an equally specialized ecosystem emerged.

The shareholder meeting began to be streamed about ten years ago, but that has had no impact on attendance. This is one reason why I think Buffett is at peace with the idea of no longer presiding at the meeting – people will still come to Omaha the weekend before Mother’s Day.
The BRK weekend now features dozens of excellent events.

I spoke at several, including an investing panel at Creighton University, alongside the wonderful Bob Robotti, a die-hard value investor who runs Robotti & Co. I’ve known Bob for years – at 72, he exhibits the same enthusiasm for stocks as someone decades younger – and this panel was an excellent example of what the BRK Omaha ecosystem has produced.

Bob and I have very different approaches to value investing. He loves cyclical businesses, while I generally shun them. Bob mentioned that he’d buy a very cheap business run by a mediocre manager, while I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with either approach; indeed, there is an important lesson in it. Your investment philosophy and process have to fit your personality and your EQ. In my case, I get nervous (and thus irrational) when I own companies run by imbeciles who don’t have either skin or soul in the game. But the great thing about the BRK weekend is that I learn from Bob every time I spend time with him. He’s a thoughtful and genuinely kind human being.

From the outside, the BRK weekend may seem like a place where people simply want to learn how to get and stay rich. But this gathering transcends value investing and capitalism and genuinely celebrates human values. People (like me) bring their kids to this event. And just like at the main event, at the Q&A breakfast I hosted for my readers, many questions centered on life rather than investing.

My first Omaha reader meetup fit around a small restaurant table. This year, to my surprise, 450 people packed into a venue with standing-room only. I answered questions on every imaginable topic for just over two hours, and by the end I was exhausted.

This gave me even greater admiration for Buffett, who is four decades my senior, yet still fielded questions for four solid hours. I was delighted to hear Warren give a similar answer to one I had given the day before when asked what advice he’d give to graduating students:
“Don’t worry too much about starting salaries and be very careful who you work for because you will take on the habits of the people around you.”

(Incidentally, we are going to host our next Q&A Breakfast on May 1, 2026. You can sign up for it here. It’s free, but I suggest you sign up early, as it fills up fast.)

I also participated (as I have for over a decade) in an investing panel at YPO (Young President Organization) in the beautiful Holland Performance Art Center with Tom Gaynor, CEO of Markel (often described as a baby Berkshire Hathaway) and Lawrence Cunningham. Lawrence authored perhaps the most important book about Buffett, The Essays of Warren Buffett, masterfully editing Warren’s annual letters into a cohesive volume. This year’s panel was one of those occasions where I found myself listening intently to my fellow panelists instead of speaking more.

Lawrence has met Greg Abel – Buffett’s designated successor – and feels optimistic about him. He’s probably right – this was one of Buffett’s most crucial decisions, which he did not make lightly. Yet I can’t imagine sitting for four hours listening to Greg Abel. I am sure he is a brilliant CEO, but he’s neither Buffett nor Munger – few individuals possess so much worldly wisdom and communicate it with such clarity and humor.

This brings me to the point of this note: the dramatic (yet not unexpected) announcement that Buffett is stepping down as CEO of BRK at the end of the year.

Before I comment on this, let me tell you a story. Imagine you have been watching a soap opera for 17 years. You arrive dutifully every year to watch every episode in person. And then you miss the last five minutes of the explosive finale before it goes off the air. This is what happened to me when Buffett announced his retirement as CEO.

A few minutes before noon, while Buffett was answering a question I’d heard before and appeared to be winding down, I suggested we slip out early for lunch to avoid the crowds. When we came back, I discovered that the meeting had gone on until 1 pm, and just before it ended, Buffett announced that he would step down at the end of the year. Seventeen years of watching Warren speak and I missed the most dramatic moment of all, followed by a five-minute standing ovation.

I think Buffett has engineered his exit brilliantly. He will still remain chairman, and even before the announcement he was not managing BRK’s day-to-day operations. As a collection of hundreds of companies that often have absolutely nothing in common with each other, BRK is already highly decentralized. Buffett’s main contribution has been capital allocation.

Giving up the CEO title while he’s still alive means Buffett has brought in his replacement in an orderly way and created a smooth transition. But I have a feeling that on January 1, 2026, when Greg Abel officially becomes CEO, nothing will really change, and Warren will continue doing what he’s been doing for as long as he can. If Buffett is able – he’ll be 95 – he’ll still drive to the office and stop by McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich (there’s a lot of wisdom in finding pleasure in little things). His son Howard Buffett will become chairman after Warren, with his only job being to preserve the culture.
I’ve been asked what I think of BRK stock. We bought the stock during the pandemic. It has done better than I expected, in part because of the strong performance of Apple, which was BRK’s largest holding. But BRK today is an unexciting investment at its current price. In all honesty, it is a conglomerate with some good and some merely okay businesses.

As a consumer, I get a (small) glimpse into how BRK businesses are being run by visiting Dairy Queen. BRK owns DQ, and I love their soft-serve ice cream (though I only eat it when I travel). My favorite part of research!

DQ has (or maybe had) a strong brand and operates on a capital-light model as a franchisor. But most stores I have visited looked like they have been neglected and need fresh paint. To be sure, I understand the limitations of this “analysis,” and DQ overall amounts to a rounding error on BRK’s financials. But little things often reveal much about big things.

BRK’s big businesses, from what I can glean through their financials, are not particularly well managed – GEICO and BNSF (railroad) have definitely been undermanaged lately. BNSF is not nearly as efficient as its competitors that embraced precision railroading, and until recently GEICO was losing market share to Progressive.

BRK’s reinsurance business, a significant source of BRK’s profitability, is run by the extraordinary Ajit Jain. Ajit is in his 70s and unfortunately it seems he is not in great health. Is his replacement going to shoot the lights out, like he did? We don’t know. But Ajit is probably more important to BRK today than Buffett.

BRK is not going to melt into oblivion after Buffett is gone, but its best days are behind it. As Buffett has acknowledged, just its size alone makes it very difficult for BRK to grow. Truth be told, even if Buffett were thirty years younger and continued to run BRK, I am not sure the results would be much different than what I think the future holds with Abel at the helm.

Buffett and Charlie Munger had a tremendous impact on me as an investor and human being. I am incredibly thankful to both. I hope Warren is there next year, but, in either case, I will be.

As value investors say, “next year in Omaha”.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Experts Invited, Funding Basics, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: Apple, Berkshire, Berkshire Hathaway, BRK, DQ, EQ, finance, GaynorTom, GEICO, Investing, Katsenelson, Munger, Robotti, stock market, value inestors, Warren Buffett | Leave a comment »

DAILY UPDATE: Strong Labor Department as Stock Markets Soar Last Week but Stock and Oil Futures Drop Early Monday Morning

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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U.S. stock futures declined after the S&P 500 notched its longest winning streak in more than 20 years last week. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down around 280 points, or 0.7%, as of 11 p.m. Eastern. S&P 500 futures and NASDAQ-100 futures were off about 0.8%.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

The labor market stayed strong. The US added 177,000 jobs in April, while unemployment stayed steady at 4.2%, new Labor Department data shows. That was slightly less job growth than the month before, but still more than expected, and it shows a resilient labor environment even as the president’s introduction of tariffs roiled the stock and bond markets and raised concerns about a recession. President Trump celebrated the news in a Truth Social post that once again urged the Fed to cut interest rates.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Markets: Stocks soared like a balloon whose string a toddler couldn’t keep hold of yesterday. Unexpectedly strong jobs data for last month and reports that China is open to trade talks helped push the S&P 500 to its longest winning streak in more than 20 years (more on that later), erasing the losses from recent tariff turmoil. On its own impressive streak is Netflix, which hit an all-time high and finished its 11th day in the green for its longest positive run ever.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Crude oil futures dropped more than 3% Sunday after OPEC+ agreed to accelerate production increases for a second straight month in June by 411K bbl/day.

U.S. WTI crude (CL1:COM) for June delivery recently traded -3.4% at $56.28/bbl and July Brent crude (CO1:COM) -3.2% at $59.34/bbl, with both front-month contracts touching their lowest levels since April 9th.

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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DAILY UPDATE: Meta, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple and the Roaring Markets

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Meta Platforms jumped 4.23% after the big tech giant reported that its advertising revenue came in at $41.39 billion, beating analyst projections of $40.44 billion, thanks to higher ad price growth than expected. Daily active users rose to 3.43 billion, up from 3.35 billion last quarter, while nearly 1 billion people use its digital AI assistant every month. Management expects Q2 sales to come in between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion, in-line with analyst forecasts of $44.03 billion.

EPS: $6.43 per share, crushing estimates of $5.28
Revenue: $42.31 billion, above the $41.10 expected

Microsoft leaped 7.63% after reporting its profit jumped a staggering 18% from a year earlier. That wasn’t the only good news: Revenue from Microsoft’s Azure cloud software grew 33% year over year, higher than the 31% expected by analysts. But perhaps the best news of all was management’s upbeat guidance—Microsoft projected revenue between $73.15 billion and $74.25 billion for the current quarter, well above expectations of $72.26 billion.

EPS: $3.46 per share, beating forecasts of $3.22
Revenue: $70.07 billion, above the $68.42 billion projected

Eli Lilly dropped 11.66% today, despite the fact that the pharmaceutical giant reported that sales skyrocketed 45% year over year thanks to its lucrative GLP-1 drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro. Two things spooked investors today: The company lowered its profit outlook well below its preview estimate due its acquisition of a cancer drug from Scorpion Therapeutics, and CVS Health dropped Zepbound from its preferred drug list in lieu of arch-rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy this morning.—LB

EPS: $3.34 adjusted, beating the $3.02 expected
Revenue: $12.73 billion, compared to the $12.67 projected

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

🟢 What’s up

Kohls popped 7.76% after the retailer fired its brand-new CEO for unethical behavior.
CVS Health not only beat earnings expectations but raised its fiscal guidance, pushing shares of the pharmacy chain up 4.11%.
Wayfair rose 3.65% on surprisingly strong earnings for an online furniture seller that analysts were convinced would be hit hard by tariffs.
Roblox gained 2.91% as people checked out of reality and hit the metaverse in higher numbers than ever.
CoreWeave popped 7.31% thanks to key customer Microsoft’s strong capex guidance.
Carrier Global climbed 11.61% after the air conditioning company boosted its fiscal forecast. Turns out everyone needs AC regardless of economic uncertainty.
People also need straight teeth: Dental products manufacturer Align Technology rose 1.98% on solid earnings.
Quanta Services gained 9.99% after the construction engineering company beat Wall Street estimates on both the top and bottom line.

What’s down

Qualcomm may have beaten earnings expectations, but shares fell 8.92% after investors were disappointed by the chipmaker’s lower guidance.
GM was in the same boat: Earnings beat forecasts, but poor guidance and warnings that tariffs could cost the company up to $5 billion this year pushed shares 0.42% lower.
Robinhood Markets enjoyed a 50% increase in revenue last quarter as traders played the volatile market, but the stock still sank 5.07%.
Moderna fell 5.29% after the vaccine maker missed revenue expectations and said it’s planning another $1.5 billion in cost cuts.
Church & Dwight, maker of household goods like Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, missed revenue forecasts last quarter and sank 6.87%.
Becton Dickinson & Co. lost 18.13% after the medical device maker warned of the adverse effects of, what else, tariffs.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Amazon plans to invest about $4 billion into its rural delivery network across the US.

Apple is in hot water after a judge ruled it violated a court order to reform the App Store.

The Department of Justice sued several big health insurers, alleging they used illegal kickbacks to nudge members into Medicare programs.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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Filed under: Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Healthcare Finance, Information Technology, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Recommended Books, Sponsors | Tagged: AI, Amazon, app store, Apple, DJIA, DOJ, DOW, Eli Lilly, finance, Marcinko, medicare, Meta, microsoft, MSFT, NASA, NASDAQ, PBMs, S&P 500, Science, stock markets, Technology, textbooks | Leave a comment »

QUANTUM COMPUTING: Healthcare and Banking Affected [B-QTUM Index Fund]

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

FUNDAMENTAL INDUSTRY CHANGES

By Staff Reporters

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Index Funds

An index mutual fund or ETF (exchange-traded fund) tracks the performance of a specific market benchmark—or “index,” like the popular S&P 500 Index—as closely as possible. That’s why you may hear people refer to indexing as a “passive” investment strategy.

Instead of hand-selecting which stocks or bonds the fund will hold, the fund’s manager buys all (or a representative sample) of the stocks or bonds in the index it tracks.

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Quantum Computing

Unlike traditional computers that use bits, quantum computers utilize qubits. These qubits are capable of being in a state of superposition, where they can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously, enabling the processing of multiple calculations at once. This could allow quantum computers to outperform classical computers in solving certain complex problems. However, the field is still overcoming challenges such as qubit stability and decoherence; especially in these three areas:

Quantum computing could fundamentally alter healthcare by accelerating drug discovery and improving individualized medicine. Rapid analysis of enormous volumes of biological data allows quantum computers to find trends that might guide the creation of more potent treatments. In addition to accelerating drug development, this will enable customized treatments tailored to unique genetic profiles.

Faster and more accurate financial models produced by quantum computing will transform the banking sector. Through real-time analysis of intricate financial systems, it can help investors to control risk and make better decisions. More precise market forecasts will help maximize portfolio management and trading strategies.

Through greatly enhanced medical diagnosis and patient care, quantum computing can transform the healthcare industry. Quantum computers can remarkably accurately find trends and possible health hazards by analyzing enormous volumes of medical data in a fraction of the time. Early diagnosis and more customized treatment alternatives follow from this.

B–QTUM Index Fund

Index Description: The BlueStar® Machine Learning and Quantum Computing Index (BQTUM) tracks liquid companies in the global quantum computing and machine learning industries, including products and services related to quantum computing or machine learning, such as the development or use of quantum computers or computing chips, superconducting materials, applications built on quantum computers, embedded artificial intelligence chips, or software specializing in the perception, collection, visualization, or management of big data.

Citation and Disclosure: https://www.defianceetfs.com/qtum/

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Filed under: Drugs and Pharma, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Information Technology, Investing | Tagged: banking, bits, BlueStar, BQTUM, bytes, Drugs, ETFs, exchange traded funds, finance, healthcare, HIT, Investing, IT, Machine Learning, Mutual Funds, personal-finance, Portfolio Management, QTUM, Quantum Computiog, qubits, stocks, Technology | Leave a comment »

ZWEIG BREADTH THRUST: A Stock Indicator

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The Zweig Breadth Thrust may sound like an extremely difficult yoga position, but it’s actually a bullish technical indicator with an extraordinary record of 100% accuracy that was just triggered.

Created by investment advisor and author Martin Zweig, the indicator takes the 10-day moving average of the number of advancing stocks across the market and divides it by the number of advancing stocks plus the number of declining stocks. When the resulting percentage rises from below 40% to above 61.5% in 10 trading days, it’s a sign that stocks are rapidly going from oversold to overbought.

The math is a bit complicated, but Carson Research’s Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick certainly thinks highly of it.

According to the chart that he just posted on X, the Zweig Breadth Thrust has a perfect record of predicting market gains 6 and 12 months after it appears.

With the indicator triggering on Friday, here’s hoping that we can continue to trust the Zweig Thrust.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Financial Planning, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: business, Carson Research, finance, Investing, martin zweig, Portfolio Management, Ryan Detrick, stock market, stocks, Zweig Breadth Thrust, Zweig Index, ZweigThrust | Leave a comment »

FEAR BASED GOLD FEVER: Protect Yourself

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler CFP™

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On January 21, 1980, in what I thought was a brilliant financial move, I bought gold. At what was then an all-time high of $873 an ounce.

Fast forward 45 years, and here we are again. Gold is on a tear, priced just over $3,000 an ounce at the time of this writing. It needs to rise another 16% to reach its inflation-adjusted record and many analysts think it might just get there.

What’s driving this gold rally? The same thing that drove it in 1980—fear.

Back then, the U.S. was grappling with rising inflation, double-digit price increases, and interest rates in the high teens. Investors feared that the dollar and stock market would collapse, that their hard-earned savings would erode into oblivion, and that gold was a safe haven. Sound familiar?

Today, inflation is less dramatic and the stock market would have to go a long way down to even register as a bear market, but it’s still a major concern. Central banks are buying gold at record levels. Gold-backed ETFs, which had been seeing years of outflows, are finally pulling investors back in.

For most, gold isn’t just an investment, it’s an emotional hedge against uncertainty. Back in 1980, I wasn’t thinking about long-term strategy. I was reacting to fear. Inflation had hit 14%, and like many others, I was convinced the dollar would soon be worthless. Gold, I thought, was my best shot at preserving wealth.

The problem? Inflation eventually cooled; it had dropped to an average of 3.5% by the mid-1980s. Gold prices tumbled along with it. Investors who, like me, bought at the peak, 45 years later still haven’t broken even on an inflation-adjusted basis. (My $873 purchase price, adjusted for inflation, equates to $3,580 today.) If I had stuck with a well-diversified portfolio, I likely would have fared much better over time.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that our financial decisions aren’t just about numbers. They’re deeply influenced by our Internal Financial System™, a framework that helps explain why we handle money the way we do. I now see that my decision to buy gold was a battle between different financial “parts” of myself.

One part panicked, convinced that money was about to become worthless. Another saw gold prices soaring and didn’t want to miss out. Yet another part convinced me that buying at the peak was still a smart move. Had I paused and examined these internal voices, I might have made a different decision.

My gold purchase shows why emotionally driven investment decisions rarely lead to great financial outcomes. Instead of asking, “Is gold a smart long-term investment?” I was asking, “How do I make sure I don’t lose everything?” Those are two very different questions.

If you’re thinking about buying gold, I urge you to consider these questions:

“Am I investing from a place of fear or strategy?” If you’re rushing in because you’re scared of inflation, pause and reassess.

“How does gold fit into my broader financial plan?” Gold can be a great hedge—if held in appropriate amounts in a diversified portfolio. It is best viewed as catastrophic financial insurance, rather than an investment.

“Am I reacting to headlines or making a well-thought-out decision?” The financial media loves a good gold rally. But remember, markets move in cycles. Today’s rally may be history repeating itself.

Back in 1980, fear persuaded me that gold was a sure thing. I forgot an essential caveat—there are no sure things in investing. If bad market timing were an Olympic sport, I’d have taken home the gold (pun intended) for least profitable performance.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Alternative Investments, Experts Invited, Glossary Terms, mental health, Op-Editorials, Portfolio Management | Tagged: diversification, economy, ETFs, finance, FOMA, gold, gold fever, gold prices, inflation, internal financial system, Investing, mental health, rick kahler | Leave a comment »

NEWS IN BRIEF: Financial, Investing, Economics and IT

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BREAKING NEWS

By Staff Reporters

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Spot bitcoin ETFs saw their highest inflows since January over the last few days, sparking a crypto rally.
The Federal Reserve withdrew its guidance for banks about engaging in crypto-related business.
California is now the fourth-largest economy in the world.
OpenAI expects its revenue to reach $125 billion in 2029, up from $3.7 billion last year.
The median pay for CEOs rose to a record $16.8 million in 2024.
Meta Platforms is laying off staff working in its virtual reality division.
Apple announced it’s shifting its iPhone production from China to India.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Breaking News, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Information Technology, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Media Mentions and PR | Tagged: Apple, Bitcoin, brief news, crypto, economics, finance, FOMC, inesting, IT, Marcinko, Meta, openAI | Leave a comment »

ANNUITIES: Three Types of Insurance Products

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company. When you purchase an annuity, you make a lump-sum contribution or a series of contributions, generally each month. In return, the insurance company makes periodic payments to you beginning immediately or at a pre-determined date in the future. These periodic payments may last for a finite period, such as 20 years, or an indefinite period, such as until both you and your spouse are deceased. Annuities may also include a death benefit that will pay your beneficiary a specified minimum amount, such as the total amount of your contributions.

The growth of earnings in your annuity is typically tax-deferred; this could be beneficial as you may be in a lower tax bracket when you begin taking distributions from the annuity.

Warning: A word of caution: Annuities are intended as long-term investments. If you withdraw your money early from an annuity, you may pay substantial surrender charges to the insurance company as well as tax penalties to the IRS and state.

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There are three basic types of annuities — fixed, indexed, and variable

1. With a fixed annuity, the insurance company agrees to pay you no less than a specified (fixed) rate of interest during the time that your account is growing. The insurance company also agrees that the periodic payments will be a specified (fixed) amount per dollar in your account.

2. With an indexed annuity, your return is based on changes in an index, such as the S&P. Indexed annuity contracts also state that the contract value will be no less than a specified minimum, regardless of index performance.

3. A variable annuity allows you to choose from among a range of different investment options, typically mutual funds. The rate of return and the amount of the periodic payments you eventually receive will vary depending on the performance of the investment options you select.

READ: SEC’s publication, Variable Annuities: What You Should Know.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Alternative Investments, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, iMBA, Inc., Insurance Matters, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Taxation | Tagged: Accounting, annuity, finance, fixed annuity, indexed annuity, insurance company, Investing, IRA, IRS, Marcinko, retirement, retirement planning, SEC, tax, tax deferred, variable annuity | Leave a comment »

CPA, CMA, CFA and Enrolled Agents

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITIONS

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Certified Public Accountant

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a licensed professional who has passed an examination administered by a state’s Board of Accountancy. State CPA exams are created under guidelines issued by The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The Uniform CPA Exam can only be taken by accountants who already have professional experience in the field and a bachelor’s degree.CPAs are not fiduciaries.

Not all accountants are CPAs. Accountants who are CPAs are licensed by their state’s Board of Accountancy after passing the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs prepare reports that accurately reflect the business dealings of the companies and individuals that hire them. Many prepare tax returns for individuals or businesses and advise them on ways to minimize taxes. Obtaining the CPA designation requires a bachelor’s degree, typically with a major in business administration, finance, or accounting. Other majors are acceptable if the applicant meets the minimum requirements for accounting courses.

Enrolled Agent

Although not a CPA, an Enrolled Agent [EA] is a person who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. This is done by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS test covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. Enrolled agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years.

Certified Managerial Accountant

A Certified Management Accountant (CMA), which is issued by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), builds on financial accounting proficiency by adding management skills that aid in making strategic business decisions based on financial data.

Oftentimes, the reports and analyses prepared by certified management accountants (CMAs) will go above and beyond those required by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

For example, in addition to a company’s required GAAP financial statements, CMAs may prepare additional management reports that provide specific insights useful to corporate decision-makers, such as performance metrics on specific company departments, products, or even employees.

Certified Financial Analyst

A Certified Financial Analyst [CFA] is a globally-recognized professional designation offered by the CFA Institute, an organization that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis. From 1963 through November 2023, more than 3.7 million candidates had taken the CFA exam. The overall pass rate was 45%. From 2014 through 2023, the 10-year average pass rate was 43%.1

CFA Institute. The CFA Institute was formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).

The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis. To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelors degree, and have at least 4,000 hours of relevant professional experience over a minimum of three years. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying.

There are more than 200,000 CFA charter holders worldwide in 164 countries.The designation is handed out by the CFA Institute, which has 11 offices worldwide and 160 local member societies.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Career Development, CMP Program, Glossary Terms, Investing, Portfolio Management, Taxation, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: Accounting, AIMR, business, career, Certified Financial Analyst, CFA, Chartered Financial Analyst, CMA, CMP, CPA, EA, enrolled agent, finance, managerial accountant, Marcinko, public accountant, small-business, tax | Leave a comment »

The DOCTOR EFFECT

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd CMP™

Medical Colleagues Beware the Advisors

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Several years ago a group of highly trusted and deeply experienced financial advisors, insurance service professionals and estate planners noted that far too many of their mature retiring physician clients, using traditional stock brokers, management consultants and financial advisors, seemed to be less successful than those who went it alone. These Do-it-Yourselfers [DIYs] had setbacks and made mistakes, for sure. But, the ME Inc doctors seemed to learn from their mistakes and did not incur the high management and service fees demanded from general or retail one-size-fits-all “advisors.”

In fact, an informal inverse related relationship was noted, and dubbed the “Doctor Effect.” In others words, the more consultants an individual doctor retained; the less well they did in all disciplines of the financial planning and medical practice management, continuum.

Of course, the reason for this discrepancy eluded many of them as Wall Street brokerages and wire-houses flooded the media with messages, infomercials, print, radio, TV, texts, tweets, dinners and internet ads to the contrary. Rather than self-learn the basics, the prevailing sentiment seemed to purse the holy grail of finding the “perfect financial advisor.” This realization confirmed the industry culture which seemed to be:

Bread for the advisor – Crumbs for the client!

And so, Marcinko Associates formed a cadre’ of technology focused and highly educated multi-degreed doctors, nurses, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, psychologists and educational visionaries who decided there must be a better way for their healthcare colleagues to receive financial planning advice, products and related advisory services within a culture of fiduciary responsibility.

We trust you agree with this specific niche knowledge, and collegial consulting philosophy, as illustrated thru our firm and these two books.

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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Filed under: "Doctors Only", CMP Program, Ethics, Financial Advisor Listings, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Investing, LifeStyle, Marcinko Associates, Portfolio Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: agents, budgeting, certified medical planner, CFP, CMP, DO, DPM, finance, financial advisors, financial planners, Financial Planning, insurance, Investing, Marcinko, MD, personal-finance, Portfolio Management, RN | Leave a comment »

STOCKS: Basic Definitions

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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When you buy a share of stock, you are taking ownership in a company. Collectively, the company is owned by all the shareholders, and each share represents a claim on assets and earnings. If the company distributes profits to its shareholders, you should receive a proportionate share of the earnings.

Stocks are often categorized by the size of the company, or their market capitalization. The market capitalization is determined by multiplying the number of outstanding shares by the current share price. The most common market cap classes are small-cap (valued from $100 million to $1 billion), mid-cap ($1 billion to $10 billion), and large cap ($10 billion to $100 billion).

Stocks are also categorized by their sector, or the type of business the company conducts. Common sectors include utilities, consumer staples, energy, communications, financial, health care, transportation, and technology.

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Stocks are often viewed as being in one of two categories — growth or value.

Growth stocks are ones that are associated with high quality, successful companies that are expected to continue growing at a better-than-average rate as compared to the rest of the market.
Value stocks are ones that have generally solid fundamentals, but are currently out of favor with the market. This may be due to the company being relatively new and unproven in the market, or because the company has recently experienced a decline due to the company’s sector being affected negatively. An example of this would be if the federal government was to levy a new tax on all cell phones, thus negatively affecting all cell phone company stocks.

History has shown that, over time, stocks have provided a better return than bonds, real estate, and other savings vehicles. As a result, stocks may be the ideal investment for investors with long-term goals.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Portfolio Management | Tagged: cyclical, earnings, finance, Investing, IPO, IT, market capitalization, personal-finance, Portfolio Management, real estate, revenue, shares, SPACs, stock market, stocks, value | Leave a comment »

Few Stocks UP with Many Stocks DOWN

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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U.S. stock and bond markets will be closed on Good Friday. Many global markets will also be closed Friday. Exceptions include Japan and mainland China, which will be open as usual. U.S. markets will reopen Monday. Many international markets will remain shut to mark Easter Monday, including Australia, Hong Kong, and exchanges in France, Germany and the U.K.

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YESTERDAY 4/17/25

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🟢 What’s up

TSMC eked out a 0.10% gain after the semiconductor maker reported a 60% increase in profits last quarter and downplayed the effects of tariffs.
Charles Schwab isn’t just the guy who made $2 billion from market chaos last week. It’s also the brokerage that reported record quarterly revenue, but shares only rose 0.65%.
Hertz climbed another 43.87%, tacking on another day of big wins after Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital took a stake in the rental car company.
Trump Media & Technology Group popped 11.65% after the company asked the SEC to investigate a hedge fund with a $105 million short bet against it.
Chinese tea chain Chagee soared 15.86% in its first day of trading on the Nasdaq.
DR Horton missed analyst expectations last quarter and lowered its fiscal year guidance, but investors quickly forgave the country’s largest homebuilder and pushed shares up 3.16%.

What’s down

Alphabet took a 1.38% hit after a federal judge ruled that Google is a monopoly. This marks Alphabet’s second antitrust loss since last August.
Alcoa fell 6.98% after the aluminum mining behemoth announced it ate about $20 million in tariff-related costs last quarter, noting that this figure could rise to $90 million in the current quarter.
American Express fell 0.64% even though the credit card company beat Wall Street’s expectations last quarter.
Global Payments tumbled 17.43% after the payment processor announced a $24 billion acquisition of competitor Worldpay.

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Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Financial Planning, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: business, finance, Investing, Portfolio Management, stock market, stocks, stocks down, stocks up | Leave a comment »

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