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Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it is officially the summer reading season! Whether you are going to the beach, the lake or just your back patio – here is my list of books I have queued up for summer 2019. There should be something for everyone.

If you looked for a financial planner in Kansas City -- or any metro area, for that matter -- you might have stumbled across a firm who promises to not only do your financial planning, but also your taxes.

And your estate planning. And help with your insurance and advise on charitable giving strategies. And….

Private high schools in the Kansas City Area continue to see prices creep higher for the 2019 -2020 school year. The positive news for parents is that cost increases are moderating over previous years. The median increase in the full cost to attend is up 2.81%. This is the lowest in the five years we have been tracking education expenses.

Global stock markets posted their best quarterly performance since 2013. This quarter’s rally was largely a snap back move after a difficult 2018. The rally this quarter was helped by a more accommodative tone from central bankers around the world, global economic data showed improvement (from low expectations) and hopes that a US and China trade deal would be concluded in the near term.

Stocks brushed off the frantic sell-off of the fourth quarter to post its best first quarter performance since I was in college (1998). This was the best single quarter since 2014 and the S&P 500 recovered most of its losses from last year sitting about 3% away from all time highs.

Reaching the maximum contribution level for your 401(k) is a sign that you are doing well in your career or you are a great saver. Reaching this achievement also puts you in a small group of Americans.

There are countless biases and cognitive errors that humans make on a daily basis -- and many of them can affect whether or not you find financial success.

The 4th quarter saw global stock markets sell off into bear market territory. The sell off was triggered by concerns over the US – China trade war and the ripple impact it is having in economies around the world. Economic growth decelerating at a quicker pace than expected. The slowdown is partially linked to the cautious business environment stemming from the trade war.

The markets delivered a Christmas gift that no one asked for this year, a bear market. Stocks capped a turbulent year with a steep sell off in the fourth quarter. 2018 was a tough year for almost all assets categories around the world. The best performing asset was cash beating both stocks and bonds. This is the first-time cash has been the best performing asset since 1994.

I am humbled that over 60,000 people read articles on our website this year. Our goal is to help take financial planning and investment topics and write about them in a relatable way that is helpful to our readers. We are so grateful for our readers and feel free to suggest topics you would like us to cover in 2019. Thanks again for reading and here are our top posts for 2018!