What’s your schedule look like tomorrow?  Are you packed with little time for lunch or do you have a day open for creative thinking? Yes – that’s right, creative thinking. Drake Baer writes a thought-provoking piece for Fast Company and talks about the first time Warren Buffet met Bill Gates with an open schedule in his little black book.  Buffett is known to guard his time and believes whole heartedly in the value of an open schedule.   “You’ve gotta keep control of your time,” Buffett says, “and you can’t unless you say no. You can’t let people set your agenda in life.”

Drake references writer Kevin Ashton who found a theory on creativity and success looking at a few key people ““Wipe away the magic and myth of creating and all that remains is work … No matter what you read, no matter what they claim, nearly all creators spend nearly all their time on the work of creation. There are few overnight successes and many up-all-night successes.”

It’s rare in the work force to see individuals sitting at their desks cultivating creativity.  We often find scenarios of working through lunch, double booking meetings, and overtaxed and over scheduled home lives to coincide.

In order to create the next “big thing” you’ve got to find the space to allow yourself to explore your creative.  I challenge you to create a space in your schedule for doing so; otherwise you’ll just end up in the rat race like the rest of us.

After ignoring Wall Street, let’s get on with our life one blog at a time … by Julie Klingler

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This isn’t the first time we’ve discussed Mr. Madoff.  Bill wrote a poignant piece back in 2009 discussing investors needing a wake-up call and taking control of their financial future, rather than people like Bernie Madoff.  Now four years later, would you say we’re in a better place or should we all review the three Coffeehouse principles one more time?

After ignoring Wall Street, let’s get on with our life one blog at a time … by Julie Klingler

photo: Getty Images

After ignoring Wall Street, let’s get on with our life one blog at a time … by Julie Klingler

Last week I highlighted Bill’s recent article on Forbes.com.  He discussed a few not-so-obvious advantages to index funds besides lower cost fees.  Vanguard recently attached a few numbers to these “lower cost fees” to demonstrate the impact investments costs can have on portfolios.  It’s not something you think about every day, yet the dollars can really add up and put a dent in your nest egg overtime.

“Over 30 years, the higher-cost portfolio could cost a retiree $45,000 more in spending power (in today’s dollars) than the lower-cost portfolio, according to Vanguard’s analysis.”

Still not convinced by the $45,000 price tag given by Vanguard?  Well then listen in on a persuasive argument about Index Funds & Beyond with Bill on Wednesday evening, June 19^th.  By the end of the webinar, you’ll either be convinced you’re doing it right with a passive index fund portfolio or you’ll wonder why you haven’t started yet.  His passion for index funds and saving you money is worth your time tuning in.

He’s at it again! Bill continues to educate investors about the advantages of index funds and discusses a few benefits in his recent article on Forbes.com. He’ll be appearing from time to time as a guest columnist on Forbes so keep your eyes peeled for his advice and we’ll do our best to highlight his articles featured. Have a great holiday weekend!

After ignoring Wall Street, let’s get on with our life one blog at a time … by Julie Klingler

It’s the time of year when colored cardboard tasseled hats fly in the air in celebration.  With the coveted college diploma in hand, these young people will look for inspiration and guidance as they navigate life.  Since they only partially listened to the graduation keynote address, these young minds are blank pages with stories to tell (if they haven’t already shared on Facebook) and are looking for advice. The Wall Street Journal published 29 rules for college grads that offer a “lighter” version of life guidance.  Rule #3 hits home for me, my husband and I are still discussing why we continue to sleep on my first mattress I purchased after college 13 years ago; it really is a bad bed and needs to go.   Enjoy the list; I’m sure you’ll find something that resonates with you.

Every so often, when I sit down at my computer and open up my e-mail, I find a letter from a Coffeehouse Investor sitting in my inbox.  Their comments and “thank-you’s” for the efforts I put forth in creating the Coffeehouse Investor 14 years ago spur me on to do more with our three simple principles.

And while these e mails are sent from investors of all types and all ages, it is especially gratifying to know that so many female investors tune in to The Coffeehouse Investor.

On this day when we celebrate Mother’s Day, it is particularly important to give Moms the knowledge, resources, and confidence to be smart investors of their financial resources.

Doing good work as a Mom is a full-time job several times over.  I look at the effort my Mom put in to raising eight children on that farm in Southeastern Washington state, and I have no idea how she managed to do it, day after day, and keep her sanity.  But she was there for us, and still is, day after day. Her presence continues to be a vibrant force in the lives of her children and grandchildren as we get on with living our own lives.

(For instance, just yesterday I received a note in the mail from her with some stretching exercises for golfers – how sweet is that?)

Why is The Coffeehouse Investor especially meaningful for women?  It allows the female investor to invest with confidence without getting caught up in the “male-dominated” energy of Wall Street.  It is no secret that this energy can be condescending at times, an attitude of “I know better than you do, so follow my advice.”

When you become a Coffeehouse Investor, you aren’t following anyone’s advice except your own – including your own confidence in people and economies and countries around the world, and that the creativity and productivity of these people will be reflected in the long term growth of the stock market.

Not surprisingly, I have found, in working with countless investors including many Moms, that this confidence in one’s own ability  to build successful portfolios spurs them on to not only take control of their household savings, but the impetus to save more.

Thanks to all the great Moms out there.  Keep up the great work.

I am loving this time of year, and with the heat wave sweeping Seattle, new signs of life are springing up all over the place.

Today I want to talk about one component of life that is as important and essential as it is inevitable.

It is a bold and final statement to everyone’s life while alive.

It is our own dying.

Our death.

I could write a couple of chapters (heck, we all could) about how death has touched and moved me, but for now I will just say that 21 years ago a close friend and director of a local Hospice Agency invited me to serve on the advisory board of Providence Hospice of Seattle.

That experience of serving people who are embracing the final act of life changed my life.

I started to deal with the fact that I wasn’t going to live forever, and that I better get on with my life, a catalyst that caused me to step away from my job as a stockbroker and eventually create The Coffeehouse Investor.

Last week a good friend of mine who has been intimately involved in nurturing hospice patients sent me a link to this article, written by a doctor, on the subject of dying – a healthy reflection on a topic many of us will be faced with sometime in our lives.

It may not come as a suprise to know that our average Coffeehouse Investor is male.  The majority of our webinar participants are also male (don’t miss our Coffeehouse Summer School series coming up).  The majority of clients who reach out to Soundmark Wealth Management are typically male.  There may be a myriad of reasons why men tend to be more interested in investing and household finances.  However, an interesting infographic was published that gave all the reasons why women should be involved in the finances, understand investments, and help build a long term financial plan.  This isn’t a debate on why women may earn less than men but a cry out to all females to start to understand the basics of saving and investing, read The Coffeehouse Investor, and then take an active interest in the family finances.  We typically take more time off in our careers, save less, live longer, and have higher healthcare costs.  I’m not sure there is a stronger case for women to become fiscally interested and invested.

The sunshine has returned to Seattle, always a welcome sight after 5 months of grey and rain.  I like this time of year because I am working in the yard, fixing up the house, and planting my garden.

Speaking of gardens, it takes a (very small) leap of faith to put the seeds in the ground with the hope that there will be enough sunshine over the next few months to harvest a crop sometime next August.

But beings I’m a farm kid at heart, I don’t give the sunshine a second thought.  Even during the drought year of 1977, we still harvested enough wheat to buy seed for the next year, and a bumper crop at that.

I don’t know why I am sharing this with you, but maybe it has something to do with the anxiety so many investors are feeling these days with the current lofty levels of the stock market.

In my opinion, it takes a (very small) leap of faith to maintain a sufficient allocation in common stocks with the expectation that stock market levels are going to be significantly higher 10 years from now.

When looking at the possibility of a steep sell-off in the market over the next year, I am not saying it doesn’t matter, but, well, it doesn’t matter.  I am counting on the next ten years, and, well, the sunshine has returned to Seattle.

I can’t remember the last time I purchased an individual stock.  For me, owning the collective creativity of workers around the world makes a lot more sense for my serious money.

But I love following companies, especially startup companies, and the dynamics that make them succeed (and fail) in a competitive global environment.

There is one startup company called FutureAdvisor that I have been keeping a close eye on this past year.  This company is an investment advisor web application that offers 401-k plan participants portfolio recommendations while focusing on the same principles found here at The Coffeehouse Investor – things like low fees, proper asset allocation, and of course capturing the return of broad markets around the world.

Amelia Greenhall, is FutureAdvisor’s Designer, Illustrator and Data Scientist.  On top of that she climbs mountains, hangs on cliffs, and does other crazy things like summing up my two hour Coffeehouse webinars in a one-page illustration called The Awesome Portfolio Checklist.

I just love the creative energy of Amelia and the entire FutureAdvisor team who have found a way to help investors focus on what is important in reaching their financial goals.

If you are looking for some guidance on YOUR portfolio, check out FutureAdvisor.  And while you are at it, download a copy of The Awesome Portfolio Checklist, paste it to your bedroom door, review it twice a year, and get on with your life!