We remain open for business, ready to serve

Under the new state of California order, financial institutions are considered “essential businesses” and not required to shut down their operations or close to the public. Thus, … We will continue to hold down the fort in our office. Even if the state or federal government were to issue new orders, you should always be […]


Be balanced and give the stock market time to recover

Investing in stocks is balancing act.

Like many of you, Bianca and I are attempting to find a balance between taking prudent safety precautions and still living our lives. Thanks for your concern We are healthy, our family is healthy. Those visiting our office will notice an increase in strategically placed hand sanitizers, but otherwise it’s still business as usual. I’ve […]


Coronavirus: What to do about stock volatility

Coronavirus ruins a good thing

Fears surrounding the spread of a novel coronavirus and its resulting disease, COVID-19, have caused significant market volatility. The S&P 500 Index* is down by double-digit amounts since last fall. And, uncertainty about COVID-19 containment continues. Let’s consider some facts. At the time of this writing, global infections exceeded 118,000, leading to 4,262 deaths, according […]


Thoughts on the economy

​Much has been made of the slowing global economy. I’ll comment on this, since I know several of you are concerned about the possibility of a recession. At the outset, just know that what we see happening thus far is part of a normal economic cycle. “Google it” There has been so much concern over […]


September 19 was a big day for me

Adam Hartrum, U.S. Marine

September 19th was a big day for me. It was the three-year anniversary of my buying Larry Bakerjian’s wealth management business. Not coincidentally, the 19th also marked the 21st anniversary of having fulfilled my Marine Corps duties and being honorably discharged. I mentioned having both anniversaries on the same day was not a coincidence. When […]





Let’s talk about Social Security correctly

Social Security is not ‘going bust,’ as the media would have you believe.

Every year, trustees of the Social Security trust funds issue an annual report. And every year, the media overreact and misreport to the American public what the trustees have to say. Here are a few headlines, which I feel are misleading: “The Social Security Trust Fund Goes Bust” — The Wall Street Journal, June 7, […]


What should you do about the Equifax data breach?

If you think there has been a breach into your accounts or your identity has been stolen, contact IdentifyTheft.gov for help.

Who is Equifax, and why are they in the news? Equifax is one of the leading consumer credit reporting agencies. Earlier this month, they announced a major loss of data. Hackers gaining access to Equifax data have left 143 million consumers vulnerable to identify theft and credit fraud. It’s hard to believe, but with this […]