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Please note by using any of the links provided for your convenience you will be leaving Fidelis Wealth Advisors website. The hyperlinks are to websites and servers maintained by third parties. We do not control, evaluate, endorse or guarantee content found in those sites. Your use of such sites is at your own risk.

Are You Sitting On Too Much Cash?

By Jeff Bullock

Money & Investing – September 2021

A Nickel Ain’t Worth A Dime Anymore

Yogi Berra was one of the all-time greats at baseball. A WWII veteran, he was an 18x All-Star and won ten World Series playing for the New York Yankees – enough said! His No. 8 jersey was retired alongside the other Yankee greats and he was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Outside of his playing career, he became famous for his “Yogi-isms” which were phrases that often seemed to contradict themselves or were redundantly pithy or paradoxical in nature. Whether it was giving general advice or making an appearance on a TV commercial, Yogi was famous for these sayings. One of these phrases that he is credited to have originated is:

“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” While seemingly paradoxical in nature, there is a lot of truth to the statement, especially in the context of inflation.

Inflation

Inflation eats away at the purchasing power of your money. We see it in two forms: (1) prices of goods go up faster than your income or (2) prices of goods stay flat, but you get less of what you buy (sometimes jokingly called “shrinkflation”). For example, the other week I noticed that the plastic bags we buy now come with 125 bags per box. A few months ago it was 145 bags per box. Same brand, same box size, but I now get fewer bags. However you look at it, plastic bag inflation is up about 15% from a few months ago.

In our zero-interest rate environment, and with inflation seemingly higher than normal for many goods or services, sitting on too much cash can devastate your purchasing power.

Are You Sitting on Too Much Cash?

Are you sitting on too much cash? How much cash is too much cash? While where to invest is a necessary conversation, let’s first figure out if you are sitting on too much cash.

Here is the framework I like to use to help answer this question:

  1. Does your income from all sources cover your annual expenses?
  2. Do you have cash available in an emergency fund in case you lose any of this income for a short period of time?
  3. Do you have cash available for any one-time big purchases earmarked for the coming year?
  4. If you answered Yes to questions 1-3, then any excess above and beyond these savings should probably be invested in some manner to at least try to keep up with inflation.

This is simply a starting point and a framework. Where to invest your excess cash is the next conversation. If you think you are sitting on too much cash, or if you are on Step 4 and have excess to invest, then we should talk. Yogi Berra has never been more accurate, because truly, a nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore. With inflation in full force, a sound strategy around excess cash should be top of mind for everyone. Don’t let inflation devastate your purchasing power.

Feedback from these newsletters is not only welcomed but encouraged. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at jeff@fidelis-wealth.com. If you think this might be useful to any of your friends or family, feel free to forward it to them.

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Brandon is new to the wealth management business, however, he brings many skills useful to the profession because of his prior experience. Brandon has worked in the accounting world auditing hedge funds, venture capital firms, and low-income housing organizations. Assessing business risk and financial GAAP accounting has been his primary focus. He is passionate about the world of finance and helping individuals accomplish their financial dreams.

Brandon graduated from Brigham Young University- Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Additionally, he holds two professional designations, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

 

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He lives in Castle Rock with his wife Emily, and their three daughters. Most of his free time consists of taking his daughters to the park, enjoying all types of sports, and watching movies.

Bailey Marudas-Jones

Bailey Marudas-Jones joined Fidelis Wealth Advisors in 2024, where she supports the back office by managing client onboarding and ensuring compliance. She also helps alleviate the team’s workload by handling various administrative tasks and processes. With a deep commitment to efficiency and excellence, Bailey is excited to contribute to the team’s success and help clients navigate their financial journeys at Fidelis Wealth Advisors.
Bailey grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where she still lives. In her free time, she enjoys watching old movies, reading, and learning to sew. She also loves spending time with her family and friends

Karley Winder

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Karley Winder started at Fidelis Wealth Advisors in 2022. Currently, she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in financial management at the University of Colorado Denver business school. At Fidelis, she specializes in working with clients on their 401k plans and is dedicated to providing a valuable and quality experience for them. Karley also has several years of entrepreneurial experience from starting her own local businesses in the past. She has sincere interest in finance and is eager to continue gaining experience in the field alongside her education.

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Karley is a Colorado native and has lived in Castle Rock since she was a young girl. She enjoys horseback riding, Pilates, and mountain biking in her free time.

Rilee Erickson

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Rilee began working in the financial services industry in 2017 as an associate specializing in property and casualty insurance, as well as life insurance.  Since joining Fidelis Wealth Advisors she has taken on a paraplanner roll, providing life insurance support, as well as client and operations support. She also hopes to obtain her own Certified Financial Planner® designation in the years to come. Rilee’s passion in the industry is helping people protect their family and their future.

 

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Rilee graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and Horticulture Science. She is a Wyoming native, growing up on the family cattle ranch in Lander, Wyoming, and now resides in Green River, Wyoming with her husband and two boys. Rilee enjoys spending a lot of time outdoors and exploring the beautiful and rugged Wind River Range.

Skye Fineran

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Skye comes to Fidelis Wealth Advisors as an Administrative Assistant in 2021 and is a recent graduate from West Texas A&M University. There she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. Skye also completed Amarillo College’s paralegal certification program. Skye enjoys the rewarding feeling of helping clients to achieve their financial goals and looks forward to making a difference at Fidelis Wealth Advisors.

 

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Skye grew up in Tecumseh, Michigan and currently resides in Castle Rock, Colorado with her family. Skye loves art history, playing golf, and spending time with her family and friends.

RIA Innovations

Fidelis Wealth Advisors has a strategic partnership with RIA Innovations, a Division of NWAM, LLC. RIA Innovations provides administrative support services for registered investment advisors nationwide. This service is under the direction of Nelly Mubashi, the Chief Operating Officer.

 

NWAM, LLC, dba Northwest Asset Management & RIA Innovations is an SEC registered investment adviser. NWAM, LLC dba Northwest Asset Management & RIA Innovations and Fidelis Wealth Advisors, LLC are not affiliated companies.

Gabriel Jones

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Gabe started with Fidelis Wealth Advisors as an Investment Research Assistant in 2018, and has an intense passion for investment research.


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Dawn is a Colorado native and resides in Castle Rock with her family, where they enjoy being adventurous and active in the outdoors. Additionally, she is passionate about travel, food, and playing golf.

Jeff Bullock

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Jeff joined Fidelis Wealth Advisors after spending nearly 10 years working at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in their Private Bank. As Chief Investment Officer, he is responsible for the overall investment strategy, portfolio construction, and market insights for clients.

 

Jeff held various roles during his decade at J.P. Morgan, including working as an investment specialist on their trading desk, where he was responsible for managing and trading investment portfolios for High Net-Worth families and non-profit foundations throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Jeff helped co-manage over $4.0 billion of investment assets and gained broad experience in portfolio construction and investment strategy, as well as in-depth knowledge in a variety of asset classes and markets. In recent years, Jeff was part of the leadership team that trained new advisors and established an expansion office in Utah.

 

Jeff loves helping people with their money-related questions and management. Very simply, his goal is to help others continuously improve their financial situation, regardless of the current condition. His framework centers around sound advice and proper decision-making by engaging in honest discussion and taking a long-term approach.

 

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Jeff holds a B.S. in Accounting from Brigham Young University. He is a native to Colorado and loves playing golf and being outdoors. He lives in Highlands Ranch with his wife Nicole, and their two children.

Lorie C. Jones, MBA, CFP®

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Lorie began working in financial services in 2013 with a Registered Investment Advisory firm in South Denver. She started as a paraplanner and provided technology and operations support before transitioning to a Client Services Manager role with Empower Retirement. There she managed a book of 300+ Core Market plans before joining Fidelis Wealth Advisors.

 

Lorie enjoys the challenges presented by financial planning and is rewarded by helping clients thoroughly understand the complexities of finance so they can be better informed and in control of their planning.

 

In addition to securities licenses, she holds health, life, accident, property, and casualty insurance licenses in the state of Colorado and completed her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation from the CFP® Board of Standards. She is also a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

 

Lorie recently launched the “Fearless Females” podcast, providing a unique space for empowering discussions that inspire women in the financial services industry and beyond. Through insightful interviews and stories, she fosters a community where challenges are met with resilience, amplifying female voices and demonstrating her dedication to fostering inclusivity and fearlessness in finance.

 

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