Jason Singleton, Lighthouse Financial NC

05/18/2025

04/09/2025

“Consider that nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”
- Lao Tzu

In times like these, when market volatility is a regular news story, I think about this quote.

Have you ever seen a major river from above? If so, you’ll have seen how it always takes the easiest course. Sometimes it flows straight and sometimes it bends and curves. Sometimes it flows fast and strong and sometimes it barely moves. It cannot fight gravity, so it doesn’t try to go uphill. But it always keeps moving to its destination.

Compare that to the market. Sometimes the market trends up, sometimes it trends down. Sometimes the trends are short, other times they are long. Sometimes different sectors of the market will trend in different directions.

Our investment philosophy is based on emulating water. Whichever way the trend goes, we don’t fight it. Like water and gravity, we know that you can’t fight it. Instead, we adapt to it. Sometimes we must make shifts. But we are always on the lookout for opportunities to invest your money where it will do the most good. Experience has convinced us that this approach, being flexible and adaptable, is the surest way to your destination.

If you have any questions or concerns about your portfolio, my team and I are here for you. Please give us a call.

10/31/2023

As we near the end of the year, it is prime time for bargain hunters. Most companies offer huge discounts on products as they try to take advantage of holiday sales.

As a financial advisor, I pay close attention to sales numbers and margins to gauge corporate profits and growth potential. But, as I was staring at yet another ad for a fall sale, I got to thinking.

We all shop for deals when paying for groceries, electronics, travel, etc. Obviously, what we buy is more than just the price tag. The decision will include the quality of the brand and how much we trust them (for example, we all have our favorite brand of bread, right?). In fact, that is the definition of a deal. Finding the highest quality product at the best price.

Why don’t we apply that same “shopping” process to other things in our lives? Where we get mortgage loans, for example. Who will be our family doctor. Where we purchase a life insurance policy. Who we choose to plan our taxes.

In each of these, quality and trust are even more important. That will be a large determinant of the value you get for what you pay. But, just like we wouldn’t grab the first loaf of bread at the store (or even grab the cheapest), don’t get a mortgage with the first person who offers. And don’t go with that tax preparer just because the strip mall they are in is close to your favorite Thai restaurant. I’d be happy to point out where other clients have found a good quality deal.

Shopping for good products at a great price is a good thing. Here’s to finding good deals on everything this holiday season.

03/21/2023

I get questions and requests on a daily basis. I appreciate all of them.

At certain times in the markets or economy I seem to get the same requests and questions. I was thinking that maybe if I post the response to some of those questions here it would help some who haven’t yet asked.

Here is one I get from time to time: “Warren Buffett says to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. With ‘whatchamacallit’ stock price dropping significantly shouldn’t I buy lots of it?”

I totally get it. In many aspects of our lives, we search for things “on sale.”

I am sure, that if asked, Warren Buffett would add to his quote the following: Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful and research more than anyone.
As with many things in life, buying something just because the price has come down isn’t the best idea. Research is needed. At the very least you need to answer the question of why the price has come down.

But, to me, the bigger question that must be answered through proper research before any purchase is: How will this serve as part of my long-term strategy to help me reach my goals?

If you are wondering if there is a specific stock, or even sector, that might be good to purchase right now as it appears to be on sale, I’d be happy to help you do the research.

Helping guide you to financial freedom by creating a work optional life.

02/14/2023

I had a conversation with someone today that I think every investor should hear, as it’s one I get periodically. Especially after a down market year. Here’s how it usually starts:

“Shouldn’t we buy some of ###XX? It really went up today.”
I hear variations of this too. “My brother bought ###XX and is up 50%. I want to buy some too.” Or, “Such and such news reporter says ###XX is the stock to watch today. Can we buy some?” Or even, “I saw that the top performing stock yesterday was ###XX. Up 100%! Let’s buy some!”

Here’s my answer. You may have seen this line on materials I send out. I don’t do that just to satisfy the attorneys. It’s a fact.
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS.
What has gone up today can very well go down tomorrow. What has gone up all year, could crash any moment. Often, I find when the average investor wants to buy into a certain stock, it’s possibly nearing at least a short-term high. Which, of course, is not the best time to buy.

Does that mean you will never experience the thrill of those skyrocketing prices?

I much prefer the question; do you need to?

I believe your investments should follow a plan that is best for you and what you need. If you aren’t happy with your current investments, let’s talk.

01/24/2023

Recently Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. It’s a fancy name for a ton of bills packed together to make both parties happy so that something would get through Congress.

Along with it being an “omnibus spending bill” approving $1.7 trillion in government spending, this Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 included what is known as the Secure Act 2.0. This is something you should familiarize yourself with.

Here are the quick take aways you need to know:

-It’s a follow up to the 2019 law passed by Congress known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Act.
- Known as the original Secure Act, this law made changes to IRAs and 401(k)s, and a few other things to help Americans better save for retirement.
- The Secure Act 2.0 widens the scope on the previously made provisions.
- These changes affect RMDs, Catch-up Contributions, Businesses, and a couple of other provisions.

If you have any questions, or would like some help understanding these changes, and how they could impact you, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to help!

12/30/2022

Happy New Year!!

Every year millions of people set new year’s resolutions. However, very few are able to stick to their resolutions long term. A study done by the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their
resolution after 1 week. Only 19% stick to their resolution for at least 2 years.

As your advisor, I want to help you succeed, not just financially, but with everything in life. So here are some tips to sticking to your resolutions.

* Know Your “Why”. Many people set a goal but their why is “just because”. If you don’t know why you are doing something, and that why is not a driving force, you are less likely to do it. An example of a resolution with a good why is: I want to lose weight and be in shape so that I can play with my kids/grandkids without being out of breath quickly. Your kids/grandkids are now motivating factors in your goal, and you are more likely to do it for them.

* Setup Accountability. In my experience, you are more likely to succeed at anything if someone, or something, is there to hold your feet to the fire. Partner with a family member or friend that can help nudge and push you to your goal.

* Plan, Plan, Plan. We can all agree that one of the biggest reasons for not reaching a goal is because we don’t plan how to get the goal. We want to lose weight, but don’t have a diet and exercise plan. We want to go on a big vacation, but don’t plan how to save up for it. Take the time to plan out the details of how to reach your goal.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and may we all be in the 19% to accomplish our resolutions.

12/23/2022

There’s a certain festivity and feeling of home one can find only in Christmas. We meet with family and friends, exchanging gifts, laughs, and timeless moments by the fire.

During this time, some of us might stress over family dynamics, trying to get the right gift for our loved ones, or make the perfect Christmas dinner.

But be sure to stop, relax, and remember the reason for the season. From all of us here at Lighthouse Financial, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

11/25/2022

It’s that time of year again.
It happens in January and again in November. We typically question our eating habits and vow to do better. While I could post a lot about diets in general, my point today is to say...
􏰀􏰁􏰂􏰃 Feel free to eat plenty on Thanksgiving Day! 􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰇􏰈􏰉􏰊􏰋 Obviously, that advice is barring any chronic health concerns.
Study after study shows that outside normal dietary restrictions (i.e., diabetes, allergies, etc.) eating a whole bunch in one sitting is not going to ruin your healthy habits.
As a financial advisor, I have to say it is in your best interest to not only eat healthy but live a healthy lifestyle in general. The costs of healthcare in retirement can be staggering. But more importantly, life in retirement is so much better when you are in good health. My goal for my clients is that each has the wonderful retirement experience that comes with good health and proper financial planning.
That said - based on plenty of medical studies – plan to enjoy Thanksgiving Day.

11/09/2022

How Midterm Elections May Move Markets http://s3.amazonaws.com/public.faulknermediagroup.com/LPL/LPLResearch/Weekly_Market_Commentary.pdf

11/07/2022

A big part of my job has to do with preparing, watching for, and dealing with what is called tail risk.
What is tail risk?
Take a look at the graphic we’ve included. The red line is called a bell curve.
When looking at all possible scenarios to plan for them, you can put them on a bell curve chart. That chart will always have the most common scenarios plotted out in the middle or high peak.
In the stock market the middle of the chart would be the average market. Out at the ends of the chart you will notice it is smaller. That’s because the situations where the market ends up being up over 50% in the year are few. On the other end of the chart, the scenarios where the market is down for the year over 50%, are also few. These extreme ends are called the tails.
The risk that returns will fall into the tails is what we want to be ready for, right? But that’s just one of the many tail risks I help clients manage.
In fact, while I used the stock market as the example, it isn’t even the biggest “tail risk” I worry about. My bigger concern is the cost of health care.
You see, my highest priority is making sure your finances can last. When spending increases significantly due to health care costs, that can really hurt that goal. Many studies show that the average (think center of that bell shaped curve) retiree will spend around $300,000 on health-related costs in retirement. However, if long-term care needs arise, that can go up by as much as $100,000 per year. That’s the tail risk.
If we were to “budget” $300,000 in your financial plan to cover health care costs, and a tail-like situation arose, how would your plan handle that expense? That’s the question I help my clients answer by putting appropriate strategies in place within their plan.
If you feel your health care tail risk isn’t fully planned for or covered, let’s talk.