Personal advice and wealth management.

Stocks have been up — but unemployment has also risen. Why is that? Here, we break down the major differences between the stock market and the economy.

ExxonMobil has suspended its generous 7% match for employee contributions to the ExxonMobil Savings Plan (EMSP) effective October 1. What's an employee to do? Here are four options for you to consider.

ExxonMobil stock is at levels last seen in the early 2000s. If you're a retirement-eligible employee and you don't want to sell shares of XOM at these low prices, what are you to do? If you plan to leave ExxonMobil and you've got XOM stock in your EMSP, what's the right strategy?

How do you decide between a 15-year and a 30-year mortgage? Emotional decision or a financial one? Read on for one analysis.

Should you take your ExxonMobil, Chevron, or other company pension benefit as an annuity or as a lump sum? Our Investec blogger addresses issues you might be concerned about.

Did the tough days in the stock market that we experienced in March tempt you to bail out and go to cash? Seeing a sharp decline in the value of your portfolio is very painful. Experience suggests long-term investors should remember that “time in the market beats timing the market.” For some historical perspective, keep reading for a conversation with a hypothetical client named Gloria about “staying the course.”

“Sell a position for less than what I paid? Why would I want to do that?” How do we take advantage of a down market to save on taxes? There are times when selling an investment for less than what you paid for it makes sense.

You’ve stocked up on toilet paper and disinfectant. You’re maintaining social distancing. How about your portfolio? Will it survive the crisis? Keep reading to learn how those drawing on their wealth are prepared for a bear market.

Investec hosted its live "State of the Markets" event on Thursday, January 30th, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston. Clients attending the event heard presentations from John and Daniel Goott, Investec principals, on economic and market events of 2019 as well as on their outlook for investors in 2020.

What's known today as Investec Wealth Strategies began when John Goott first registered his firm with the State of Texas on December 17, 1984. We asked John, as the Founding Principal, to reflect on the past 35 years.

EBUs are “Earning Bonus Units,” which ExxonMobil employees may be awarded each year as part of their incentive bonus compensation. For those who receive both cash bonuses and EBUs, typically the EBUs are approximately equal to the cash bonus, i.e., half of the annual bonus component of incentive awards is paid through EBUs.

Mae West, an iconic 20th century American actress, singer, comedian and sex symbol, reportedly once said “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” We’re pretty sure Mae wasn’t talking about net unrealized appreciation (NUA). But Mae’s observation raises a valid question. “Can there be too much of this good thing, this NUA?”

There's a temptation to want to define the value of an advisor as an annualized, net-of-fees increase in the value of one's portfolio. But as we'll discuss shortly, some of the most meaningful contributions an advisor can make aren't recurring on an annual basis.

We don't know when the next bear market will hit. U.S. stocks are near all-time highs, but many investors are nervous. Tariff talk and threats make many nervous. There are signs growth in the global economy is slowing, business investment is declining, and consumers may begin to cut back. The economy tends to go in cycles.

When the war-of-words between North Korea and the U.S. reached a new level earlier this month, markets briefly stumbled as investors grew uneasy. While we don't normally opine on geopolitical events, we wanted to help ease any financial worries you may have related to this recent conflict.