Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween from the Staff at Veritas Financial Services

Perhaps you have seen some of the photos of the Occupy Wall Street protesters dressed as zombies? 

We understand being spooked by the traditional financial industry.  However, the secret to being a wiser, more successful investor is NOT to get out of the market altogether, nor is it to move everything to cash, nor to hide your money under the mattress, nor to purchase the next "safe" sounding insurance product.

If you are an investor, should you do nothing and hope for the best?  No.
Anonymous "corporate zombie"
VERITAS Financial Services offers a non-traditional, more efficient, less costly method of investing.  We do not try to sell you a product.  We do not recommend the tool most American investors use -- actively-managed mutual funds).  We also do not think (in most cases) that annuities are the investment of choice. (For more information on why not, click the "annuities" link in the sidebar.)  We also don't try to pick the next "winning" mutual fund manager or hot stock. 
We do offer a better way.  What is that way?  Structured, free-market funds.  These funds are diversified, academically proven, and involve fewer costs and fees.  Find out more. Join us for an investor education class (see the Learning Opportunities tab on the top of the blog) or call 920-893-5262 and talk with Margaret or Jeremy.

Meanwhile, have fun today, but don't let Wall Street scare you!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Congratulations, Cathy Knuth!

We are pleased and proud to announce that Cathy Knuth, our office manager and all-around "go to" person has completed her studies in Organizational Managment and Marketing, receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree Magna cum Laude.  GREAT JOB, Cathy

Some of us were able to join Cathy and her family for the graduation ceremonies.  Here are a few pictures of the day.
Dorcas, Paulette, Cathy (the GRAD!) and Margaret

Cathy is happy but already wondering what she will do with all the free time ahead...

A hug from Paulette


Cathy in cap and gown.  The cord is for consistently making the Dean's List and the stole is for being a member of the honor society of Alpha Sigma Lambda 


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Wearing Purple Today

If you happen to stop by the Veritas office today you will see that several of us are wearing purple.  Why?   October is “Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”  By wearing purple on October 25th, we are joining a national effort to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence in our community.   By wearing purple we are saying:

Yes, we will…

Be violence free and never commit, condone, or stay silent about an act of violence

• Educate myself and others about healthy relationships

• Call 911 if I witness domestic violence

• Talk about domestic violence and break the silence

• Teach my sons to respect women and that strength is not defined by violence or domination

• Teach my daughters (and sons) self-esteem and self-worth

• Support programs that provide crisis intervention

• Believe victims

We believe that support and services should be available to all victims of abuse. These simple gestures recognize that it takes the support of many to bring an end to domestic violence.”

Thursday, October 13, 2011

What Do You Believe (Who's Side are You On)?

There is a battle raging in the world of finance. Two ideologies are at war, and every investor, even you, has taken a side.  Does this sound surprising?  Did your financial advisor ever ask you whose side you were on?

The stock market, with its images of bulls and bears, Wall Street, ticker tape, and bell ringing, is a part of American culture. The allure of “getting rich” in the stock market has attracted investors for decades.

Benjamin Graham was one of the first people to seriously study investing. His book, Security Analysis, was considered the ultimate stock picker’s guide. He was very much admired by a young Warren Buffet, so much so that Warren used Graham as a middle name for one of his sons.  Many of Graham's ideas live on today.

Jim Cramer is picking stocks on CNBC.  You can watch shows like Fast Money (also on CNBC).  Many brokers are touting their “stock picking” ability, and a legion of mutual fund managers are dutifully trying to pick the "best stocks" to include in their mutual funds.


In the 1960s, academia first started to take an interest in the markets. A burgeoning mutual fund industry was emerging. Scholars wanted to determine if all of these stock pickers could add any value to investing. Could they "beat the market" by finding the best stocks, thus delivering a superior return to their clients?  This was first tested in 1965 with a study by Beckencamp, and it was determined that mutual fund managers were NOT beating the market. But the industry was not concerned as people at that point had no alternative.

But in 1976, shortly before his death, the very father of stock picking said the following:

I am no longer an advocate of elaborate techniques of security analysis in order to find superior value opportunities. This was a rewarding activity, say, 40 years ago, when [the bible of fundamental stock analysis, Graham and Dodd's Security Analysis] was first published; but the situation has changed. I doubt whether such extensive efforts will generate sufficiently superior selections to justify their cost.

But the industry forged on unaffected. Fast forward to today, and the lines are clearly drawn. Academia has come a long way since the 1960s, and volumes of academic work have been produced which show repeatedly that stock picking and “active management” do not work. But we still have a flourishing financial services industry, using investor’s money to pick stocks, speculate, and gamble with your hard earned money.

Not in your portfolio you say?  Really? Can you tell me the turnover rate of your mutual funds?

So I ask you, what do you believe? Do you believe that someone can "beat the market" through stock picking and speculation (the methods of many in the financial services industry)? Or do you believe academia and in their findings that the market is random and not easily beaten by any money manager, financial guru, or stock picker?

If you believe in the later, don’t give up hope. There are ways to invest in the market which avoid Wall Street’s games. If you are interested in learning about this disciplined, common sense approach, please contact us at 920-893-5262.


Jeremy Burri

Investment Advisor Representative
Veritas Financial Services

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Golf Outing 2011 Pics Are Here!

Click here to read a little about our Charitable Golf Outing - 2011.  And to see some of the pictures of this terriffic day, click the "Events" tab at the top of the blog,  To see them all, click on the Facebook link in the sidebar to go to our  Facebook page.  


Back Row, L to R, Golf Pro Lynn Stellmann, Paulette Ruminski, Cathy Knuth and Golf Pro, Debbie O'Connell
Front Row, L to R are Dorcas George, Margaret Wittkopp, and Jeremy Burri