Author: Rick Brooks

Rick Brooks, CFA®, CFP® is a partner of Blankinship & Foster LLC and is the firm’s Chief Investment Officer. He is a lead advisor, counseling clients on all aspects of personal financial management. Rick serves on several boards. He is the Chairman of the Board of Girl Scouts San Diego, and also chairs the San Diego Foundation’s Professional Advisor Council. Rick and his family live in Mission Hills. Rick enjoys spending time with his family, theater, cooking, skiing, gaming and reading.

Donald J. Trump will be the next President of the United States, and Republicans maintained control over the House of Representatives and the Senate. Since the election results became clear, equity markets have rallied sharply. At the time of thisREAD MORE

Lately, as we’ve been interviewing new clients, I’ve been seeing a lot more variable annuities in their portfolios. I find this a disappointing reality—most variable annuities are just too expensive. Let’s begin by understanding just what a variable annuity is:READ MORE

Preparing a will is the most basic tool for estate planning, yet according to an April 2016 article in USA Today, a recent survey found that 64% of adult Americans do not have one. In 2007, a similar study foundREAD MORE

John Oliver recently did a spot on his HBO show “Last Week Tonight” which highlighted the high fees paid by investors in 401(k) plans. As entertaining as his show was, it got me thinking about the main things that areREAD MORE

It happens much faster than any of us expect. One minute you’re cradling this cute bundle of joy in your arms and the next thing you know your child is turning 18, graduating from high school, and planning to moveREAD MORE