Lorraine Ell is the CEO of Better Money Decisions (B$D) and Better Insurance Decisions. As co-owner of B$D, she is excited to continue her long career as an investment professional which started when she worked in the 1980s as an advisor with Drexel, Burnham and Lambert and J.W. Charles and as Co-owner of a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm.
Read Full BioLorraine Ell is the CEO of Better Money Decisions (B$D) and Better Insurance Decisions. As co-owner of B$D, she is excited to continue her long career as an investment professional which started when she worked in the 1980s as an advisor with Drexel, Burnham and Lambert and J.W. Charles and as Co-owner of a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm. “My extensive experience across decades of investing has highlighted the need for financial help for all phases of life.”
Her path to now took a long and winding road. From teaching in Saudi Arabia to co-founding a marketing company in Budapest, Hungary, her experience in dealing with multiple cultures and people gives her a unique perspective in creating a better financial services firm. “I want B$D to be responsive to what clients really need and that differs from person to person. Tired clichés and pat answers do not help most people make better decisions. We don’t preach we listen.”
Lorraine also lived in Tehran before and during the 1978 and 1979 revolution. “What I learned from that experience is that risk can change at any time. One moment the city streets are bustling with people living their daily lives and then, in a flash, there is chaos.” Managing risk is one of the firms’ focus points. “I enjoy helping clients understand that risk comes in many forms including longevity risk and lifestyle risk and these can have a major impact on a successful financial life.”
As a life-long entrepreneur, Lorraine has worked in a variety of industries including financial services, education and health & beauty. “I have had a life full of exciting adventures and I now want to help others manage their assets so they are able to live their dreams.”
An often quoted source in Investment News, Lorraine’s recent financial services experience started in 2008 when she designed and directed the centralized operations department for a new RIA firm which grew from zero to $200 million in assets under management in less than six years. She has a BA in Linguistics and a Master’s degree in Leadership from Michigan State University. In addition to her university degrees, Lorraine is a Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant providing the in-depth knowledge needed to help federal employees plan for retirement.
You will find her cooking for friends and family on the weekends, especially Italian food and it should come as no surprise that she is a Past Chair and remains on the board of the Albuquerque Committee on Foreign Relations and is a member of a policy group called Wednesday’s Women. She visits her sons and grandchildren at every opportunity.
LORRAINE’S MONEY MISTAKE: Splitting the rent on an office space with another business owner. Guess who ended up paying for it all!
LORRAINE’S BETTER MONEY DECISION: Taking a trip around the world after working in Saudi Arabia despite the cost and time. An unforgettable experience!
Based on decades of academic research, we apply the Free Market Portfolio Theory in the construction of your investment portfolio. Having an understanding of what you own and why you own the components of your portfolio is a cornerstone of our philosophy.
Our management is passive, not active. Active management relies on the judgment and experience of a manager to buy and sell based on forecasts and analytical research. Active managers are wrong over half of the time.
Passive management doesn’t try to profit from short-term market fluctuations but focuses on long-term “buy and hold” strategies, global diversification, and risk management as outlined in the Free Market Portfolio Theory.
You will never receive a call from us touting the latest fad, or recommending a “hot” stock. We do not “time the market” or chase performance. Our investing is not based on the latest news or short-term economic outlooks. During times of market turbulence, we will help you manage your emotions so that you do not fall victim to making poor investment decisions.
No one has a crystal ball or special trading strategy that works as consistently as the Free Market Portfolio Theory. The financial markets reward long-term investors. People expect a positive return on the capital they invest and, historically, the equity and bond markets have provided growth of wealth that has more than offset inflation.
Let us and the market work for you!
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