What matters most? Every day I speak with clients, and one of the hardest things I must convince them of is that it's no longer about chasing the highest interest rates. You see, most of my clients are retired or very near retirement. They are in the so-called "fragile decade," which is the five years [...]
I remember well that statement being made at a financial convention years ago, the speaker followed up his announcement with this: “I just don’t know when!” It seems that the stock market is always going up, and yet his past few days something odd has happened, it has dropped, dropped like a rock. Immediately after [...]
Planning for annual expenses is only part of what it takes to create a more prosperous and happy post-career life. It's also crucial to consider the costs associated with age-related loss of independence. Chronic illnesses, accidents, and injuries can happen throughout a person's lifetime. These occurrences are especially impactful in the later years and often [...]
Social Security is a great program, but knowing when and how to claim your benefits can determine how much you collect. Here are seven potential problems you need to consider so you can maximize your Social Security income. 1: Remarrying Before Age 60 If your spouse dies, you will be entitled, in most situations, to [...]
This simple and yet efficient approach to solving interest rate volatility can work for you. It involves annual maintenance on the investor’s part and the ability to use the internet for available interest rates. Never allow anyone to charge you for this approach to bank deposits, do it yourself. There are numerous options available to [...]
What is a “Black Swan” event and how could it affect your retirement plans? "Go ask your portfolio manager for his definition of "risk," and the odds are that he will supply you with a measure that excludes the possibility of the Black Swan-hence one that has no better predictive value for assessing the [...]
How Medicare Supplemental And Long Term Care Planning Can Make All The Difference In Your Life When people enter their Golden Years, many transition from an employer-sponsored health plan to Medicare with confusion. The importance of adding an effective Medicare supplemental policy, and also considering adding plans to cover long term care expenses cannot be [...]
A recent report from the American College illustrates the lack of information and knowledge most Americans have when it comes to their financial lives. This can become a significant problem for those working towards a retirement that has enough funds to make the “golden” years “golden.” The simple fact that so many Americans are misinformed [...]
Have you ever thought about that? If you knew that you would never lose your money, what type of investment would you choose? The fact that you are exempt from a loss would free you of the worry of concern about any investment, and you would merely choose a category that potentially had the [...]
Because of the accumulation benefits of tax deferral, many individuals have successfully created substantial IRA or 401K accounts or other qualified plans. It is not uncommon for these accounts to have amassed seven figures of total dollars. It is also usually the case that little attention has been focused on what will happen to [...]
