When you look into your crystal ball, where do you want to be in 10 years? Do you plan to be retired? Still working at a job you love or hate? The bigger question is: WILL you have enough money in retirement and is your retirement account sustainable?
I get asked this question a lot. “What is an Annuity?” Most people I talk to when it comes to retirement planning either do not understand annuities or have heard much negative press regarding annuities. I feel the simplest way to explain what an annuity is and why they play a significant role in any […]
A cognitive bias refers to how our experiences and preferences distort our judgments and decisions. For example, when deciding whether to buy a new car, we might focus on the positive aspects of the vehicle (the safety features, the comfortable seats) and downplay the negative aspects (the high price tag, the small trunk). This tendency […]
“While I’m definitely not as strong as Stallone, I do know how to keep my clients from falling off a cliff.” Lawrence Castillo You might remember the 1993 movie Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone and Janine Turner. While the movie was pretty pedestrian action thriller fare, it did have an unforgettable opening sequence that left me […]
“When it seems as if the sky is falling, those who remain calm and focused on the long-term goals will come out ahead.” Jim Fish As a financial services professional, I walk a delicate tightrope. On the one hand, I am genuinely optimistic about the future, even in the face of a possible recession. On […]
Everyone’s retirement plan is different, but one common goal is to have enough to live comfortably after you stop working. However, a recession could erode retirement savings and undermine a person’s retirement plan. During a recession, stock prices may become very volatile, leading to losses in a 401(k) or other retirement accounts. Also, job losses […]
I am continually mystified about how some professionals look at allocating retirement funds. In 1994, a system was created that became the industry standard regarding how to blend bond and stock percentages. The concept was simple, take 4% of the entire retirement account value annually and you will never run out of retirement income funds. […]
“The key to having great diversification in your portfolio lies in finding assets that are not closely correlated. Could gold and other precious metals be one such non-correlated investment.” Eric Coons As a financial advisor, I am a strong proponent of portfolio diversity. No matter what your risk tolerance or long-term money goals may be, […]
The other day I spoke with a gentleman on the phone. He told me how fed up he was with paying fees to a financial advisor while the value of his account was still decreasing. Why should he continue paying someone who is failing to protect his assets? He sounded distressed and said he was […]
“Changing expectations of inflation may have your advisor recommending TIPS. But you should know they don’t work like conventional bonds and may carry more risk.” Lyle Boss What exactly are TIPS? Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) are a security issued by the U.S. Treasury. TIPS are indexed to inflation to offer investors protection against a decline […]
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