An important part of your retirement plan is a discussion of the benefits of working, regardless of age. Retirement is no longer an event––it is a segue into an altered definition of life as you know it. One definition of “work” is that it consists of actions that bring value to others and meaning… Read more »
When it comes to investing, the current standard of return on investment (ROI) can be self-limiting, adding pressure that is counterproductive. So much of ROI is not within our control. We can diversify investments––always a good strategy––but we cannot control how the markets perform or how global events affect the markets. Just as meteorologists can… Read more »
While annuities can be an integral part of a financial plan, if misused, they can have unexpected consequences. For those unfamiliar with how annuities work, you are giving the insurance company your money in return for an income stream, typically for the rest of your life. In the event you die, the insurance company may keep… Read more »
Whether you’ve been told you should retire at 62, 65, or some other age, only you can decide what is right for you. In fact, you may want to reconsider retiring at all––at least in the traditional sense. Many of us don’t like the circumstances we find ourselves in––and look at retirement as the… Read more »
Update: Congress reached a deal in early October to raise the debt ceiling through December. While this action avoided the first-ever default of U.S. debt, it merely kicked the can down the road. Democrats and Republicans remain very far apart on a longer-term solution. The U.S. faced a debt ceiling crisis very similar to… Read more »
During a conversation with a client last week, she mentioned her latest project, adding a “legacy letter” to her estate plan. A “legacy letter”, or an “ethical will”, is a document created to communicate your values, experiences and accumulated wisdom to your family. While it’s not a legal document, and shouldn’t instruct any distribution of… Read more »
The S&P 500 is currently sitting at a new all-time high. The index is up more than 20% this year, after gains of 18% and 31% the last two years. Not bad. We haven’t even had a correction of more than 5% since last November. It’s never been a better (or easier) time to be… Read more »
As explained in Morgan Housel’s book, “The Psychology of Money,” the most important word in building personal wealth is having “enough.” Being content with your standard of living allows you to focus on how you want to spend your time, rather than chasing more dollars. Having “enough” doesn’t mean you don’t have aspirations. It creates… Read more »
One of the benefits of having a couple of days off a week is that it affords me the opportunity to read more. I came across an article in the Journal of Financial Planning August 2021 issue entitled “How Life Changes Affect Client Behavior,” that confirmed my belief that our clients are increasingly relying on us not… Read more »
