Over the weekend, a relative asked, “Are we in a bear market?” I answered his question with, “What do you think a bear market is?” He rattled off a few comments about the economy, and the market being down...
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The federal reserve meets again later this month to make a decision about interest rates. There are 8 scheduled meetings each year; this will mark the 6th of those 8 scheduled meetings. While most of us read about the results from headlines...
Many people are ready to make the transition to retirement. They envision living a less stressful, carefree lifestyle. Where they can be adventurers, live next to the ocean, hear the waves crash. Enjoy the warm sunshine, swim in the...
How much can retirees withdraw from their nest egg each year? This is a question that many thought was answered by the 4% rule, first articulated by Bill Bengan in 1994. Bengan is a retired financial planner from Southern...
Whether you’re already retired or thinking about retiring within the next few years, a second act might be on your mind. Have you given thought to what you’ll spend your time on in retirement? Many older adults view retirement...
U.S. stocks are cresting to all-time highs, almost daily. These are the times when investors look forward to opening their monthly statement. The anticipation is high, you open the envelope (or electronic statement) and wow, is that right? Shouldn’t...
Inflation since 2008 has been very low. The average since 2008 is a paltry 1.48%. The numbers annually are as follows: Year Rate of inflation 2008 .1% 2009 2.7% 2010 1.5% 2011 3.0% 2012 1.7% 2013 1.5% 2014 .8%...
Not if, but when. Bear Markets are part of investing in the stock market. This is a fact, you must know to be ready for the worst. It helps you prepare mentally. These events should not be a surprise,...
One of the greatest worry’s for anyone who is retired, is running out of money. Of course, if we knew how long we would live it would make the process much less stressful. We could simply spend down our...
Many people have heard about reverse mortgages. They are hyped on TV, radio, magazines and many brokers recommend them aggressively. As a financial planners we have considered them as a possible solution for those who are concerned about outliving...