Creating a financial plan not only gives you a road map to your retirement goals, but it also allows you to better understand the emotional elements of the stock market. Why do very smart people make bad decisions about...
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Staying the Course Investors tend to see short-term volatility as the enemy. Volatility may lead many investors to move money out of the market and “sit on the sidelines” until things “calm down.” Although this approach may appear to...
Gridlock is Good for the Markets The markets asked, and they received. U.S. stocks rallied today after the midterm election results came in about as expected. Investors were bullish following the results due to the belief that gridlock...
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...
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%...