Archive for February 2017
Retirement: Spending vs. Income Planning
One common rule of thumb for retirement savings is to replace 80 percent of your pre-retirement income — or an even higher percentage. But what if you currently spend more than you earn? Or what if you spend much less than you earn? Perhaps a better measure would be to base your retirement income on your…
Read MoreThe Old-School Stool
The proverbial “three-legged stool” of retirement funding traditionally comprised Social Security, a company pension and personal savings, but that stool has been wobbly for quite some time. In fact, the traditional pension has been replaced largely by employer-sponsored 401(k) plans. This development firmly places the responsibility of two of the three stool legs on individual…
Read MorePlanning for Tax-Efficient Retirement Income
If you expect to be in a high tax bracket in retirement, you may consider allocating your retirement assets in a variety of different types of financial products to help reduce your tax liability. The growth potential of tax-deferred annuities may be appealing to those who have invested in safe, low-yielding strategies and are concerned…
Read MoreThe 411 on Fake News
As much as we love to joke, “If you read it on the internet, it must be true!”, nearly everyone has fallen prey to some type of fake news headline. Even if you discover the information in an article is suspect after reading a couple paragraphs, your click alone may have been enough for the…
Read MoreAvoiding Biased Decision Making
When you hear something repeated enough times, doubts may start to slip away, and eventually it’s accepted as a fact. Believing the things that are imbedded in our psyche because we’ve heard them before is known as an “availability bias.” This may partially explain why blue-chip stocks are popular, as more investors tend to be…
Read MoreEuro Update: What to Potentially Expect in 2017
The United States’ recovery following the recession may feel slow, but it has outperformed other major markets worldwide. Europe, home to many developed nations, has seen dismal growth that is not expected to improve anytime soon. The Conference Board, a global, independent business membership and research association, projects only 1.4 percent growth in 2017, down…
Read MoreToday is Valentine’s Day! Does your retirement plan need some love?
Happy Valentine’s Day! This time of year we should all be expressing how much we care for our loved ones. But have you shown your retirement plan the love and attention it deserves too? Probably not. Almost all retirees and pre-retirees are concerned to some degree about their long term financial future in retirement; however…
Read MoreFor the Health of Marriage
Turns out marriage can do more for your heart than fill it with love. A recent study found that, among other health benefits, married people have a higher probability of surviving a stroke. They are also more likely to survive major surgery, have fewer heart attacks, be less likely to have advanced cancer when diagnosed…
Read MoreUse this simple mental exercise to help boost your mood
In a Rut? This quick trick can make you happier. According to an article in Reader’s Digest, the secret to happiness is only a few minutes away with this simple mental exercise: THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS! The article cites a study in which, before going to bed, German volunteers listed nine beautiful things they’d seen during the…
Read MoreChecks and Balances: How Much Can a U.S. President Do?
Donald Trump has a broad presidential agenda that encompasses foreign trade, immigration, deregulation, taxes and investment in U.S. infrastructure. These policies are poised to impact certain industries over others, such as health care, energy, financial services and technology. Every presidential candidate enters the campaign with a platform of changes and priorities, which presumably dominate the…
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