This fall, I conducted reviews of client risk management plans and found some interesting things I’d like to share with you in hopes that you might review your own situation to ensure you are prepared for the “what ifs” in your life. To save you some time, here are a few issues I came across on multiple occasions: Out-of-date beneficiary designations. (Most popular.) Too little liability coverage on auto &… Read More
IRA Mistakes Retirees Make
10 Charts About Retirement Every Retiree Should See (2020)
As a Retirement Planner, each year I eagerly await the release of J.P. Morgan’s Guide to Retirement. It is essentially a booklet of retirement charts filled with great information impacting retirees. Making it even better, it often highlights things that are regularly overlooked by just about anyone (including professionals) planning for retirement today. With that in mind, I have selected 10 charts that I think everyone transitioning into retirement should… Read More
5 Actions You Can Take During a Bear Market
Right about now, investors and advisors are kicking themselves for not having sold about two weeks ago. Some are still considering selling. Investors who say the thought hasn’t crossed their mind are probably lying to themselves. It’s easy to say to ourselves, “I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE SOLD!” because hindsight is always 20/20. But the truth is, we didn’t know because we can’t know. That’s truly the toughest part of… Read More
Spending in Retirement – An Observation
Most of the people I am surrounded by are first-generation wealthy and I bet very few would even describe themselves as wealthy. One of the reasons they wouldn’t describe themselves as wealthy is because, in most cases, they came from meager backgrounds so the idea of being considered wealthy in any sense of the word is almost a foreign concept. Recently, I think I stumbled across an observation I have… Read More
When It’s Smart to Pay Capital Gains Taxes
Imagine for a moment that you are the coach of a Major League Baseball team and you’ve successfully coached your team to the World Series. You’re about to start the 9th inning of Game 7 and your team is up 3-1. You are just three outs away from being crowned World Champions. A life-changing opportunity for players and coaches alike. But before the 9th inning begins, you visit the opposing… Read More
Life’s Curveballs
Over the weekend, I went for a run as I often do. I time myself for every single run and I generally run the same route each time. Some might consider that boring, but I do it because it gives me a number to shoot for. If I run different routes, I can’t compete with myself to try to beat my best time. If you think that’s silly, I totally… Read More
The Only Benchmark That Matters
Each day, investors everywhere compare their portfolio’s return to a benchmark. Many times, at least for investors in the U.S., the benchmark of choice is the S&P 500. I find it endlessly fascinating because a benchmark is simply the average of all investor returns before costs. This is not opinion, but fact. John Bogle, the late founder of Vanguard, said it this way in his book “Common Sense on Mutual… Read More
Medigap or Medicare Advantage Plans
As an advisor working with retirees, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “Should you choose Medigap or a Medicare Advantage Plan?” Before I get to that, I’ll lay out an example for why this choice exists in the first place and then we can get into the weeds of these two plan options. I’ll also provide pros and cons for each coverage type and who each… Read More
How to Invest For a 30+ Year Retirement
A couple of weeks back, I had the pleasure of chatting with Taylor Schulte, CFP® on his retirement podcast, “Stay Wealthy.” Taylor is a highly respected retirement expert, so naturally, I was excited to have a public chat about a topic we are both passionate about. On the podcast, we discuss my post, A Portfolio Strategy for 30-Year Retirements, to include the following topics: Why living longer should be a… Read More
