How to Recover from A Bad Sequence of Returns Early in Retirement
Retirement is supposed to be a time of relaxation and enjoyment, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. One of the biggest challenges retirees face is the unpredictability of the stock market. A bad sequence of returns early in retirement can be devastating and leave retirees with no options. But it’s important to remember […]
Historic Fed Rate Hikes (Again): Where Do We Go from Here?
At its March 2nd Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Reserve board voted to raise short-term rates another 25 basis points—the second such increase this year. It was the ninth rate hike since March 22, 2022, in an all-out effort to tame rising inflation, which had surged to its highest levels in 40 years. […]
Why You Should Rethink Using Your Retirement Savings for Anything OTHER Than Retirement OR Should You Use Your Retirement Savings to Pay for College, Fund a Down Payment, Start a Business, or…Anything Else???
As the years go by and your paychecks keep coming in, you diligently save for retirement, even benefiting from your employer’s match. Every now and then, you check your account statement, and that growing nest egg sure looks impressive! So, when it’s time to fund your child’s college education, make a down payment on […]
How to Pay Fewer Taxes on Retirement Account Withdrawals
Where there is income, there will be tax. So, it’s no surprise that building a successful retirement income plan will have a lot to do with how much tax you will pay on your account withdrawals. In all honesty, planning for the “money-out” phase of retirement is often more complicated than the “money in” […]
Beyond the 401K: Where High Earners Should Invest to Save for Retirement
At the heart of it, saving for retirement isn’t terribly complicated. You know you need to max out your employer-sponsored 401K so you can receive your employer match and allow your investments the opportunity to grow tax-free. This is undoubtedly the best place to start. But if you’re a high earner, your 401K won’t […]
The Pros and Cons of Retiring at Different Ages
While retirement sounds like an absolute dream, getting there can often feel a little stressful. Are you saving enough? How much do you really need? Will the market be favorable when you do? And, the big one: When can you actually retire? Narrowing down the best time, or really the best age, for you […]
5 Things to Consider about Cognitive Decline and Retirement
No one wants to admit when getting older starts affecting them. It can a sore subject that hurts an individual’s sense of pride and confidence in their ability to care for themselves. Think about how many stories you’ve heard of adult children having to have a talk with their elderly parents about no longer driving […]
Top 3 Reasons You Should Stay Invested During These Volatile Markets
Investing is one of those endeavors that requires a lot of trust—trust in the long-term return potential of the markets, trust in yourself if you are a DIY investor, or trust in your financial advisor if they manage your investments. Trust is easy to come by in a bull market when everything is looking up. […]
How to Test Run Your Retirement Plan (for Greater Success and Fulfillment Later in Life)
Sometimes long vacations can seem like a test run for retirement. Long walks on the beach. Endless rounds of golf. All the umbrella drinks you want. But there’s more to retirement than just all the cliches of tropical relaxation. You are going to have plenty of regular days at home. But what will those […]
Reinventing Yourself in Retirement
Typically, when you start thinking about or talking about retirement, the main topic of conversation is about money. But the whole idea of retirement is to get to enjoy the rest of your years however you want! Before and during your working years, you likely had to make many sacrifices and answer to your […]