May 15, 2019 Consumer Reports asked etiquette experts—Diane Gottsman and Julia Esteve Boyd—to recommend which service providers to tip, and the amount. These suggested tips represent their combined recommendation, summarized in the graphic below. “Your One-Stop-Shopping Tip Guide.” Consumer Reports, Feb. 2019, pp. 37–37. Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments...
May 15, 2019 It’s always a bit of a Deja vu moment for me when I wind up in a situation where I have to give myself the same advice I give to clients. When I speak to clients, I often say the words: “I understand,” though I may have never had that particular experience. It’s an attempt at empathy...
May 15, 2019 Many investors aren’t aware of the concept of fee-only financial planning, so we’re sending along the article below from Financial Planning Magazine 1 because it’s the best one we’ve seen written on the subject in years. Written by Bob Veres, a well-respected industry observer for decades, it’s clearly sarcastic in tone. It’s intent, however, is to point...
May 15, 2019 If you’re in your late 30’s or 40’s, you might find it nonsensical to think about where you might live in retirement. After reading about Beth and Chuck, you may want to rethink your position. At first glance, one might find a 15-year journey to find the perfect place to retire a bit excessive. But is it...
Source: Direxion Funds May 15, 2019 FUTURE PLANS - 48% of households in America headed by individuals at least age 55 have no retirement savings, 26% have a defined contribution (DC) plan (e.g., 401(k) or IRA) but no defined benefit (DB) pension plan, and the remaining 26% have both a DC and a DB plan (source: Government Accountability Office). PREPARE...
March 31, 2019 A recent phone call with an old friend led to a lengthy discussion on where to live in retirement. We touched all the bases: aging in place, independent living within a senior community, assisted living, and nursing care. The conversation paused, however, when I was asked the question: “How do you know when it’s time to go?”...
March 31, 2019 By: John Zeltmann Stan and I will both tell you we have one of the greatest jobs in the world. Helping people plan for their retirement while making financially sound decisions during their working years is an incredibly rewarding vocation. Daily, we get to help people figure out how to reduce tax bills, determine appropriate levels of...
March 31, 2019 JP Morgan’s 2019 Guide to Retirement includes a chart (see below) depicting levels of happiness and stress by age. For married Americans, happiness is lowest at age 46 and then continues to rise on an upward sloping curve all through the ‘golden’ years. (I wonder if it has anything to do with the kids’ finally going off...
March 31, 2019 It’s difficult to pass on reading an article with that title, but The Parent Trap is the title of a special report found in Barron’s. Not only was the title catchy, but the contents are very worthy of sharing. It’s difficult to summarize an article with this type of importance, so we’ll try to capture your attention...
Source: Direxion Funds March 31, 2019 ALMOST ALWAYS - Since 1950, there have been 60 different 10-year periods (i.e., the 10-years from 1950-59, 1951-60, 1952-61, . . . 2009-18). The S&P 500 has produced a positive total return result in 58 of the 60 decade-long periods, i.e., 97% of the time. The S&P 500 consists of 500 stocks chosen for...