4 Ways To Achieve A Happy and Early Retirement
In a recent retirement confidence survey, 36% of retirees reported that they retired early—and this isn’t just by coincidence. Many of these retirees have common traits and characteristics that led them achieving a happy and early retirement. Retiring early requires a lot of discipline and a vision of what you want your retirement to look […]
Use Or Lose Social Security Benefits?
I’ve recently been writing on how to optimize your Social Security benefits, and I’ve had several people reach out to me with additional questions. One question that I keep getting asked is, “Why should my spouse and I delay taking our benefits if we won’t be around long enough to enjoy the money later?” It’s […]
9 Factors To Consider Before Taking Social Security
Last week I wrote about how to optimize your Social Security, but I mentioned that deciding on when to take Social Security is not always as simple as waiting until you are age 70 so that you have the potential to receive the most money possible. Rather than simply looking at the bottom line, I […]
How To Optimize Your Social Security Benefits
Social Security turned 80 last month. Whether you like it or not, your Social Security benefits will likely play a significant role in your future retirement. If you’re Donald and Melania Trump, sure it won’t matter; however, the vast majority of Americans count on their Social Security benefits. For many families, Social Security is their […]
Social Security Planning Before Retirement
With roughly 96% of Americans covered under social security, many are concerned about how it works and how it will affect their retirement. When should I cash in on my benefits? Will social security be around 15 or 20 years from now? These are questions that flood the minds of many people planning ahead. Estimating […]
Protect Yourself From The Fed’s Next Move
Is it almost that time…time for the Federal Reserve to finally stop their ZERO interest rate policy that has been with us for more than 80 months. There is tremendous speculation that in the Fed’s next meeting (September 16-17) “zero rates” will die and an entirely new cycle of higher interest rates will begin. Naturally, […]
Stock Market Correction Or Calamity?
Over the past few weeks we’ve continued to watch the stock market gyrate as investors have held their breath wondering what it would do next. I released an article in July explaining that we were overdue for a correction based on historical patterns. Of course, corrections are part of the stock market’s typical behavior so much […]
Are We Facing A Market Correction or Market Calamity?
If you’ve had moderate to strong returns on your investments over the past 12-18 months, the stock market’s performance in late August may have shaken you up a bit. So is the stock market pullback a correction or calamity? We believe that this is a financial correction, not a financial catastrophe. The key to this […]
Is The Stock Market Broken?
A few weekends ago I spent some time reorganizing my outdoor storage shed. It was time to get the bikes, car seats and strollers under control. While moving around these heavy, awkwardly shaped items, though, I was wearing exactly what I’ve told my children not to wear during projects like this… flip flops. Just as […]
Financial Advice From Van Gogh
I was at a “back to school” night a few weeks ago for my two oldest sons, now in kindergarten and 3rd grade, and had an interesting revelation. My children attend our local neighborhood APS public elementary school, and over the last few years I’ve seen how a community forms around parents, teachers, kids, and […]
