The “elderly” portion of retirement is the phase that is past travel, golf, shopping, piggyback rides and puzzles on the floor with the grandkids. It can often consist of isolation, loneliness and boredom — possibly compounded by the inability to drive, take a walk or even hear loved ones talk on the phone. Many continue…

Kiplinger recently noted that the U.S. stock market appeared more resilient than ever, having bounced back from a devastating end of 2018. Employment remains relatively steady, inflation flat and the Fed has indicated reticence to increasing interest rates through the end of the year. In fact, the only headwinds for the rest of the year…

The Federal Reserve recently reported that four out of 10 American adults surveyed said they would struggle to pay for an unexpected expense of $400 or more.1 This revelation goes against the common financial advice urging adults to have three to six months of expenses saved in an accessible account for emergencies.2   Nearly everyone…

Turn your intent into a commitment.   Goals give you focus. To find and establish your investing and saving goals, first ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Do you want to build an emergency fund? Build college savings for your child? Have a large retirement fund by age 60? Once you have a defined…

Why are investors and economists getting nervous about Treasury yields?    What is the yield curve, and why is the financial media writing about it? Here is a brief explanation, starting with a clarification.   A yield curve is really an X-Y graph projecting expected rates of return for equivalent-quality bonds with different maturity dates.…

What are the keys in planning to grow wealthy together?   When you marry or simply share a household with someone, your financial life changes – and your approach to managing your money may change as well. To succeed as a couple, you may also have to succeed financially. The good news is that is…

A look at how variable rates of return do (and do not) impact investors over time.    What exactly is the “sequence of returns”? The phrase simply describes the yearly variation in an investment portfolio’s rate of return. Across 20 or 30 years of saving and investing for the future, what kind of impact do…

Save and invest, year after year, to put the full power of compounding on your side.   Have you been saving for retirement for a decade or more? In the foreseeable future, something terrific is likely to happen with your IRA or your workplace retirement plan account. At some point, its yearly earnings should begin…

Some things to think about as you get started with your strategy.   First, look at your expenses and your debt. Review your core living expenses (such as a mortgage payment, car payment, etc.). Can any core expenses be reduced? Investing aside, you position yourself to gain ground financially when income rises, debt shrinks, and…

Some good reasons to retain it.   Do you need a life insurance policy in retirement? One school of thought says no. The kids are grown, and the need to financially insulate the household against the loss of a breadwinner has passed.   If you are thinking about dropping your coverage for either or both…