Keeping up with the Jones’s is not something anyone should strive for – but in the case of saving for retirement, knowing how you compare could help you develop an awareness of the need for saving for retirement. Every situation is different due to guaranteed sources of retirement income; current and future bills; lifestyle; helping […]
When you contribute to a 401(k) or IRA account, you are able to deduct that contribution amount from your current year’s income. Everyone likes that because it means you’ll pay less in taxes that year. But don’t forget that one day, you or your beneficiary will have to pay taxes on the money withdrawn from […]
You have probably read that the sooner you begin saving, the better, because the magic of compounding can make you wealthy. But what if you don’t start early and still want to accumulate a nest egg that will carry you through your retirement years? The article below shows the amount you must save and the […]
While Target Date Funds in 401(k) plans have performed well since the Bull Market that began 2009, this article does a good job of exposing the risk in those funds. https://www.thewealthadvisor.com/article/will-your-target-date-401k-fund-blow-your-retirement?
The market has had a very good year – in my opinion it is partly due to the expectation that we will see tax cuts this year. But what happens to those expectations if tax cuts are not passed? This, from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin… “There is no question that the rally in the stock […]
There’s good and bad in the announcement below about the IRS relaxing the loan and hardship withdrawal rules from company-sponsored 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. The relief is available to those who live or work in the Hurricane Harvey disaster area, and extends to some family members. The provisions even extends to IRA’s. That’s the […]
Almost everyone recognizes the worst stock market decline as the 1929 crash. It was during that time that the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined approximately 87%. To describe it as a devastating time would be an understatement as The Great Depression was soon ushered in. It has been said that history repeats itself. If that is true, […]
The Syrian crisis has subsided and now as you know, the current “crisis of the moment” is the fight over a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government which has led to a “government shutdown.” In the coming days the battle over whether to raise the debt ceiling will become a much larger story if […]
A CNN poll reveals that only 27% of American adults know what the Federal Reserve’s QE program is about. The question used in the poll was in a multiple-choice format, which should have seemingly produced a higher correct response than simply asking respondents to explain QE. Why is this disturbing? Because the majority of Americans […]
Webster’s defines inflection as a turning or bending away from a course or position of alignment. Take a look at the chart and note two of the previous inflection points in the chart. The first occurred after a 106% increase in the S&P 500 and resulted in a 40% loss. The second occurred after a 101% […]
