One is that recessions and market crashes, while there is a positive correlation, do not always happen at the same time or for the same reason. This means that one does not necessarily result in the other. Two is that over the past five decades, we’ve had 7 recessions here in the US. In each …
Continue reading 3 Things About the Next Recession/Market Crash
Some of you will read this and determine I’m trying to sell you something. To some extent you’re right as I would love to have you enroll in one of my online courses at Successful Retirement Secrets. On another level, I’m interested in helping you come to terms with what you should do with your …
I was recently asked a question by a friend whose grandchildren’s ages are similar to mine. He asked me to name two things they might encounter in the world after he and I were long gone. What two things would make it hard for them to live the lives we hope for them. To which …
Continue reading What Kind of World Will Our Grandchildren Be Tasked With Running?
A sub-title for this blog post might be: Mutual Funds? Annuities? ETFs? Or what? My not so clever answer is “It depends…”. To which you will ask “on what?”. Here’s a list to start with: What types of investments have you been successful with? What is your level of fear that you’ll run out of …
Chances are you are already thinking about Social Security if you were born in 1960 or earlier. You are also aware of articles all over internet about when it’s best to sign up and start taking your retirement benefits. As someone who has taught workshops about Social Security for years, I can tell you that …
Continue reading A Few Reasons to File for Social Security at Full Retirement Age
The short answer is YES. But there are some issues that need to be remedied. I’m reminded of a Churchill quote to the effect “…it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” The same can be said for …
Continue reading Is Capitalism Still A Viable Economic Model?
Some of us are organized and some of us are not and the rest of us are 'sorta/kinda' organized. I’m in the 'sorta/kinda' organized group. I am, however, heavily invested these days in teaching others a process to follow when thinking about their future retirement. I’ve created an internet school called Successful Retirement Secrets™ where …
According the AARP, about 10,000 Americans turn 70½ every day of the year. If you’re in that group, and have money parked somewhere that you’ve identified as a retirement account, chances are you’ll have to start taking a RMD soon. First, a little background info. We’ve agreed that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is responsible …
Continue reading A Few Things to Know About Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
A much maligned financial planning tool is the reverse mortgage. And there is good reason why it had a bad reputation. Notice I use the word ‘had’. My position today is there is no reason to simply walk away because of that reputation. It no longer applies. First, a little background. When buying a house …
Continue reading Reverse Mortgages and Retirement – Part One
We've all probably read that most people file and start taking Social Security at age 62. We’ve also read that it’s a good idea to claim at 62. And for every message that it’s a good idea, there’s another saying it’s a bad idea. I identify four or five ideas here to help you define …
Continue reading What does it cost to file early for Social Security benefits?
Helping Define Your Financial Future 