The 3 Stages of Retirement

My Comments: I recently wrote about where we are now in the overall market cycle and the likely chance of a major disruption that will effect your financial future. My post was titled “Are We There Yet?” Most of us have visions of a successful retirement. Of course, “success” is dependent on your life today, …

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Smart Retirement Income Strategies

My Comments: This comes from the staff at Financial Planning, a well known magazine that appears monthly and is subscribed to by financial professionals. It contains valuable information for anyone soon to be retired or even already retired. These are summaries and if you want to read the full article, reach out to me and …

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Shoeshine Boys and Thinking At The Margin

My Comments: When the last crunch time came in 2008 and 2009, I vowed to find a better solution for my clients. The idea of losing 30% or more of the value of your retirement holdings over the course of a few months is devastating. For many, it’s taken years to get back to where …

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Exactly Where We Are In This Cycle

My Comments: This is a major question for investors. Whether you are accumulating money for the future or are already retired and focused on making sure you have enough money to last, knowing what is likely to happen in the near future leads to peace of mind and financial freedom. This is one opinion. Watch …

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4 Reasons Why Not To Go Long The S&P

My Comments: Some of my responsibility as an investment advisor is to provide warning if I think there are pending changes in market direction. But since I have no idea what I may eat for lunch today, telling folks about the next crash will happen is pure speculation. But... I compensate for this inability by …

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For Retirement Portfolios, a Smarter Glidepath

My Comments: I’ve talked in earlier blog posts about the rate used to withdraw money from your retirement accounts. There is a prevailing sentiment that it should be 4% or less. I think that’s too low. On the other hand if I’m wrong, and 30 years later you discover you have run out of money, …

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New Longevity Annuity Rules: 5 Things to Know

My Comments: Earlier this week I introduced the idea of a QLAC. If you didn’t see it, click on the link and check it out. Some of you are going to want to use this contract as soon as it becomes available this fall. Others are going to think about how your investment mix will …

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5 QLAC Questions and Answers

My Comments: QLAC? What the heck is a QLAC? By Jeffrey Levine / July 18, 2014 On July 1, 2014 the Treasury Department released the long-awaited final regulations for Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs). These new annuities will offer advisors a unique tool to help clients avoid outliving their money. The QLAC rules, however, are …

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6 Strategies to Reduce Your Need for Money When You Retire

My Comments: These might seem like a no brainer. The financial media is awash with articles talking about how Americans simply don’t have enough money to retire. In the larger perspective, this, if true, is going to put enormous pressure on the government to subsidize the living cost of those who run out of money. …

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25 Things You Should Do Before You Die

My Comments: This appeared in a financial planning magazine and really doesn’t need any comments from me. I’d only mess it up. Well, wait a minute. Years and years agao, before computers, social media and instant messaging, I read that every man should achieve three goals. They were to build a house, father a child …

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