My Comments: Those of us who live long enough to enter the final stages of our lives get to confront something that rarely happens to those not retired. I often refer to this as ‘becoming goofy’, though it’s not always a mental affliction. (My mother had Alzheimer's and needed constant attention for over nine years.) …
Continue reading The 1 Retirement Expense We’re Still Not Preparing For
My Comments: We can argue ‘till we’re blue in the face about when this is going to happen and none of us will be right. Just know it will happen. There’s a reference in Scott Minerd’s comments below about the Fed raising interest rates. Here is a chart I found some time ago that shows …
Continue reading Guggenheim investment chief sees a recession and a 40% plunge in stocks ahead
My Comments: Most of the recent talk about the Constitution comes in the wake of the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, for obvious reasons. The attention is well deserved but I'd have you think about more than just the 2nd Amendment. At the national level, if not across the globe, society is re-evaluating itself. Are the values …
Continue reading Can the Country Survive Without a Strong Middle Class?
My Comments: Somewhere in the news cycle there is always a story about what's happening in the stock and bond market and whether or not there's a reason to get freaked out. Media companies these days are overwhelmed with crisis after crisis and spending much time on this issue is a waste of energy and …
My Comments: In past blog posts I’ve shared the words, and wisdom, of Scott Minerd. He’s one of the principal brains at Guggenheim Partners, a major player on the world stage when it comes to investing money. (BTW, this pic of Scott is from 12/21/2015) Right now many of you are rightly worried by the …
My Comments: Having more money to spend in retirement requires a delicate balance between living cautiously and making sure your funds are growing properly. If you stay alive, the money to pay your bills has to come from somewhere. All that is to say that global economics is going to play a role in your …
Continue reading Trump’s Looming Bust-up with China is Bad News for 2018
My Comments: As you’ve heard me say many times, Social Security benefits have become an absolutely critical piece of the retirement income puzzle for most of us. If it’s not there to pay critical monthly bills, it’s there to allow us freedom of movement as we transition from the retirement go-go years to the slow-go …
Continue reading Finding the Best Social Security Claiming Strategy – 3 Questions
My Comments: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! For those of you still not signed up and receiving monthly benefits, here’s some useful things to know. For those of you who attended my Social Security workshops, you’ll recall the acronyms that appear on every page. There's even a couple more here for you to learn. Maurie Backman - …
Continue reading 10 Social Security Terms To Know And Understand
My Comments: Some of you will see this as a political statement by me and perhaps recoil from it. I hope not. We are in the midst of a national, if not global, re-evaluation of the values that underly society. On a personal level, I’m very troubled by Trump and how his values about life, …
My Comments: If you don’t think about it, maybe it’ll go away. But for millions of us, living longer than our parents, LTC is an insidious risk that needs to be dealt with. There is probably no best answer, just a better one. Short of dying early, most of us will need advanced care of …
Continue reading How to pay for long-term care? Several funding options exist
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