I’m sure you’re already aware the markets are very uncertain these days. For most of us, they’re down significantly for the year. For every pundit who says there’s a lot more downside to expect, there’s a pundit telling us we’ve essentially hit the bottom and the upside looks like a return to normal. After …
Continue reading The Retirement Life – The First of Many Steps
The Employee Retention Credit or ERC is an element still in play from the CARES Act that was the Congressional response to the Covid pandemic. Originally, it was set to expire at the end of 2021. However, there are still many millions of dollars waiting to be asked for and claimed. According to the National …
My Comments: Having more money is almost always a good thing. Having enough money is a function of your core expenses (food, shelter, transportation, healthcare, utilities, etc.) compared with discretionary expenses. Things like travel, entertainment, nice cards vs OK cars, etc. You’ve spent the last several years of your life establishing a lifestyle and odds …
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?
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
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 …
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?
Life can be scary sometimes. It can be doubly scary when we realize personal financial decisions are inherently emotional decisions. Who among us has not made a bad choice along the way where money was involved? Conceptually, retirement is inherently personal. And the elephant in the room at first glance is almost exclusively a matter …
Continue reading Investing for Retirement: What Price Are You Willing to Pay for Guarantees?
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