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
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?
I can suggest dozens of questions that when answered, will define your retirement. And I can suggest more questions that when answered, will re-define your retirement. While money and having enough is important, there are other things to consider if you want your retired years to end with few regrets. For example, how will you …
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?
In days past, if you were fortunate, your full time job included what is known as a defined benefit pension plan. Your ‘benefit’ was determined, or defined, by how long you worked for that employer, your age when you retired, and how much you were making when you retired. That last element might have been …
Continue reading Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Retirement
Yesterday I asked if you were feeling lucky. The idea being that if things work out for you, your journey end will arrive with few regrets. Before you conclude I’m trying too hard to deny you years of fun and games, I’m really focused on helping you enjoy a worry free and financially secure retirement. …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 