Calm, Care, & Caution
Calm, Care, & Caution How to stay calm during challenging times? The late Vanguard founder John Bogle used to say that in times of market turmoil, “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” His point was that panic selling after market declines guarantees loss....
Bear Markets
Bear Markets When you compare your 401k balance to three weeks ago it hurts. I know. The record long bull market ended on March 11, and we officially entered bear market territory. A bear market is defined as a 20% decline from peak stock prices. After 11 years of...
Portfolio Strategy Review 2019
Elon's 420 Jig; Presidential Performance Past to Present (1981-2020) The year 2019 was an astounding year for all asset returns as the longest bull market in history continued. Markets looked past recession fears, impeachment proceedings, and heightened tensions with...
SECURE Act Becomes Law
The SECURE Act Becomes Law in 2020 The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (aka SECURE Act) was passed by Congress and will become law January 1, 2020. There is a lot to unpack beneath the surface, so let me give you a high-level summary. As I...
Portfolio Strategy Review Q3 2019
Trade Tensions Markets always face uncertainty because the future is never known. Recent market activity suggests the uncertainty factor is greater than usual with impeachment hearings, drone strikes in Saudi Arabia, and a messy “Brexit” across the pond. U.S. economic...
In Plan ROTH 401k Conversions
Options to Choose, Not Choose, or Defer to a Later Date Not all plans include the so-called “In plan conversions” detailed below, which allow existing pre-tax 401K dollars to be converted to after-tax ROTH 401k dollars. They can be a good way to build tax-free income...
What’s an Annuity and Should You Own One
Annuities often get bad press. Deservedly so in many cases. Not so in all cases. Before you can determine if one might make sense for you, it’s important to understand the very different annuity types. When applied correctly they can be effective income planning tools...
Different From the Other 300,000?
Storytelling for Financial Advisors By Mitch Anthony and Scott West I picked up this book because my communication with clients and prospects needs improvement. People in all industries tend to fall back on acronyms, slang, and technical terms that are like a foreign...
Portfolio Strategy Review Q2 2019
Giving Candy to a Baby Since everyone knows the US now has the “greatest economy, the likes of which the world has never seen....” what can be done for an encore? I have some good ideas. First, let’s stimulate the economy with tax cuts. Consumer spending drives 70% of...
Social Security: Fix or Fumble the Political Football
Social Security – Fix or Fumble the Political Football The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College reports that the Social Security “trust fund” is due to deplete its surplus reserves by 2035. Contrary to sensationalized reports, the authors illustrate the...
