How Long to the Other Side The market recouped about half its losses over the past two weeks, as investors weigh risks and grapple with when life will get back to normal. Some investment strategists say we’ve hit the bottom; some say this will last longer and be...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
The Advice that Matters is our monthly newsletter that highlights key topical ideas on investing, business succession, financial planning, and retirement planning. Please complete this form to be added to our list.