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The Five Lies You’ve Been Told About Retirement

Leave a Comment / Financial Plans, Financial Security, Retirement Plannnig /

For nearly my entire career, I have focused on what it takes for someone to retire successfully and most important, enjoy a happy and secure last third of their life. I have seen many people who are happy and fulfilled with their retirement lifestyle. These folks are living their “American Dream.” I have met others who have stopped working and are technically retired, but they are stressed out and unhappy with their lifestyle. What is most interesting to me, their happiness does not appear to correlate with their net worth!

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Should I Be Selling My Stocks Now?

Leave a Comment / Financial Plans, Financial Security, Retirement Plannnig /

Last April, I posted an entry on our blog called “What Should I do to Survive a Market Drop?,” I reminded readers that a significant correction was past due and I encouraged you to update your strategies in anticipation of a correction or worse. That was posted about a month before the market peaked in May of last year and markets have been generally down since.

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Should I Own Bond Funds Now?

Leave a Comment / Bonds /

Why do you own a bond fund? If you are like most folks that I talk with, it is because they are looking for some safety with their investments. After all, bonds are much safer than stocks, aren’t they? The only true answer to that question is; it depends! Safety in the bond market depends on how you own your bonds and what kind of bonds you own. The element that creates the perception of safety is the guarantee included in a bond. What most folks forget is the Guarantee on a bond‘s principal is only for one day! That is the day the bond matures. Until that day, the only thing guaranteed is the interest payment. The value of the actual bond will go up and down every day. For today’s discussion I am going to look specifically at bond mutual funds.

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There is So Much to Be Thankful For

Leave a Comment / Financial Security /

I love the food, the gathering of friends and family and the chance to reflect on what has happened since last Thanksgiving. In a world that seems to get busier and busier, it is easy to forget what is truly important in our lives and even harder to take the time to enjoy those things. This break in the high speed day to day lives we are living is a wonderful opportunity to get back in touch with ourselves and those who we value highly.

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6 Things You Want to Take Advantage of Now

Leave a Comment / Financial Security /

Now that summer is over and the holidays are right around the corner, this is one of the most important times of the year for assuring your financial success. As things ramp up before the holidays and the associated blur of activity that we all experience as the year draws to a close, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to look at your year to date, and take the time to make some decisions as to how you want to finish out your year. Taking the time could save you thousands or more!

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How Do you Know if You Have Enough To Retire?

Leave a Comment / Retirement Plannnig /

I was talking with a friend of my wife’s the other day and she said that her planner said that she needed to work for 3 more years and then she could retire. Since she doesn’t particularly like her current job, I asked if she would like to retire now, and she said she didn’t have a big enough nest egg. I asked her how much income she needed and she didn’t know.

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Reflections on LIAM (Life Insurance Awareness Month)

Leave a Comment / Life Insurance /

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM), did you even know? You might have seen a television commercial or seen a print ad that let you know, but you probably didn’t, and may be thinking of leaving this post right now. WAIT A MINUTE! Give this a couple of paragraphs before you go on to something else, I think it might be worth it.

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Should I Be Worried About the Stock Market Drop?

Leave a Comment / Stock Market /

Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial average was down over 650 points. Yesterday it dropped over 500 more points and was down more than 1000 at one point, and the other market indexes were losing even more ground. Today it was up over 300 points and finally closed down more than 200. If you ever wondered about the term “the Wall Street roller coaster”, you are experiencing it these past couple of weeks!

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How Much Do I Need to Retire?

Leave a Comment / Financial Plans, Financial Security, Retirement Plannnig /

This question comes up all the time. Depending on which website you visit, what commercial you see or what advisor you speak with, you keep hearing different answers to this question. No matter who you speak with or where you research, the answer to this question is usually expressed in numbers. You might remember a series of commercials a few years back that asked “Do you know your number?” This commercial showed a lot of folks running around with large numbers under their arms. Nearly all of those numbers were in the millions! I sure do understand how someone might have looked at the commercial and just given up. The thought process probably went something like this: “How am I ever going to save millions? I might as well not even try”.

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Does Your Spouse Know the Answers to these 7 Financial Questions?

Leave a Comment / Financial Plans /

A few years ago, I was at a comedy show and the comedian joked; “Have you heard that half of all marriages end in divorce”? While most of the audience nodded, he continued; “Did you ever consider how the rest of them end?….in death! So when you get married, it is going to end badly.” Of course there was laughter, but today I hope to help you avoid making a bad situation worse.

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