Over my 28 plus years as a financial advisor I have had the honor and privilege of helping many folks plan, implement strategies and transition to retirement. I have clients in their 80’s who are happy and excited for each day and others in their 60’s and 70’s who are sad and depressed.
The 6 Not-So-Secret Keys to A Happy, Secure Retirement Read More »
Whether you were a Trump or Clinton supporter, the outcome of this election may have raised questions in your mind about what might be the effect on your investments and the markets, and the economy in general. My email box is filling up with white papers, webinars, commentary and other communications about what to expect next, how the markets will be moved and who the winners and losers will be under a Trump administration. Some people are screaming to buy certain sectors that will win and to sell other investments that will lose. Gold is going to go way up…or actually go way down. Interest rates will rise, or maybe they will drop in a “flight to safety.”
The Election is Over, What Does that Mean for My Finances? Read More »
As I sit here and reflect on the Cubs historic World Series win, I find myself still wondering “Did that really happen?” I was born and raised in the Chicago area. I would run home from school just to see the end of that day’s Cubs game on WGN, the local TV station. The Cubs were lousy and I was also a fan of the White Sox (hey, they made it to the World Series in 1959!), but there was something about the ballpark, sunshine and those old fashioned pinstripe uniforms that made them my favorite.
Here at Gainer Financial and Insurance Services, Inc. we are dedicated to helping our clients create and enjoy a happy, fulfilling, and successful retirement for themselves. We help you eliminate the question marks in your life that could destroy that security and enjoyment. From wealth building to legacy planning there are a laundry list of issues that must be considered and planned for in order to enjoy that kind of worry free retirement.
In my last article, I talked about upcoming changes in the Social Security laws and how that would change the options available to folks as they claim their benefits. Now that some of these changes have occurred, it is time to revisit this topic. In many ways, social security claiming strategies are now more important than ever. Understanding your options and coordinating a claiming strategy with your overall income planning can be the difference in running out of money and not, in retirement.
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!
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.
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.
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”.
You may have heard this week that Chris Borland retired. Why is this important and what can we learn from his decision? Well first, you need to know who he is. Chris Borland is 24 years old, which may seem a bit young to retire. He retired from the San Francisco 49ers football team. He cited concern over long term negative health effects from playing professional football.