Social Security May Not Be Headed For Big Trouble After All
For many years, Social Security collected more money than it paid out in benefits, and the surplus money collected from payroll taxes was invested in U.S. Treasury securities. Last year marked an about face, however. The birth rate has been falling and a lot more …
Maybe You Are a Happily Married Retiree– But Are You Up to Snuff on Your Household Financial Standing?
One good idea is to schedule at least an annual meeting over dinner for a yearly financial check-up, regardless of whether one spouse isn’t inclined to be overly engaged. Amid this festive holiday season, we all know that the routine of day-to-day life persists and …
Now May Be the Time to Convert Part of Your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA
Thanks to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, your tax bracket has declined this year, and that’s obviously a good thing. Many retirees still pay taxes on Social Security, annuity payouts, pensions, and perhaps earnings from a part-time job. This tab will decline. …
Don’t Let Small Company Stocks Pass You By
Don’t let headlines mask the market’s real stars. This year, they are small public companies, not giant corporations. As the stock market once again closes in on new records, annuity owners with non-annuity stock market investments should take a moment to consider which stock indexes …
Why the Appeal of Passive Stock Funds is Declining
When times get rockier and the bull market gets long in the tooth – the conditions today – active management is often better positioned to perform better and put more dollars in investors’ pockets. Things change often in the financial markets, and sometimes these changes …
Prepare Yourself: Volatility is Back, Probably Indefinitely
Global trade issues and rising rates are obviously vexing issues, and the former can be as troublesome as the latter. Trade wars can threaten the fundamental premise behind the increasingly healthy U.S. economy… Life in retirement, at least the financial aspect, would be less stressful …
Sorting Through Conflicting Financial Advice
Most of us are already familiar with some of the common contradictions in financial planning. For instance, we’re told that the market’s past performance is no indication of its future returns. Yet most projections of likely future returns depend on analyses that rely, in one …
Should You Worry That the Stock Market Keeps Setting Records?
(Editor’s Note: This is another timeless article with worthwhile investment input because it makes the case that a pricey stock market is often a cautionary flag, prodding prudent investors to consider diversifying into additional asset classes. The last time the price-earnings ratio of stocks was …
The Downside of Holding a Concentrated Position
We haven’t had a bear market in years, but one is coming at some point – it always does – and it is a bear market, in particular, that challenges investor confidence. As the market keeps declining, investors tend to worry whether it will ever …
Another Advantage of Annuities: You Can Be More Aggressive with Non-Annuity Funds and Fare Better Long-Term
“This works really well with couples (with different mindsets), where the husband is a risk taker but the wife is worried that she’ll be left without any money,” says award-winning retirement income expert Curtis Cloke about Retirement NextGen, a new software tool that replicates his …
WHO SELLS STOCKS IN A DOWNDRAFT?
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Over a long span of time, research shows the average investor – one who invests in a mix of stock and bond funds – does not even average a 3 percent annual rate of return. This has been true over the last 10, 20 …
Market-Linked CDs May be Worth Considering
You may find an MLCD to be a good companion to your fixed annuity, which also has no market exposure and, reflecting the times, pays low interest rates. Most adults know about bank certificates of deposit (CDs). These are time-limited accounts that grow your deposit …
