investment planning

Having a 2 ½ year old at home has allowed me to focus on family during these difficult times.  We have been reading a lot of books such as Princess & the Pea, Even Monster’s Go To School and the like because fairy tales and positivity should be her foundation.  Over in the economy, and specif

It is officially summer and the amusement parks are in full swing.  While the kiddos are enjoying the ups and downs of the rollercoaster rides, mom and dad are lamenting the same as it relates to their investment accounts.  So far 2018 has turned out to be more a E-ticket ride than than one of predictable gains.  The irony here is that that is ok.  As we

Traders wore grins and commemorative hats Wednesday as the Dow Jones industrial average broke the 20,000 mark for the first time. The milestone reflects a growing economy. The private sector added 15.6 million jobs over the last 81 months; the Fed has begun increasing interest rates; and average wages grew 2.9 percent in December.

The IRS requires you to take money out of your tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach the age of 70½. Taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, these annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) are calculated by dividing a retirement account’s balance at the end of the previous year by your IRS-provided life expectancy factor.

From time to time it is a good idea to check in on market activity. 

Brexit … What is it and how does it affect my investments?

By now, you will most certainly have heard that the United Kingdom has left the European Union (EU) and subsequently put all the financial markets into immediate turmoil. 

Brief Market Commentary for the week of June 20, 2016

The Markets

As I approach yet another birthday, I often ask myself if I am accomplishing all that I can in this short life … I have yet to become fluent in Spanish, I do not have a PhD nor have I come up with the next revolutionary toaster oven. Is this to say that I haven’t accomplished anything or that I am not an expert in a particular field?

While this saying is cliché, it is appropriate for this current market cycle. After all, it does not seem as though it were that many weeks ago when all the headlines and prognosticators would have you believe that another financial crisis was upon us.  Those that reacted to this news are most likely regretting their maneuvers, as the markets have clawed their way back. 

In many respects, people can be their own worst enemies in their quest for financial security. When you consider that our lives are nothing more than a culmination of the decisions we make each day, if we tend to make more bad decisions than good decisions, or worse, if we can’t make decisions at all, it’s should be no surprise when financial security  remains elusive.