Back in the early nineties, I wrote a book called, RETIREMENT READY OR NOT: How to Get Financially Prepared in a Hurry (Career Press). At the time, the news was filled with reports of corporations folding, downsizing or merging, forcing employees all over the country to accept early retirement long before they expected.
wayne wilderson effect
With stock prices hitting rock bottom, I keep thinking it’s now or never to jump into the market. Question is for a newbie, what’s a good strategy for picking stocks? Is it any different than walking into a casino or going to a race track and having a feeling about a lonely slot machine or a horse with a name you like? I’ve been asking around for advice and in the process, noticed a pattern I’m calling the Wayne Wilderson effect. What is that? Hang in there and I’ll tell you.
This past Sunday I watched the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Biden(below), and among the many interesting things he said was that the federal government would be committing $500 billion dollars to support green/energy projects. This could cover everything from solar tax credits to hybrid and electric cars, to windmills and battery technology to water, hydro power and thermal nuclear power to biofuels and Read More…
There’s nothing more disturbing than to see an individual using an inappropriate Life Insurance product for their needs. For example if one wants to have maximum protection with the lowest cost possible, for a specific time period say 5-30 years ending by age 80) you should only consider Term Insurance. An example of where this is appropriate involves the breadwinner of a young family desiring to provide maximum coverage so that his Family can continue their lifestyle in the manner they were accustomed to even if the breadwinner were no longer here to provide for their monthly living expenses and college costs.
If on the other hand you want your insurance to last beyond age 80, for example to create an inheritance for your kids or grandkids, or to be used to pay for your estate tax if you are not married, then and only Read More…
We welcome you to check out our very own Henry Montag tomorrow (Monday) on the Strategy Room. Check your local listings for the Fox News Channel. Henry will be on to discuss insurance, investing, politics, and news of the day.
Changes in 403 (b) regulations provide employer’s with unique opportunities to offer an improved benefit 
package to employees, increase program management effectiveness, and streamline costs. Through economies of scale, the new 403 (b) regulations will allow employers to actually offer more for less.
Beyond the Panic
After grinding nearly to a halt last year, the global credit markets are showing signs of life.
To be sure, credit markets around the world remain tight. Lenders are so wary of risk that many corporations are being forced to pay much higher interest rates than they did a few years ago, or even last summer.
Still, borrowing costs have fallen from record levels in October and November, especially for investment
grade bonds, and an increasing number of companies have sold debt in the past few months. In the high
Read More…
In this volatile economic climate, the decision to invest in stocks vs. bonds feels like a good cop/bad cop routine. Which one do you trust? At the moment, bonds and bond funds do represent a good alternative to stocks, offering income, stability and less volatility, although they do have their own market fluctuations. Bonds and bond funds, known as fixed income investments, also have their own risk ratings and rates of return.
Here is a quick look at the major fixed income categories:
Multisector bond fund: This is a mutual fund that invests in a variety of bonds in one allocation, allowing the Read More…
Most people understand the importance of writing a will and buying enough life insurance to protect family from serious financial hardship upon their death. But one of the most overlooked aspects of financial planning is naming the beneficiaries for ones overall assets and investments, and keeping that list current.
Recently we worked with a client who had named her husband as primary beneficiary on her IRA many years ago, but failed to update the account, even after he was admitted to a nursing home. Had we not recommended that she change the beneficiary to list her children, this would not have been on her radar Read More…
With the recession in full gear, and people concerned about their employment, it seems that the last thing that anyone has time to worry about is their health. Yet if you ask anyone one their number one concern is in losing their job, it ends up being their employee health insurance plan and benefits, for themselves and their families. Yet with unemployment up to 8.5%, and the number of uninsured predicted to be 45 million, it’s important even more now than ever to plan for your healthcare costs.
First things first: Go see your doctor. Now.
Whether you know your current medical condition or not, if you have not seen a physician in the last year, Read More…
You’re excited today is the day you’ve been waiting for. You have an appointment with the person who will give you and go over your Retirement Packet with all your financial information. You’ll see exactly what you can expect to get each month you’re retired.
Reverse mortgages are one of those financial strategies that have come full circle. When first introduced, they were highly touted as a viable solution to helping retirees stay in their homes while generating tax-free monthly income. Essentially, for the cost of a one-time origination fee, the homeowner would tap into their equity, stop making mortgage payments and create an income stream to supplement Social Security, Read More…
With the decline of the financial markets, many workers between the ages of 50 and 65 are asking their financial advisors if they should rethink the start of their retirement. The answer, of course, is that it depends. But certainly the considerations that apply to most everyone would be that by holding off allows you to 1) wait until the financial recovery is underway and your investments start to return to their earlier values and 2) buy into the market at low prices and take advantage of any upswing, thereby making up for some of your losses.
Here are some other smart reasons to delay retirement in this economy:
For some family-owned businesses, the matter of succession is a non-issue. The future owners are already working for the company and the only question revolves around timing. But for others there is a quandary. Either family members express no desire to carry on the business or have different educational backgrounds or skill sets than you. But regardless of the circumstances, it remains critical to plan ahead to hand over the reins to someone.
A recent survey found that 39% of all family- owned businesses will change hands in the next several years either due to death or retirement. Yet it’s been our experience that less than half have done adequate Read More…
Despite the fact that well over 30 billion dollars has been diverted from the market, over the first 23 days of October did that really make the investors that moved their money feel any better about their portfolios? More importantly was it the right thing to do?
© 2008-2010 Trusted Expert Network. All Rights Reserved. | ARS Financial Services
Blog Design by SK7 ICON