Markets and The Coronavirus

Markets and The Coronavirus

In your investing lifetime, you may only see a situation like the recent novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a few times. This is a circumstance where complete candor is necessary. The truth is that we can’t yet gauge the full economic impact, and by the time we can, the volatility may have passed. It’s important to remember […]

Can You Put Your IRA into a Trust?

Can You Put Your IRA into a Trust?

Can your IRA be put directly into a trust? In short, no. Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) cannot be put directly into a trust. What you can do, however, is name a trust as the beneficiary of your IRA. The trust would inherit the IRA upon your passing, and your beneficiaries would then have access to […]

The Sequence of Returns

The Sequence of Returns

What exactly is the “sequence of returns”? The phrase describes the yearly variation in an investment portfolio’s rate of return. Across 20 or 30 years of saving and investing for the future, what kind of impact do these deviations from the average return have on a portfolio’s final value? The answer: no impact at all. […]

End-of-the-Year Money Moves 2019

End-of-the-Year Money Moves 2019

What has changed for you in 2019? Did you start a new job or leave a job behind? Did you retire? Did you start a family? If notable changes occurred in your personal or professional life, then you will want to review your finances before this year ends and 2020 begins. Even if your 2019 […]

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Regardless of how the markets may perform, consider making the following part of your investment philosophy: Diversification. The saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” has real value when it comes to investing. In a bear or bull market, certain asset classes may perform better than others. If your assets are mostly held […]

Reducing the Risk of Outliving Your Money

Reducing the Risk of Outliving Your Money

“What is your greatest retirement fear?” If you ask any group of retirees and pre-retirees this question, “outliving my money” will likely be one of the top answers. In fact, 61% of investors surveyed for a 2018 AIG retirement study ranked outliving their money as their top anxiety.1 Retirees face greater “longevity risk” today. The […]

Your Extended Care Strategy

Your Extended Care Strategy

Do you have an extra $33,000 to $100,000 to spare this year? How about next year, and the year after that? Your answer to these questions is probably “no.” What could possibly cost so much? Eldercare.   According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, a year of in-home care for a senior costs roughly $33,000. A […]

Your Diversified Portfolio vs. the S&P 500

Your Diversified Portfolio vs. the S&P 500

“Why is my portfolio underperforming the market?” This question may be on your mind. It is a question that investors sometimes ask after stocks shatter records or return exceptionally well in a quarter. The short answer is that even when Wall Street rallies, international markets and intermediate and long-term bonds may underperform and exert a […]

Should You Choose a Fixed or Variable?

Should You Choose a Fixed or Variable?

Buying a home is the single largest financial commitment most people ever make. And sorting through mortgages involves a lot of critical choices. One of these is choosing between a fixed- or variable-interest-rate mortgage. True to its name, fixed-rate mortgage interest is fixed throughout the life of the loan. In contrast, the interest rate on […]