May 2018

A Checklist to Get You Started

I had the pleasure of speaking  with Dina Cataldo of Soul Roadmap podcast to discuss “How to Reach Your Money Goals.”  She has put together an informative and inspiring show aimed at giving people tools and strategies to live their best lives, and she covers a myriad of topics. It was a lively discussion and it inspired me…

Don’t Listen To Market Hecklers

Investors pay too much attention to things that mean too little. College athletes could teach them something about blocking out distractions. Before a 1997 Penn State vs. Minnesota football game, a Nittany Lion’s fan mercilessly heckled Minnesota’s kicker, Adam Bailey. Happy Gilmore was a popular movie during this period. The heckler spewed lines from one of…

It’s Tuesday Again…..When Is My Retirement?

Memorial Day Weekend is a time for gratitude and reflection. Many veterans were denied the chance to plan for their retirement. If you are reading this, you weren’t. Stop making excuses and get to work. What happens after you leave money to your heirs is what’s important. Next Avenue Planning for retirement should begin in…

Double Intense Carnage

“I hope to God I know what I am doing.” – General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander Meticulous planning and a good deal of luck are two of the most important ingredients for success. Like the old saying goes, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” This is true in creating a financial…

When Fees Go Up in Seconds, It’s Time to Go

A new client wanted to switch out of an annuity she had bought in her retirement account with a previous adviser. Needless to say, my antenna goes up when I see annuities in a retirement account because it is both unnecessary and expensive to own these insurance products for their tax-deferral benefits, when this feature…

Dream Hoarding Is the Ultimate Alternative Investment

Investors get what they DON’T pay for. Products like hedge funds, non-traded REITs and private equity are usually inferior to simple index funds. Expensive products ARE a decided advantage in the college application industry. According to Doree Lewak, “An increasingly common tactic is getting kids extra time on the ACTs and SATs because of a psychological…

Retirement Pyramid 2.0

Last week I created a  semi-barbaric version of The Retirement Pyramid. Some constructive criticism included, “use a pen” and “stop dotting your eyes like a little girl.” I have lots of creative ideas but my fine motor skills are severely lacking. https://twitter.com/ReformedBroker/status/997917497474109440   A reader who calls herself Sequentialkady came to the rescue on Friday. She added…

It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?

Prince Harry doesn’t have to worry about financing his retirement but you do. Relieve the stress by reading our weekly retirement links. Too many choices in your retirement plan is a really bad thing. Forbes Even if you max out your 401(k) you can still mess things up. MarketWatch Oregon’s auto- IRA plan is off…

7 Questions She’s Afraid to Ask

“You are my 50th birthday present to myself,” a woman said to me, as we sat down to meet.  “I’m tired of not feeling like an adult, it’s like I have a dirty money secret.” I’ve heard variations of this same theme many times.  This is what women say to me when no one is listening….

The Retirement Pyramid

Imagine if Americans had a retirement pyramid on their refrigerator.  We would all be wealthier and healthier. Sadly, we have a food pyramid (which most of us ignore) but no evidence-based guidelines for our retirements. According to  The Wall Street Journal, an astounding 80 million Americans are in debt collection and 50% of retirement workers have…