Where Did The Volatility Go?
November 22, 2017
Where did the volatility go? 2017 has been a remarkably smooth ride in the equity market to-date. The VIX, which measures market volatility, has been stubbornly low all year, staying well below the 10-year average of about 17. In fact, the VIX has yet to even hit the 10-year average all year! What is the […]
Black Monday in Retrospect
November 9, 2017
October 19, 2017 marked the 30th anniversary of the infamous “Black Monday.” On Monday, October 19, 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Index (Dow) plunged 508 points, or 22.6%, which was the biggest single day decline in percentage terms in the history of the market. To put it in perspective, that is the equivalent of an over […]
The “Golden” Medicare Years
November 7, 2017
Turning age 65 is a monumental time in life. For many it means years of hard work paying off in the form of retirement and entering the “golden years”. Age 65 is monumental in another way – Medicare eligibility. This is the time when most people will transfer from private health insurance to government insurance. […]
Do Tax Cuts Matter?
October 26, 2017
Who doesn’t like a tax cut? If personally choosing between more taxes or less, every one of us would vote “less.” So, when the proposed tax reform promises to not only put more dollars in Americans’ pockets but also greatly stimulate the U.S. economy, the knee-jerk reaction is “that sounds great!” But is it? Do […]
Working Wealthy – Lessons from Backpacking
October 24, 2017
I recently had the good fortune to go backpacking in the Wasatch National Forest for the first time in my life. While I have been “car camping” and hiking for years, I have never put every necessity into a backpack and headed out into the wilderness to camp. Being a financial planner, naturally I related […]
Public’s Demise, Private’s Rise
October 12, 2017
The definition of “making it” as an entrepreneur used to be going public. However, this goal of yesteryear seems no longer valid. In fact, in an earlier article this year, the Economist talks about the co-founder of Airbnb, Brian Chesky. When asked if he would list Airbnb on the NYSE, he said “there was no […]
Top 5 Attributes to Retire Well
October 10, 2017
Last week I attended a retirement party for John, a long-time client and friend that I cannot seem to forget about. The party was like a back yard wedding you would see in the movies. There was a big white tent, a great live band, and of course, plenty of food and drinks with well […]
401(K) Must-Do’s
October 3, 2017
The 401(k) plan has been a long-time cornerstone in the retirement investment portfolio for Americans. At its foundation, it’s an employer sponsored savings plan that allows investors to siphon off a portion of their paycheck, either on a pre-tax or after-tax basis, into a tax-deferred investment account. While this is the most basic construct of […]
Debt Ceiling Dithering
September 28, 2017
As summer winds down, Washington is again engaging in everyone’s favorite game of “Do we raise the debt ceiling?” Once a non-event with little media coverage, the debt ceiling debate has now become a manufactured crisis of sorts and a veritable political hot potato. While no one is quite sure what the economic implications of […]
The 7th Inning – This Recovery Is Almost Done
September 24, 2017
The last several weeks there has been a greater amount of noise around our current economic recovery. In fact, some have strongly stated this recovery is done. In digging deeper (as you always need to!), the crux of these statements boiled down to a few things: The market and economy have been in an expansion […]
Protecting Assets Given to Children – What If They Get Divorced?
September 12, 2017
It is common for parents to make gifts of assets to their children. Mom and Dad often make cash gifts while they are living or leave their assets to their children when both spouses have passed. Sometimes, substantial gifts or distributions are made to children such as stock in family-owned businesses. Can those assets be […]
4 Questions to Evaluate Your Long-Term Care Plan
September 5, 2017
The AARP and AICPA recently conducted surveys to gauge retirees’ biggest concerns. Number one was running out of money which is not too big of a surprise. However, number two was health and long-term care planning – not losing a loved one, staying busy in their next phase, finding time to be with family and […]