Thursday, November 21, 2024
When the Fed bailed out the banks in 2008, interest rates dropped to historic lows. Many retirees were heavily invested in CDs and quality bonds earning a safe 6% interest, paying their bills, and enjoying their golden years. Overnight, trillions in CDs and bonds were called in, savers lost a major portion of their anticipated […]
What the heck is going on? In the fourth quarter, I was housebound due to medical issues. When cleared to travel in late December I bought tickets to spend Christmas with the grandchildren. I was shocked, airfares doubled over last year. Might it be because I was a last-minute flyer? When I booked our return […]
I like to close out each year with a mentoring article. Something from the heart, out of the mainstream, and lead into the new year on a positive note. MarketWatch labeled me a RetireMentor. I enjoy sharing my life experiences, good and bad, in hopes of helping others through their journey. I’ve had some medical […]
Dear Reader, A recent Wall Street Journal article, “The Rules of Retirement Spending Are Changing,” did not bring good news. Instead, the article clearly reveals that traditional financial planning rules for retirement will not work for those who have diligently saved to fund a comfortable life after decades of work. I want to propose a […]
My friend Tim Plaehn never ceases to amaze me with his research. He recently wrote about stocks with a declared dividend, plus a variable dividend on top of it. Sounds cool…but…. I called him to share a bad experience. Right after the 2008 bailout, a mining company offered a guaranteed dividend increase based on gold […]
Recently, Bloomberg highlighted a research report on retirement investing that found a large percentage of relatively affluent Americans believe it will take “a miracle” for them to be able to stop working and retire. Part of me was shocked, but the other part understood those feelings on retirement investing. The Bloomberg article sourced a 2021 […]
The Senior Citizens League reports, “Social Security COLA (Cost of living adjustment) For Next Year Could Be 6.2%.” Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst tells us: “With one third of the data needed to calculate the COLA already in, it increasingly appears that the COLA for 2022 will be the highest paid since 1983 when […]
When it comes to guarantees, don’t assume anything! A guarantee is a promise or assurance. While a written contractual guarantee strengthens your legal position, it’s only as solid as the person, government, company, insurer and court system standing behind it. In our article “How Good Is Your Comfortable Retirement Guarantee?”, I assumed some investments were guaranteed, […]
I was failing and didn’t understand why. In 1970, I started my career as an adult educator. My classes were predominantly male. That quickly changed in 1972 with the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; my clients rightfully complied with the law. My historically excellent course critiques were tanking. The tipping point was when a […]
My email inbox regularly fills with questions about how to reach a certain level of monthly retirement income. The notes typically come from retired or nearly-retired individuals who realize their retirement savings at the financial advisor-recommended 4% annual withdrawal rate will not produce the amount of income wanted or needed. I want to share one […]
