Tag: financial planning

How to Prepare for Financial Crisis

What can be done to brace for a market crash? What did people need that they didn’t have in March of 2020? This is what individuals, households, businesses, and countries need to have but didn’t in the Spring of 2020: When the market lost 33% over the course of four weeks from February to March,…… Continue reading How to Prepare for Financial Crisis

Turn and Face the Strange

Meme with NASA Apollo 17 image

That first line from David Bowie’s Changes sums it up well, as does the other lines of the chorus:  “Don’t want to be a richer man…just gonna have to be a different man…Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” What follows are my notes on the following two videos and my periodic responses…… Continue reading Turn and Face the Strange

The Elephant in the Room

The elephant in the room.

At the time of this post, we are headed for a breaking point.  The issues that arose in the banking and housing industry back in 2008 have only been expanded and become more unstable.  It’s beginning to look like the black swan event that many have been expecting since then is nearly upon us.  That…… Continue reading The Elephant in the Room

The Uphill Climb

For this status post I had to pass on a segment of Peter Schiff’s recent podcast where he discusses the relationship between your employer, government regulations, and you as an employee. Who Pays for Government Programs? In the linked podcast, Peter covers how government mandates something that costs an employer money to deliver that government…… Continue reading The Uphill Climb

In Uncle Sam We Trust

Slowly but Certainly, Social Security Is Failing. I see this routinely as I assist clients in preparing for retirement and other financial goals.  This statement is directly from the Social Security Administration’s web page that assists people with estimating their expected benefits at retirement: “The law governing benefit amounts may change because, by 2034, the…… Continue reading In Uncle Sam We Trust

Saving should be predictable.

You don’t have to be a securities analyst or a day-trader and follow the market daily to grow your personal, family, or retirement savings.  Many people do this by allowing a fund manager, a market professional, to run the mutual funds within their 401(k) or IRA accounts.  What people don’t often see is the 4.5…… Continue reading Saving should be predictable.

Your Stored Work Energy

In our culture, people tend to expand their lifestyle up to the limit of their cash flow.  Whether abundant or more humble, more money usually means nicer homes, newer cars, and more expenses.  Discretionary income is your financial power, your “stored work energy” that you decide not to spend before you even have it.  Someone…… Continue reading Your Stored Work Energy

The Banks’ Game

After the Dot-com-bubble from 2000-2003 decreased market values by nearly 50% sending hundreds of thousands of retirees back into the workforce, the banking industry systemically lowered mortgage qualification standards and drew more artificial value into the markets creating a housing bubble.  They washed their hands of the mess and sold these mortgages as bundles of…… Continue reading The Banks’ Game

What if…

What if falling-market-loss could be replaced by a guaranteed floor that prevents market loss against your account?  What if there were no taxes or penalties for using your wealth before 59-1/2?*  What if your 401(k)-rollover earned you up to a 10% bonus in your account at implementation and both capital and bonus earned future returns? …… Continue reading What if…

Why Wealth is Elusive

Information today in the information age is readily available.  The problem lies in the credibility and verifiable nature of the information you have at your fingertips and which is being presented to you without you having to go searching for it.  “It’s on the news, it must be true…” Oops! Your current site membership level… Continue reading Why Wealth is Elusive

Testimonial Videos Premiere!

Testimonial Video Slide

I have been wanting to include some of my best clients in video testimonials for prospective clients and for new clients to review and also share.  When you find something good, something exceptional, it’s natural to want to share it with people close to you whom you care about. Each of the instructional videos I…… Continue reading Testimonial Videos Premiere!

Motive, and Opportunity…

Yes, the market’s numbers have been higher and setting records, but why? Many companies have borrowed money at near zero interest rates and are buying back their own stock. This reduces the amount of profit paid out to shareholders, and with the company buying more (generally not caring what share prices are paid), the demand…… Continue reading Motive, and Opportunity…

“A False Sense of Security” – Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards

As I speak with prospects, clients, and participate in chats and conversation, I find that people are having three main issues indirectly related to their financial well-being: 1) Work and family keeps them busy so they have difficulty keeping up with information that can help them. 2) Most don’t have a good source of information:…… Continue reading “A False Sense of Security” – Jim Rickards

Mutual Funds & Retirement: Strange Bedfellows

Sailing with headwinds and threatening skies.

When you dig deeply enough to understand how financial vehicles work, it’s easy to see their benefits and short-comings.  In my educated opinion, it isn’t hard to see just how short mutual funds can fall when used to grow your retirement, family, or personal wealth.  Abysmally short, in fact, when applied within the “qualified” 401(k),…… Continue reading Mutual Funds & Retirement: Strange Bedfellows

Time will tell… But don’t wait that long!

Although it’s my birthday today, I’m building a business and working on marketing that will attract new clients, so I don’t see that I’ll be taking much time to “celebrate”. I meet with friends regularly, and even had coffee with a friend planned this morning, but that got moved. In my opinion, true friendships aren’t…… Continue reading Time will tell… But don’t wait that long!

Over 60% Polled Not Comfortable with Retirement Plans

The Problems: Many people of working age are not comfortable with how their financial plans for retirement are advancing.  A link to the article that spurred my own reflection on the topic appears at the end of the article.  What follows are comments from my own perspective gleaned from working with clients on such plans…… Continue reading Over 60% Polled Not Comfortable with Retirement Plans

The Crypto-Currency, Gold Connection

Even with all the crypto-currency hype, nearly everyone was shocked at the 1,270.5% gains of crypto-currency flagship Bitcoin in the last year.  Even more shocking, the distributive ledger technology that allows it to work is already outdated! If Moore’s law, an observation coined in 1965, that estimates the exponential advancement of technology as “the number…… Continue reading The Crypto-Currency, Gold Connection

Retirement Expectations “Crumbling”

While many people don’t take the time to actively consider their retirement plans amid the constant press of their daily activities and schedule, it’s been suggested that such consideration today is not just important, but immanent!  It’s no surprise that the pressures of the economic times in recent history have been felt by more and…… Continue reading Retirement Expectations “Crumbling”

Seasoned Professional, 10 Years to Retirement

This engineering professional had accumulated a good-sized 401(k) with a large public firm and had a desire to remove as much of his accumulated retirement wealth from the risk of any Wall Street market exposure as possible.  The description on his account statement that he was “100% vested” lead him to believe that he was…… Continue reading Seasoned Professional, 10 Years to Retirement

Business Entrepreneur’s Education / Retirement Fund for Daughter

A business entrepreneur with a young, pre-teen daughter wanted to set up an account usable for college funding.  While a 529 account might come to mind, once funds are placed into a 529 account the government stipulates, in return for tax-deferred status, the purposes to which both the capital and the gains can be applied. …… Continue reading Business Entrepreneur’s Education / Retirement Fund for Daughter

Grandfather with 5 Grandchildren, Age 85

A grandfather of five grandchildren and one great-grandchild inquired if I could assist him in setting up a wealth-transfer to his several grandchildren.  “I have money in my bank account that I’m not using, am not likely to use, and am earning next to no return on!”, he stated, opening the discussion. “I want to…… Continue reading Grandfather with 5 Grandchildren, Age 85

2018’s Current Unseen Crisis

Embedded below are three of the best interviews that I have heard lately that sum up the extent and magnitude of the economic situation that we are currently in worldwide.  In addition, I’ve added some of my own comments and perspective to try to bring those who aren’t at all familiar with the topic up…… Continue reading 2018’s Current Unseen Crisis

Young Single Professional Woman, age 26

The account with which we matched this young professional woman provided the ability to leverage a large sum of tax-free money available to her while allowing her to build wealth away from the market downturn exposure of Wall Street and at much better rates than those available from the banking industry.    Both capital and…… Continue reading Young Single Professional Woman, age 26

The Game You Write Your Own Rules For…

Empowered to do what you’d like to do and to be who you’d like to be.  All too often these days people, organizations, and ‘authorities’ are making all too many decisions ‘for your own good’.  If you’d like to retain or recover more of the ability to make your decisions based on your own values,…… Continue reading The Game You Write Your Own Rules For…

Numismatic Coins vs. Precious Metals

Numismatic coins, valued for their rarity, beauty, and the perceived value of those that seek them, do not equate to the security of bullion; pure precious metals like gold, platinum, and silver. Precious metals all have more than one function, the first being as an instrument in trade as ‘money’.  Metals have specific characteristics that…… Continue reading Numismatic Coins vs. Precious Metals

Dancing Under the Bubble Machine

On Tues., May 16, 2017 Michael Maloney released an important update to his subscribers detailing why current conditions indicate a coming market crash. He reviews market values, P/E ratios, margin amounts and other factors that indicate instability and a likely timeline for the impending event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Oz2R0u4VM

News Update: 170427

Releasing Friday April 28 and entitled Guilt-Free Spending, Part 1, the next article deals with ‘buyer’s remorse’ and the guilt some people experience when spending their own money. It’s not an uncommon phenomenon!

A Cash-ionary Tale

At the time this article is being written, there are people discussing in our government representation (and in fact worldwide) the removal of cash in the form of currency from the monetary system.  While I’m no fan of the current state of our currency system, it’s important to understand the effect that such a consideration…… Continue reading A Cash-ionary Tale

Simple, But Easy?

Set your sights on the far horizon, you're going places!

I can relate to hesitation about a belief in financial success. When I was younger I chose two careers that interested me greatly, but didn’t pay particularly well; music and photography. I enjoyed them both, and I was good enough at each to scratch a living from them, but financial success or excess was not…… Continue reading Simple, But Easy?