Our Retirement Blog

Are Stock Dividends a Reliable Source of Income?

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. A client recently asked about stock dividends as a source of retirement income. So, the question is, are stock dividends reliable as a source of income? Dividends can be an important source of income. However, there are several factors… ...

Have You Checked Your Retirement Plan Lately?

Greetings! I trust that you are well and enjoying life. Have you checked your retirement plan lately? It’s generally a good idea to review your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan at least once each year and when major life changes occur. If you haven’t given your plan a thorough review within the… ...

What Do We Have to Look Forward to in 2024? 

As usual, there is no shortage of talking points, some of which don’t change from one year to the next. A few are continuations from 2023, while every new year offers endless chances for surprises. December of each year is filled with specific projections from a variety of firms; the… ...

Merry Christmas

Greetings. I trust that this will find you well and in good spirits! Christmas, what a wonderful time of the year! Family is so important to Christmas. I hope you have an opportunity to experience your loved ones at this time of the year and become renewed through it. Giving is… ...

A Tip in Controlling Your Destiny

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and in good spirits. I can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of you keeping up with current financial affairs to a certain degree. Over time by staying in tune with the ebb and flow of the economy and the markets, you will… ...

Have You Thought of This to Reduce Your Tax Liabilty as Year End Approaches?

Greetings I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. Tax planning in retirement is as important as portfolio or income planning. Tax planning should be done year-round, but we want to pay particular attention as we approach year end to make sure we don’t miss an opportunity. Here… ...

Happy Thanksgiving

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. My favorite time of the year, duck season and oh yes of course the holidays! But seriously folks it’s the holidays, the best time of the year for a lot of reasons. Thanksgiving as a prominent nationally celebrated holiday second… ...

Keeping Holiday Spending Under Control

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life.  You’ve seen the footage on the news. You’ve been in the middle of it. You’ve stood in the vexing lines. You’ve circled for the elusive parking spots. Holiday shopping can be downright frenzied – and impulsive. You don’t… ...

Wills: The Cornerstone of Your Estate Plan

Greetings! I trust that you’re well and enjoying life. If you care about what happens to your money, home, and other property after you die, you need to do some estate planning. There are many tools you can use to achieve your estate planning goals, but a will is probably the… ...

This is Serious Stuff

Greetings! I trust that you are well and enjoying life. Human nature often avoids planning for the unexpected, especially complications that involve our health and life span. However, life always works best with advanced planning. Continuing our theme on issues involving estate planning, today’s topic is about planning for incapacity. Incapacity means… ...

Third Quarter 2023 Client Letter

Happy Fall! Fall is such a lovely time of the year and this one has been following the script so far here in Southeast Louisiana. With a nice rainy transition right on time with the solstice we now have had a collection of cooler mornings and sunny days to enjoy.… ...

Estate Planning Maintenance Checklist

I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. You should be proud of yourself when you have all of your estate planning components in place. In Louisiana, the four basic components are a will, power of attorney, medical power of attorney and a living will. Proper estate planning puts worries… ...

Early Retirement Can Have a Big Price Tag

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. According to new research from Morningstar Investment Management, retiring early could be at least as hazardous to your wealth as a major market correction. It’s a significant issue because most pre retirees think they can manage and control… ...

How to Manage a Retirement Income Shortfall

Greetings! I trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. I am aware that this week’s topic is somewhat lengthy. However, I find more and more retirees and persons approaching retirement being challenged to examine a retirement with an income shortfall. The experience can be radical unless you plan… ...

Components of Creating Your Retirement Withdrawal Plan

Greetings! I hope that this will find you well and enjoying life. As we get older, our financial objectives change. For example, as young up-and comers, we tend to focus on saving and investing for retirement. But the closer we get to retirement, the more we need to consider how… ...

Three Points to be Mindful of When Investing

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life.  I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that had several great tips on successful investing. It was titled The Three Mistake Investors Make Over and Over Again and the following is I believe worth passing on.  Incorrectly predicting… ...

When Your Child Asks For a Loan, Should You Say Yes?

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. You raised them, helped them get through school, and now your children are on their own. Or are they? Even adult children sometimes need financial help. But if your child asks you for a loan, don’t pull out your… ...

Avoid This Mistake Before Retiring

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. The question often is, is there a biggest mistake people make when approaching retirement? In my opinion, there is a mistake that involves the biggest possible consequences. Many people in their 50s and beyond are making a serious mistake and it has… ...

Watching it Closely in Retirement

Greetings! I trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. Investment planning during retirement is not the same as investing for retirement and in many ways, is more complicated. Your working years are your saving years. With luck, your income increases from year to year as you receive promotions… ...

The Importance of Asset Allocation

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. The combination of investments you choose for your retirement portfolio can be as important as your specific investments. The mix of various asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and cash alternatives, account for most of the ups and… ...