Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and in good spirits. Have you ever considered a home equity line of credit (HELOC) as a resource in retirement? For those of you that are not familiar with them, a home equity line of credit is simply an open line of… ...

Greetings! I trust that this finds you well and enjoying life.  If you had to cut back your spending, where would you do it? This question has a way of reflecting our values as much as it does our practicality. One recent study found that when workers started feeling even a little unsure… ...

Dear Client: The most recent downturn in stocks brought us to an official declaration that we have crossed the line denoting a 20% drop in the S&P 500 index and thereby entering an ‘official’ bear market. In truth we had been flirting with this number a few times already this… ...

Greetings! I trust that this finds you well and enjoying life.  Isn’t it great to live in an era that experiences such radical advancements in medical science? Because of these advancements, it’s likely that physicians will prescribe more and more prescriptions as we grow older and this form of healthcare will… ...

Greetings! I trust that this finds you well and enjoying life.  You may have heard the saying, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making plans.” That’s a line from a John Lennon song entitled, Beautiful Boy. It’s also a keen observation of what could happen if you focus too closely… ...

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life.  I believe strongly in a regular program of exercise. The benefits are many and speak for themselves. When I was younger I was a runner, until my body clearly let me know how hard it was on my… ...

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… ...

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. Last week we looked at the effect media bombardment has on our emotions and quite possibly our decision making regarding our finances. We’re getting a big dose of information that’s tough to digest thus far this year. Consider all… ...

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life. We live in an era of hyper information and we are well served to examine the effect it has on us. Media sources are vying for our attention and will go to almost any length to gain our following… ...

Greetings! I trust that you are well and enjoying life. Market corrections are challenging for investors of all types. This is due to their speed, unpredictability, and typically, the fact that underlying catalysts are somewhat unique with each episode. Also, easy answers to these dynamics are often difficult to come… ...

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. To further our discussion about investing basics and your retirement this week let’s examine bonds. How do bonds work? A bond is basically an IOU. Bonds, sometimes called fixed-income securities, are essentially loans to a corporation or governmental… ...

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. To further our discussion about investing basics and your retirement this week let’s examine stocks. When you buy a company’s stock, you’re purchasing a share of ownership in that business. You become one of the company’s stockholders. Your… ...

Greetings! I hope that this finds you well and enjoying life. Traditionally, retirement income has been described as a “three-legged stool” comprised of Social Security, traditional employer pension income, or one that you create for yourself and individual savings and investments. With fewer and fewer individuals covered by traditional employer pensions… ...

Greetings! I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. In light of the recent activity in the market, I felt that the following information on retirement portfolio maintenance might be in order. Have you checked your retirement plan lately? It’s generally a good idea to review your retirement savings plan at… ...

Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life! How’s your ability to withstand short-term losses? This is the question at the core of any discussion of risk tolerance. Some people are able to ride through turbulence in the financial markets with a shrug while others suffer headaches.  What… ...

Greetings! I hope this finds you well and enjoying life. Here we are again at a high point in the cycle of economic uncertainty. I say in the cycle because economic uncertainty is cyclical like stocks are cyclical, bond prices are cyclical, real estate is cyclical and pretty much any asset… ...

Greetings! I hope that this finds you well and enjoying life.  I received a couple of calls last week from clients that were concerned about the effect that the war in Ukraine will have on our markets. Obviously there will be repercussions for markets worldwide, as there is anytime we experience global uncertainty. … ...

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. You don’t want to pay more in federal income tax than you have to. With that in mind, here are five things to consider when it comes to keeping more of your income. By deferring (postponing) income… ...

Greetings! I hope and trust that this finds you well and enjoying life. Often overlooked in our retirement plans (and our working years, for that matter) is what I like to call a “rainy day fund” for emergencies. Most people don’t have one. That can be a problem for many Gen… ...

Greetings. I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life! In retirement managing taxes, in other words getting every possible tax break that you can based on your circumstances, can be as important as effectively managing your portfolio. Are you working with a good tax preparer and tax advisor… ...