Briefcase Study: What Is Your First Memory Of Money?
What Is Your First Memory Of Money? A few years ago, I was talking with a man who was contemplating retirement. He and his wife had worked very hard for a long time and had accumulated considerable assets and carried no debt. As we ran and re-ran the numbers, tweaking and questioning all assumptions and variables, he continued to struggle …
Briefcase Study: Pension Options
A very common decision for current retirees to make, and one that we’ve seen a lot of recently, is that of which pension option to choose when preparing for retirement from your company, school, or municipality. You’ll see options such as Single Life Annuity, 50% Joint & Survivor Annuity, or Partial Lump Sum Option (PLOP). All of these options can …
Briefcase Study: “So, compared to others, how are we doing?”
This question came up recently and it comes up often and I love it when people have the courage to ask. Don’t you secretly want to know if you’ve saved more than your friends or if your income is higher? It’s easy to tell if your house is bigger or if your car is more expensive. But when it comes …
Briefcase Study: The Tax Torpedo
In a recent meeting with a family we serve, the conversation – as it often does – turned to Social Security. The question was, once again, whether it was best to begin receiving Social Security benefits at age 62 or wait until age 66 and 6 months, their Full Retirement Age (FRA) with Social Security. I was reminded how important …
Briefcase Study: Those Pesky Remaining Debts
Before retirement, most people would like to pay off any remaining debts, so they can feel good going into that next phase of life all tidied-up. That makes a lot of sense, both financially and psychologically. In a recent meeting, we not only discussed this but put a plan together that was well received by the family, so we thought …
Briefcase Study
When 2018 came to a close, the month of December was not without drama. The stock market was suffering meaningful declines. There were quite a few days of 500, 600, and 700-point losses. With this much volatility, it leaves a retired or retiring investor to ask, “Who am I, as an investor? How should I be investing when markets can …
