Retirement Watch Weekly
The Fed Makes another Historic Move
The markets are hoping and expecting that the Fed’s next moves will be boring. Investment markets largely were controlled by central banks from the time the Fed began its “extraordinary measures” in 2009 until it ended quantitative easing in 2014. In quantitative easing, the Fed purchased securities in the open market to inject cash into […]
A Long-Term Care Update
Here’s a video and article from Morningstar.com that gives an overview of the long-term care insurance market. It’s a big picture view that’s a refresher for Retirement Watch readers. But it has useful information. A recent example–in 2016, the federal government, for the long-term care policies that it was offering to federal government employees, those […]
Where to Look for the Next Stock Market and Financial Crisis
This article argues that Silicon Valley is more likely to be the source of the next financial crisis than Wall Street. The author believes all those new financial technology startups have been great for many individuals and small businesses, but they aren’t being careful enough. He thinks they’ll be the source of the next crisis. […]
How to Create an Estate Planning Strategy with an 8 Step Checklist – Part 2
Last week, we began our 8-point Estate Planning Checklist, including how to handle your will, and avoiding Probate. Today we’ll complete the checklist, starting with… Powers of attorney. You need these documents before you have a will, because you’re likely to become disabled or need help managing affairs before you pass away. There are two […]
Taxes and Investment Returns
The amount you keep after taxes is what counts, as this article makes clear. It’s nice to make a good investment, but you have to manage the taxes as well as the investments. The article shows just how important taxes are to your returns. Failure to manage income taxes can reduce the life of your […]
Reviewing History’s Most Hated Bull Market
Here’s a big “thank you” to all of you who voted for “The New Rules of Retirement” as the best retirement book. Seniorhomes.com informed me that we were successful. Thanks to you, Seniorhomes.com named my book the winner. As a further thank you, I am providing what I hope is a highly useful weekly update. […]
Signs You Retired Too Early
Retiring early is the goal for many people, but you can retire too early. Both you and your finances need to be ready for your working years to end. This article lists five signs that you might have retired too early and should consider going back to work. Retirement wasn’t quite what you expected, and […]
A Major Retirement Risk
I’ve mentioned this before, but this new paper makes it worth mentioning again. The biggest risk to your retirement isn’t inflation, low investment returns, geopolitical chaos, and other risks people talk about. For most people, the biggest risk is cognitive decline that leads to less-than-optimal decisions. Everyone’s decisionmaking ability declines with age. I’m not talking […]
