Posts Tagged With ‘ Fighting Back ’

All our working lives, we dream of what we’ll do with the money we’ve saved and the newfound free time we’ve earned. Yet, upon reaching retirement, those dreams are sometimes replaced by something different: guilt. What gives? Retirement Account Guilt Happens to Almost Every Retiree Year after year, studies ask retirees about their greatest worry in retirement. The headlines are always the same. Overwhelmingly, retirees are afraid of outliving their assets. Of course, being careful to live within your means is always a good idea. But even if you’re not afraid to touch your retirement accounts,... Continue Reading

Recently, a publication targeted toward financial advisors published an article wondering if advisor fees based on assets under management (AUM) would soon be extinct. In just two sentences, this quote halfway through the article sums up precisely why the AUM model has survived for this long: “It’s so popular because it’s easy, and advisors don’t have to communicate how much money that is; they just say, ‘We charge 1%.’ It doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but it is.” Precisely. We live in a world where stores get our attention by advertising boldfaced discounts: 20% off! 30% off!... Continue Reading

As it turns out, “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” isn’t just a great song by Janet Jackson. It’s also a great question for your financial advisor; one that could provide important insights into the value you’re receiving (or not receiving for your annual fee). Now that you have the song stuck in your head (you’re welcome, by the way), let’s pause to acknowledge the irony that the song dropped on an album called Control in 1986. It’s the perfect playlist for taking back control of your retirement planning. And it begins with the following question: “What Have You Done for Me... Continue Reading

“Set it and forget it,” is the financial industry’s refrain for retirement success; as in, invest in mutual funds, don’t touch the money, and let the magic of compound interest carry you to the retirement of your dreams. There’s just one problem: what if what you’re “forgetting” is how much those mutual funds could cost you over time? A quick history lesson shows us why this is problematic. What a Coincidence! It might be hard to believe this, but there was a time when mutual funds weren’t regarded as the retirement savings vehicle for the masses. In fact, the first modern mutual... Continue Reading

Maybe You Shouldn’t Hang Out with Eddie  In this adaptation from Golden Reserve Founder Greg Aler’s new book, Fire Your Financial Advisor, we examine the villainous role Edward Jones has played in creating a retail financial advisor industry that pushes the limits of greed.  When you were in school, your parents probably told you not to hang out with certain kids who weren’t always sticking to the straight and narrow. While you’re now older and wiser, we need to impart one more piece of wisdom. Please, don’t get caught up with that Edward Jones.     Fun fact: both Edward Jones... Continue Reading

“Making investment decisions is simple!” said no one ever. But what if there was a way to see such decisions with unbiased clarity? Behold, The Overnight Test.   In a recent blog post, Carl Richards, the creator of The New York Times’ Sketch Guy column, asked readers to ponder: “What would you do if you purchased stock recommended by a family member years ago and it had only lost money since?”  Despite building a sensible financial plan within the last few years, including a portfolio of low-cost diversified investments, you continued to hold the loser stock. But one night, by some... Continue Reading

How much should you watch or act on information and predictions that you see on financial TV? Mom always told us, “consider the source.” How much should you believe on financial TV? Social Security has moved up the date when they will cut back benefits. Will it affect you? 70% of people will need some kind of long-term care. Are you prepared? How tax planning in retirement is more complex than in your working years. If you have a pension, should you trust that it will be there for the next 30 years? At what point should you see a retirement planner? Is it an age, a level of wealth or something... Continue Reading

In this episode: What is different from the big box firms and Golden Reserve with investment planning? Article: Stop saving! Social Security will be enough. Are people who have success in retirement just lucky? Our checklist of what you want your money to do in retirement. How is tax planning different when you stop working?  Continue Reading

The new law raises the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age in two steps. The RMD age increases to 73 beginning in 2023. In 2033, the RMD age will further increase to 75. Folks born between 1951 and 1959 will need to start their RMDs after age 73. We’re told this is a good thing. But is it? Greg explains who wins in this scenario and how there may not be a pot of gold at the end of the retirement rainbow, but rather, an oversized tax bill. Click play below. Full Episode: How Golden Reserve is helping you fight back against a financial system built more for them than for you. Our politicians... Continue Reading

In this adaptation from Golden Reserve Founder Greg Aler’s new book, Fire Your Financial Advisor, we take a closer look at how the retail financial advisor became engrained in the fabric of retirement planning. Do you have any regrets from your younger years? Ted Benna, “the father of the 401(k),” has one. “I helped open the door for Wall Street to make even more money than they were already making,” Benna said about the creation of the 401(k) in a 2017 Wall Street Journal interview. “That is one thing I do regret.” Technically, the Revenue Act of 1978 was the catalyst for the first... Continue Reading