Posts Tagged With ‘ Market Risk ’

Why should you care about emerging markets? What are they anyway? Meet the expert, Kevin T. Carter. In this episode, he makes the case for why you should seriously look into placing a chunk of your portfolio into these untapped wells of opportunity. Specifically, he points to India as an especially promising arena for investors who are keen to do more with their money than just going the conventional routes. He also talks about the risks of investing in emerging markets and what you can do about them. You might get convinced to take a closer look at one of these markets when you’re done with... 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

Every once in a while, you hear someone say something so succinct and spot-on, you’re darn near convinced you should frame it and hang it on the wall. This one comes courtesy of Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money and former columnist for The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal. In an interview with The Prof G Pod podcast, this is how Morgan summed up the ideal retirement goal for anyone over the age of 40: “The objective is not to get rich; it’s to not get poor.” Talk about a mic drop moment. That one little gem of advice sums up everything you need to know about a... Continue Reading

Podcast: It seems like the Government has your back if your bank fails. Who has your back if you make a mistake in retirement? Full radio show from March 26, 2023: Marriage, divorce, and moving. Make sure your legal papers are in order. Why did well know financial author Robert Kiyosaki say, “May God have mercy on us all?” Is a retirement calculator a good tool or a waste of time?  Continue Reading

Even if you love rollercoasters, chances are the rip-roaring stock market isn’t your kind of thrill. Yet time and again, as the market suddenly plunges to gut-turning lows, retirees are advised to stay on the ride; wide-eyed, white knuckled, and praying there won’t be another dip as big as the last. Why? Like so many other reluctant market rollercoaster riders, it’s probably what your financial advisor told you to do. “Ride it out,” they say. “Stay in the market.” “The money will come back.” Will it, though? Meet Bob Let’s talk about Bob. He retired in 1999 at age 65 with around... Continue Reading

Poll your friends and family about annuities and you’re bound to get a lot of adverse reactions. They’ll likely cite at least one of these three things :  They’re expensive and have big fees.  They don’t give you access to your money.  There’s no growth.  While these statements are true of some annuities, they’re not true of all annuities. By painting with such broad strokes, you may be removing yourself from a great investment that provides safe growth in retirement. Here’s why.  Misconception #1: Annuities are expensive and have big fees.  Variable Annuities: TRUE Fixed... Continue Reading

Call it the new kid on the block. Fixed index annuities (FIA) are a more recent offering in the world of annuities and we think they’re worthy of your attention. Now, before you run off, we know annuities have become something of a dirty word. And frankly, they’ve earned the reputation. Historically, some haven’t been so great, while others have been downright terrible. BUT FIAs are the breakaway exception. And retirees who have been using them are loving them. Why are FIA’s Different? So what exactly is a FIA, and what makes it stand apart from other annuities? The FIA was first introduced... Continue Reading

You probably don’t often think about how much your portfolio could go up or down at any moment—that is, until the market moves so much that it’s front-page news. Upward movement is thrilling, but downward movement is… well, we don’t have to tell you how that feels. The years 2000 and 2008 probably bring back some memories.  Those crashes proved that you can lose most of your life savings in an instant. And there’s no one more vulnerable than retirees who don’t have the luxury of additional working years to win back their losses. You can’t predict when the next crash will be, but... Continue Reading