In retirement ROI stands for reliability of income*, a far greater concern in these years than return on investments. You can’t effectively chase both at the same time. But you can pursue both goals if you compartmentalize your money based on short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. You may have seen what is called the “risk […]

Imagine that you have a 200-piece jigsaw puzzle scattered in front of you. Where would you start? When I ask people that, most say they would start at the corners where they figure it’s easier to piece together all those interlocking shapes. Likewise, many people just dump their box of investments on an advisor’s table […]

“Many people are so occupied with getting out of a career trap that they seem to care little about what happens after they leave their jobs. Too many people retire to nothing and then wonder why they feel empty and disenchanted.” From “Comfort Zones”, by Elwood Chapman and Marion Haynes The point being, if you […]

At some point during your retirement years, you may find it advantageous to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, in which the taxes are paid up front and the eventual distribution comes to you tax-free. Converting is not that big of an issue, technically. It can be a big issue financially, however, because […]

As you near retirement, it can feel as if you are climbing Mount Everest and just need to hold on long enough to reach the summit. Once there, you hope to behold that glorious view of Distribution Land shimmering below you, stretching out to the horizon.  But consider this: A great many of those who […]

A good advisor will talk about the meaning of money in relation to your goals and dreams. You need to share such things before the talk turns to finances, or an advisor can’t truly know how to help. If the first thing an advisor does is ask to look at your statements, says Mitch Anthony, […]

In your accumulation years, when you were adding dollars and buying equities at a bargain, you benefited from what is known as dollar-cost averaging: the technique of buying a fixed dollar amount of a particular investment on a regular schedule, regardless of the share price. More shares are purchased when prices are low, and fewer […]

For the most part, 401(k) plans have replaced pensions as the prevailing vehicle for people’s retirement. But surveys and studies show some very bleak numbers. The balances in 401(k)s and IRAs may not be nearly enough to pay for comfortable retirements, as the previous generation’s pensions once did. And today, few companies offer pensions. Why […]

According to an AARP study*, more retirees fear running out of money than they fear death. You deserve to have power over your finances and the opportunity to live a life unencumbered by financial worry. The First Step Cash Management system** can help ease some financial worries as it allows cash to flow into three […]

All of your career, you have been used to a paycheck coming in, and now in retirement that paycheck is gone. You have to create your own paycheck from your own resources, and that can feel quite unsettling. Social Security is uncertain and may be insufficient, and the days of private company pensions are nearly […]