Financial planning is about thinking ahead, prudently planning for the future. With that in mind, it’s only natural that from time to time you might ask the question: “What happens when my financial planner retires?” Or you might as the question: “What happens if my financial planner gets hit by a bus?” What should I …
financial advisor
What is an Independent Financial Planner?
When you visit a Ford dealership and look at cars, do you ever expect the new car advisor to suggest that a Toyota might better meet your needs? No. Everybody knows that the “advisors” at a car dealership work for the dealer and are trying to help you buy one of the cars the dealer …
Fake News: Financial Style
We hear quite a bit about “fake news” these days. It’s a term that doesn’t have a reliable definition. But one thing is true: all the talk of “fake news” has made some people much more likely to question the information they receive. I think some healthy skepticism is prudent. It’s my hope that this …
How Long Will Retirement Savings Last?
If you are 56 today, you will likely live to age 86, according to the Social Security Administration life expectancy calculator. That is an average, so half my readers will live longer than age 86. How can you be sure that you have enough saved at retirement to last as long as you do? It’s a …
What Should I Look for in a Financial Planner?
So your youngest kid just graduated from college. You just realized you have 30 years of work history. You found a notebook from your first year at work and you notice a goal you wrote down: “Retire by age 50.” This year you will celebrate your 55th birthday. You’ve been saving into the 401(k) at …
Protect Yourself Against the Coming Market Decline
Twelve things you can’t control about the next market decline, and 13 things you can control. As we near the half-way mark of the year, the MSCI world stock index is up about 1 percent for the year. So far, not a great year for your 401(k). Is it the end of the bull market? The beginning …