by Rupe | Oct 21, 2015 | Money Matters
Going to cash is a really bad idea.
At some point the volatility that’s been roiling the stock market this year will culminate in a good old-fashioned market meltdown. But no one knowswhen that will happen. So you don’t want to do anything beforehand to protect yourself that may turn out to be ineffective or even hurt your portfolio’s performance in the long run. Here are three common strategies investors employ to insulate themselves from market setbacks that you should avoid.
Source: Don’t Rely on These 3 Flawed Strategies to Protect You From a Market Setback
My Comments: Pretty good information.
by Rupe | Jul 1, 2015 | Money Matters
Waiting till 70 is often advised due to longer life spans, but sometimes starting sooner makes most sense.
If there is one piece of advice that financial advisers seem nearly unanimous on, it’s Social Security and when you should take it. If you can, wait till you’re 70. You could double your monthly check.
Granted, it may be good advice, but few people take it. It makes you wonder: Is there a disconnect between financial planners and “real people”?
Source: What age is best to start drawing Social Security? Truth is, it depends.
My Comments: Well, not too long ago, the doomsayers said that Social Security won’t be around for much longer. I kinda take a different view. I believe it will. I believe it will be around for a very long time.
by Rupe | Jun 17, 2015 | Money Matters
When presented with a true-or-false quiz on Social Security, only one person — out of more than 1,500 tested– answered all 10 questions correctly, according to the report from MassMutual.
There’s no denying that Social Security is confusing. But many people — including those close to retirement age — struggle to grasp even the basics.
Only 28 percent of people passed a 10-question true or false quiz on Social Security benefits, according to a study by MassMutual Life Insurance Company. Just one person out of the more than 1,500 who took the test answered all 10 questions correctly. (A passing score was answering eight out of the 10 questions correctly.)
Source: Five of the most important facts everyone gets wrong about Social Security
My Comments: Dag! these question would’ve stumped me as well. Great article!
by Rupe | Jun 6, 2015 | Money Matters
Sometimes how you envision your retirement differs from how it actually plays out, and there may be periods of uncertainty. Another way to approach the discrepancy between your retirement dream and the reality is to adjust your expectations. If you have an appropriate long-term asset allocation plan that’s readjusted periodically and you live within your means, you can redefine your “ideal retirement” as you go.
Source: 5 things to think about on your journey to retirement
My comments: Lots of food for thought here…
by Rupe | Jun 1, 2015 | Money Matters
Life is a lottery, and the most important part isn’t how smart you are or even who your parents are. It’s where you were born.
That, at least, is what economist Branko Milanovic found when he broke down how much people in different countries make at different income percentiles. That lets us figure out, for example, that the bottom 1 percent in Germany are better off than all but the top 40 percent in China. And that more than half of what you — yes, you — earn is determined by the country you live in. But really, when you consider the fact that only 3 percent of the world’s population are immigrants, it’s determined by the country you were born in.
Source: The secret to being rich is surprisingly simple – The Washington Post
My Comments: Pretty good read….
by Rupe | May 23, 2015 | Money Matters
“The Vanguard Effect” has been cited in the media in both the United States and abroad to describe the tendency for investment providers to lower mutual fund and ETF expense ratios when Vanguard enters a new market. The positive result is, obviously, lower investment costs for investors. While flattering, I believe it may overlook a very important partner in this trend: advisors.After all, unless the benefits and value of low cost investing had been well understood by advisors, Vanguard funds and ETFs would not have likely found their way into investors’ portfolios in the first place. Hence, we also have “The Advisor Effect”—the growing tendency for financial intermediaries to invest their clients’ assets in low-cost products.
Source: “The Advisor Effect” | Vanguard Blog for Advisors
