BlogMonday, March 31st, 2014 If you pick up a copy of the January issue of Money magazine, or Kiplinger’s, or even Fortune, you’ll find all the 2013 “winners” in the mutual fund game. Every January, each of these magazines ranks the highest returning funds in various asset categories over the previous 12 months. Celebrations begin at the companies on the top of the list because they know what’s next: a huge … Monday, February 17th, 2014 Over the last few weeks, we’ve outlined the first few steps in The Relaxing Retirement Formula™ and you’ve gotten crystal clear on just how dependent you are on your Retirement Bucket™ today. If you’ve come this far, and you’ve diligently discovered this critical number for yourself, I sincerely applaud you. You’re in the minority already! However, there’s a key missing factor to your number. And, that is what … Tuesday, January 21st, 2014 Good Morning Relaxing Retirement Member, There’s a direct link between your level of confidence on a day to day basis and the quality of your life. When you’re in a state of fear and unrest, how easy is it to relax and enjoy yourself? Not very easy at all. Specific to money, which is the means with which we all support our desired lifestyle, developing and maintaining supreme financial … “Profit Taking” vs. Performance Chasing Monday, December 16th, 2013 If you listen to, watch, and pay close attention to financial news right now, you hear two different sentiments out there, both of which are deadly destructive to your relaxing retirement. Given the stock market’s growth this year, the overwhelming majority of voices are on one of two distinct sides of the fence. The first are those who see that market prices are now at all … ‘Tis the Season: Should You Buy or Rent? Wednesday, November 13th, 2013 ‘Tis the season! I’ve recently had in depth discussions with two different Relaxing Retirement members who are weighing buying a much desired second home vs. renting one. This happens every year around this time so I thought I’d provide you with the same checklist I shared with them to help them evaluate and arrive at a rational conclusion based on their individual desires. This is the same evaluation … 26 Years Later: The Lesson is Even Greater Thursday, October 17th, 2013 A great example of everything we’ve talked about this month took place 26 years ago on October 19, 1987. Do you remember what it was? It was Black Monday: The value of the 500 companies that make up the S&P 500 Index dropped 25%. Yes, you read that correctly: 25% in one day! Not a very fun day! Imagine if that took place today where minute by minute … Making a Sizable Gift Without Paying Taxes Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 After our recent discussion about using a revocable living trust to help your family avoid the sizable cost and delays of probate, questions have come up about the tax implications of making a gift during your lifetime. A lot of this has changed in the last few years, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to clarify some things surrounding the issue of ‘gifting’. What’s … Capital Gains Taxes When Selling Your Home Monday, August 26th, 2013 Times change. When you were younger and you had a family, having a lot of space in your home made sense. Multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a finished basement, a big yard, etc. However, now that the kids are out on their own and you’ve moved into the “retirement” phase of your life, your big house, and all the physical responsibility that comes along with it, is not as … Thursday, July 25th, 2013 I recently received a very difficult phone call from a couple who was referred to us by one of our Relaxing Retirement members. Difficult because of the predicament they’re in right now after retiring a year ago. The reason they called was they keep getting investment statements showing they’ve lost money even though they’re supposedly earning a guaranteed interest rate. Perplexed by their description over the phone, I … Monday, June 17th, 2013 Sitting on the couch with my daughter Caroline the other day, we stumbled Without getting into too much of the plot, it depicts mid 1800s Irish immigrants coming to America and their experiences of landing and working in Boston, and culminating with them claiming “land” in Oklahoma! As we observed how primitive life was, … Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 It’s a bright “blue skied” morning. You’re driving home from the grocery store with a car full of food for the dinner you’re preparing for your friends tonight. As you enter your neighborhood, your cell phone rings and you reach down to pick it up. It’s one of your friends who will be at your home tonight. The radio is a little loud and you can’t quite … Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 You’re now there! You’ve determined just how dependent you are on your Retirement Bucket™. And, you’ve forecasted out how dependent you are each year going forward (at least the next ten years). You’ve determined the investment rate of return you must earn in order to have your Retirement Bucket™ remain intact for the rest of your life, despite your withdrawals and inflation. You’ve begun to tackle the 3rd … What a Difference Four Years Makes! Friday, March 8th, 2013 Does March 9. 2009 have any significance for you? Does it even ring a bell? If it doesn’t, that will be very meaningful sign for you in a moment. March 9, 2009 marks the day that the value of the broad stock market index, the S&P 500, hit its bottom during the recent housing crisis led market “crash”. To be specific, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in … Monday, February 11th, 2013 If you pick up a copy of the January issue of Money magazine, or Kiplinger’s, or even Fortune, you’ll see all the winners in the mutual fund game in 2012. Every January, each of these magazines ranks the highest returning funds in various asset categories over the prior year. Celebrations begin at the companies on the top of the list because they know what’s next. What’s next is … Living and Functioning with Uncertainty Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 Last week, we left off with a very important question (actually three) that I’d like to dig a little deeper into today. To refresh our memories, let’s quickly review the Lesson of 2012 Questions: At various points in time during 2012, it was widely reported that any one or all of the following were at crisis levels that could lead to a market crash and threaten your … Liberate Your Travel Plans If You Fear Being Away From Your Doctor Friday, December 28th, 2012 If you’ve been a Relaxing Retirement member for a while, you’ve probably noticed that many of our members do a significant amount of traveling. Everywhere from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia…. to Alaskan or Caribbean cruises…. to long “escape from winter in New England time” in Florida, California, South Carolina, and Arizona. You’ve reached the point in your life where you’ve earned the right to “own” your … Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 We’re now in the home stretch for 2012. Less than 30 days to go! When December 1st arrives each year, the number of questions I receive triples as the pressure brought on by the end of the year deadline mounts. In the overwhelming majority of situations with our Relaxing Retirement members, if we’ve all been properly strategizing and implementing throughout the year, these year-end checklists … The Double Edged Sword: Euphoria and Panic Thursday, November 29th, 2012 This month, we’ve broken down the horrifying results revealed by the Dalbar Report and we’ve begun to delve into the reasons why they exist so you can potentially avoid them. Today, I’d like to reveal a major contributor to these awful results, the ‘the double edged sword”, so we can begin to get to the root of the problem and help you confidently spend what you’ve … What We Can Learn From the 2012 Dalbar Report Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 As you’ve heard me report before, there’s a financial research firm located here in Boston by the name of DALBAR. And, every year, DALBAR performs a quantitative analysis of investor behavior and results in contrast to the performance of markets. Their findings are extremely important, and there’s a lot we can learn from them, so I wanted to share them with you today. Unfortunately, the results revealed … The World Didn’t End: 25 Years Later Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 This month, we “celebrate” the 25th anniversary of the largest single day decline in stock prices. Yes…celebrate! But why? On October 19, 1987, market prices fell almost 25%. Yes, you read that correctly. 25%! Imagine, at the end of one random day, a quarter of your equity holdings are gone. How vividly can you recall that day? Do you remember the network news channels reporting it and how … Solving Your Children’s IRA Tax HAZARD Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 Previously, we talked about the IRA Tax HAZARD awaiting your family when they inherit your IRA. Now, I’d like to share with you exactly how to solve it! To revisit our story for a moment, we were talking about Charlie and Barbara who have been married for 40 years. They have 3 children who are all out of college and in the workforce. After Charlie retired, he rolled … The IRA Hazard Awaiting Your Children Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 If there’s a thought that drives a lifelong saver crazy, it’s the specter of his or her lifelong savings ending up in the hands of the government! There’s a reason you’ve foregone the purchase of all the unnecessary toys, that the majority have fallen prey to, in favor of disciplined savings all these years. You wanted to reach a stage in your life when you were completely … Should You Buy or Lease Your Next New Car? Monday, September 17th, 2012 I’d be willing to bet that a week doesn’t go by without me receiving the big question surrounding buying a new car. Recently, I’ve received even more than usual so I thought I’d walk you through my thought process on this all important question because I think it’s really important. To begin with, I’m going to leave the debate of buying new vs. pre-owned for a future … Taxing Your Social Security Benefits Friday, September 7th, 2012 Thousands and thousands of Americans got to experience what it feels like to be on the ‘other side of the fence’ for the first time over the last twelve months. The other side of the fence I’m referring to is collecting social security income instead of paying into it! It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or what your expectation levels have been. Getting that first … Removing The Confusion Surrounding SPOUSAL Social Security Benefits Friday, August 24th, 2012 Over the last few weeks, I’ve been answering all the questions new Relaxing Retirement members (Ron and Rita) posed to me. In this blog entry, I’d like to share the answer I gave to Rita surrounding when she should begin collecting her benefits. I wanted to isolate this question for you because there’s lot of confusion about “spousal” benefits. To begin with, Rita did work over her lifetime, … Are You Certain That Your Social Security Benefit Amounts Are Correct? Friday, August 3rd, 2012 I recently began working with new Relaxing Retirement members who had a host of questions about social security that they never thought about until now. They just worked and continued to pay their payroll taxes. Now, however, it’s on the top of their mind for a good reason. Ron and Rita, as I will refer to them to protect their identity, are both 63 and contemplating retiring in … Some Great “Independence Day” Habits for Your Children and Grandchildren Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 Parties and parades were on the schedule for millions of Americans earlier this month. July 4th recently passed and talk of “Independence” is in the air! The type of independence I’d like to share with you today, however, has a little bit of a different slant than what you’ll hear bandied about on television. As a parent, one of my goals is to have Caroline and Michael grow … How You Can Help Your Grandchildren Friday, June 22nd, 2012 It’s always fascinating to me how certain topics dominate the questions I receive during certain times of the year. Over the past two weeks, I’ve received a rash of questions from so many of you surrounding one topic: College Tuition! “What’s the best way to help my grandkids with future college costs?” In this case, I believe it’s due to the fact that we’re now in “graduation” season. This … Part II: Why Placement Matters Thursday, June 7th, 2012 Recently, we talked about how important it is to make your investment planning decisions simultaneously with your tax planning decisions during this critical phase in your life. Otherwise, it’s highly likely that you’re going to part ways with a lot more of your hard earned money in taxes over the course of your lifetime than you are legally required to pay. In blog entry, let’s talk about … Thursday, May 31st, 2012 Extra…Extra…read all about it! The stock market’s in turmoil (again). After its 12% sprint until it peaked on April 2nd, the S&P 500 has retreated 5% or so as I write this. And, you know what’s coming next. We’ve seen it before. Things were just too good. The bubble’s now going to burst and we’re in for a major market freefall! Okay, hold the presses for a minute. What … Friday, May 4th, 2012 Over the last four months, I’ve had a front row seat watching my wife Colleen train for, and then finally run the Boston Marathon in the grueling heat this month. What a day! There is so much we can all learn closely observing the Boston Marathon. The analogies to the retirement stage in life you’re experiencing right now are so compelling, and the lessons from studying it … Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 Last month, we introduced Principle and Guideline #4 which is, once you have your investment system in place and your allocation correct, you must objectively evaluate and rebalance your investments (if necessary) on a pre-determined timeframe. In other words, you can’t leave it up to a whim. Top 6% retirees schedule their dates and hold themselves objectively accountable. The next question is what criteria and guidelines should … Part IV: “Objective” Rebalancing Thursday, April 5th, 2012 You’re now there! You’ve determined just how dependent you are on your Retirement Bucket™. And, you’ve forecasted out how dependent you are each year going forward (at least the next ten years). You’ve determined the investment rate of return you must earn in order to have your Retirement Bucket™ remain intact for the rest of your life, despite your withdrawals and inflation. You’ve begun to tackle the 3rd … How To Confidently Spend AND Invest Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 Over the last month, we’ve dissected The Relaxing Retirement Formula™, and most recently begun to answer the final question which is where do you position your investments to produce the long term rate of return that you need to earn while experiencing less volatility and paying less taxes to the government? Principle and Guideline #1 was knowing what NOT to invest, i.e. the amount … Monday, March 5th, 2012 As we discussed in a previous article, investing in your retirement years without first knowing the investment rate of return that you MUST earn is the equivalent of taking a new potent drug because it’s popular and everyone’s talking about it! When we use the medical analogy, it seems ridiculous. Yet, this is what the overwhelming majority of retirees do. They blindly read a magazine, watch a … Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 Over the last few weeks, we’ve outlined the first few steps in The Relaxing Retirement Formula™ and you’ve gotten crystal clear on just how dependent you are on your Retirement Bucket™ today. If you’ve come this far, and you’ve diligently discovered this critical number for yourself, I sincerely applaud you. You’re in the minority already! However, there’s a key missing factor to your number. And, that is what … The Relaxing Retirement Formula™: Step II Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 In a recent article, we talked about your level of Retirement Bucket™ Dependence, and the first step in The Relaxing Retirement Formula™ which is what your desired lifestyle costs to maintain. The next step is figuring out how you’re going to pay for it all without having to depend on the income from work to do it. And that’s what we’re all after. Discovering that you have … Putting “Rules of Thumb” To Bed Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 Before we begin to install all the pieces in The Relaxing Retirement Formula™, I want to share a conversation I recently had that I believe will be very instructive, while also serving as a great starting point for our discussion. This past Fall, I was referred to a very nice couple by one of our Relaxing Retirement members. They were very well read and brought a lot … Non-Crisis Planning For Terrific 2012 Thursday, January 5th, 2012 We’ve all heard the phrase, “don’t wait for a crisis in your life to motivate you to prioritize and do what you really want to do.” It would be great if it didn’t take a crisis to get us to think and prioritize differently. For me, one of those crisis events occurred when my mother got sick and passed away at the very young age of 57 … An Alternative to Long Term Care Insurance Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 If you haven’t purchased long term care insurance up until now, why haven’t you done so? In most cases, if you really boil it down, it’s because you can’t stand the thought of paying all of those long term care insurance premiums and never collecting on the benefits if you don’t get sick and require care. If that’s true for you, I don’t blame you. It is … Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 Recently, we discussed the analogy of a scuba diver becoming “blissed” out the deeper they dive, and the investor who falls into the Riskless Euphoria Zone after market prices rise sharply. Both lose all sense of potential loss which leads them to do things they never would have done intelligently, like loading up on technology stocks in 1999 with price multiples of 75 to 1, or … Monday, November 28th, 2011 After reading and digesting the devastating results revealed in the DALBAR report, I want to do everything in my power to help you avoid being part of that horrific statistic. To quickly refresh your memory, and to ingrain these numbers and their effects in your mind, here’s what DALBAR’s study on the results for the 20 year period ending in December, 2010 revealed: The Average … The Good (and Bad) News I Shared Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 It just happened again! I’ve recently had the opportunity to share some good news with a very nice couple who was referred to us by one of our Relaxing Retirement members. But, then I had the obligation to share some bad news as well. Their story is so important that it led me to do some more research that I will be sharing with you in the coming … When to Consider vs. Question Annuities Part II Monday, October 24th, 2011 Previously this month, in an effort to bring some clarity to the many questions I receive concerning annuities, I outlined a few examples where annuities might be appropriate for you. As promised, here are some examples of situations where I believe the use of an annuity is inappropriate. Buying a Variable Annuity Inside of Your IRA or Roth IRA A classic example of a situation I see way … Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 Previously this month, in an effort to answer many of the questions being asked, we sifted through and dissected the basic characteristics of annuities. This included immediate vs. deferred annuities, fixed vs. variable annuities, and the accumulation and distribution phases of all annuities. Now that we have this basic understanding, let’s take it a step further and delve into some of the pros and cons of using … Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 We can’t help it! We all crave certainty. During periods of turmoil and volatility (and thus uncertainty), each of us seeks to understand what’s really going on, and how it relates to our well being. That’s an innate trait among all fully functioning and responsible adults. It’s actually a built in defense mechanism hardwired in our brains. The first question to ponder today during this current period of uncertainty … Avoiding Probate: This Missing Link Friday, September 9th, 2011 In my last blog entry, we discussed avoiding the costs and delays of probate, and we concluded that the best method to pass on your assets to your children and other beneficiaries is with the use of a revocable living trust. However, did you know that the overwhelming majority of individuals who establish living trusts still do not avoid probate? Why? Establishing a trust alone does not avoid … How Your Family Can Avoid Probate Monday, August 22nd, 2011 As you wake up and drink your first cup of coffee this morning, I’m fairly certain the first thing that pops into your head to add to today’s “to-do” list is not arranging your affairs so that your estate avoids probate for your heirs. Interestingly enough, however, when it comes to the questions I receive each week, take a guess what many of your questions relate … Landmines When Inheriting Your IRA Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 Having to deal with the emotional and psychological effects of losing a spouse or parent is always difficult. Having to also deal with their financial affairs and the tax implications is enough to put you over the edge. The consequences of making a wrong decision are enormous. Landmines are everywhere, especially when your family inherits your IRA and 401(k). I’d like to walk you through an example of … Recovering What You’re Entitled To Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Earlier this month, we talked about the misery of coming home from vacation to find that your home has been robbed and vandalized. And, that one of the best ways to insure that you receive everything you’re entitled to under your homeowner’s insurance policy is to hire your own public insurance adjuster. One of the challenges, however, is that even with the best public insurance adjuster, you’ll … A Lesson Learned From an “End of Vacation Nightmare” Monday, July 18th, 2011 Imagine for a moment that you’re driving home from the airport after one of the most memorable vacations of your life. The “haze” of being on vacation is beginning to lift. As you begin to deal with an annoying case of “back to reality blues”, your mind can’t help but begin to plan when you can get back there again. You turn down your street and pull into … What You Must Think About BEFORE Thinking About Long Term Care Insurance Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 Insurance companies must be doing one heck of a job out there stirring the pot! I don’t think a week goes by without me receiving a question about long term care insurance. And, all too often, individuals and couples are beginning at “Point Five” when they really need to take a giant step back to “Point One”. One of the reasons why they begin at Point Five is … Is Your Dental Insurance Really “Insurance”? Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 In addition to the obvious question about the best health insurance option to choose, one of the questions that comes up while helping a new Relaxing Retirement member transition to retirement is “should we continue our dental insurance from work?” The answer may seem obvious to you, but I recommend giving it some serious thought to make sure that it is “insurance” you’re buying. After all, … Monday, May 16th, 2011 Assuming today is just an average day in the decade 2011 through 2020, 10,000 Americans will turn age 65. This is extremely significant right now because 2011 is the year that the first baby boomers (those born in 1946) began celebrating their 65th birthdays. And on average, ten thousand Americans will achieve this milestone each and every day for these next ten years! There has never been … Should You Buy or Rent a Vacation Home? – Part II Friday, April 29th, 2011 In our previous blog entry, we discussed the pros and cons of buying a vacation home. This came about because of all the inquiries I receive right around this time of year about purchasing down South or out West. The big question always centers around buying vs. renting. And, because there are so many factors involved, there is no correct ‘rule of thumb’ answer. Let’s now weigh the … Should You Buy or Rent a Vacation Home? Part I Friday, April 22nd, 2011 Have you thought about buying a vacation home? Recently perhaps? If you have, you’re not alone. Every year, I have dozens of discussions with Relaxing Retirement Coaching Program members about the prospect of buying a vacation home, especially during winters like we just experienced this year when it’s freezing…and snowing…and sleeting up here in New England, and warm down South and out West. However, buying a second home … Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Earlier this month, we introduced Principle and Guideline #4 which is, once you have your investment system in place and your allocation correct, you must objectively evaluate and rebalance your investments (if necessary) on a pre-determined timeframe. In other words, you can’t leave it up to a whim. Top 6% retirees schedule their dates and “objectively” hold themselves accountable. The next question is what criteria and guidelines … Invest and Spend With Confidence Friday, March 18th, 2011 Over the last few weeks, we’ve dissected The Relaxing Retirement Equation™, and most recently began to answer the final question which is… Where do you position your investments to produce the long term rate of return that you need to earn while experiencing less volatility and paying less taxes to the government? Principle and Guideline #1 was knowing what NOT to invest, i.e. the amount … Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 As we discussed in a recent article, investing during your retirement years is drastically different than during your ‘working’ years when your spending needs were supported by income from work. It all starts with knowing the rate of return you must earn in order to have your retirement savings provide the lifestyle you want without running out of money. Once you’ve calculated the rate of return you … The Relaxing Retirement Equation: How Am I Going To Pay For This? Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 Previously, we’ve talked about you clearly identifying what your ideal lifestyle costs. That was the first step in the Relaxing Retirement Equation™. Now, the next step is figuring out how you’re going to pay for it all without having to depend on the income from work to do it. And that’s what we’re all after. Finding out that you’ve built up enough money to support your lifestyle without … Thursday, January 27th, 2011 If you’ve done any reading on the topic of retirement, you’re familiar with a term that is used in many circles known as “the number”. In other words, “what’s your number”? What this refers to is the amount of money you need in order to support your lifestyle without working. In many instances, when I meet someone for the first time, one of the things … Thursday, January 20th, 2011 Imagine for a moment that you have your grandchild sitting on your lap, and you’re telling stories about when you were younger…when all of a sudden, out of the blue, your grandchild asks, “what’s retirement?” After you get over the shock of hearing that question from your grandchild, and wondering where he or she ever came up with “that one”, stop and think about how … |
 
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