How Well Do You Know Social Security?
Social Security Benefits are not "One Size Fits All".
As You plan for Retirement, ask yourself the following Important Questions...
- When can I begin collecting Retirement Benefits?
- Will my Monthly Benefit be reduced if I choose to collect before Full Retirement Age?
- How can my Spouse and I Maximize our Social Security Benefits?
- Does Social Security account for Cost-of-Living Adjustments?
It is Never a Good Time to Lose Money !
You have worked hard your Whole Life.
Optimize Your Social Security Benefits.
Enjoy Peace of Mind by taking Proper Action.
Call Chris Glading for a
Complimentary Consultation.
772.302.7320
Thanks to Kiplinger.com for article content
Death Doesn't Knock !
Though uncomfortable, Death must be discussed.
So what does this mean for You ? Is your "House in Order" ?
Are you Leaving a Legacy... or Leaving a Mess ?
- Do You have a Will or a Trust ?
- Are your Documents and Beneficiary Forms current ?
- Who knows where these Documents are located ?
Plan Ahead. Secure Your Family's Financial Future !
Are you Married...
with Children ?
Do Right by Them.
Enjoy Peace of Mind by taking Proper Action.
Call Chris Glading for a
Complimentary Consultation.
772.302.7320
Three Simple Steps to Retirement Planning
A successful Climb doesn’t end at the Peak;
it ends when You get back home Safe and Sound.
Retirement is very similar in many ways.
Everyone gets excited to see you reach Retirement,
but Staying Retired with money left over
is the True Accomplishment.
Here are Three Simple Steps to Plan Your Retirement !
Number 1 : Evaluate Expenses
Too often the retirement budget starts with a pen and paper, projecting what people think they will spend when they are retired. These dangerous projections almost always underestimate one's true monthly outflows.
Look at your checking account and add up the direct deposits that drop in every month. Back out any systematic savings, and that number you’re left with is what you need to live off of in retirement.
Number 2 : Add Up Income
Now that you know how much you will likely spend each month in retirement, it’s time to replace your paychecks. The first thing you should do is find out how much money you will get from various sources. Here are some examples of the more common ones:
- Social Security: Obtain a recent statement for current projections.
- Pension: Gather an updated income options breakdown.
- Rentals/Royalties: Do you have any other residual income?
Keep in mind the effect taxes will have in retirement. Don’t assume your Social Security income will be tax free because up to 50% or even 85% of your benefit could be taxable. The same goes for pension income (or nearly every source of income for that matter!).
Number 3 : Manage Investments
Any retirement income funding shortfalls are met with investment draws. Retirement was once a three-legged stool of Social Security, pensions, and investments, if needed. However, most folks would have a tough time retiring on Social Security alone, don’t have pensions, and will rely on investments heavily.
Much is made of what a “safe” investment distribution percentage is. It largely depends on how the investments are positioned and the age of the individual or couple. As most investors near retirement in their 60s,they typically have close to a 60% stock and 40% bond portfolio. At that age and portfolio composition, a widely accepted distribution of 4% seems prudent.
Lastly, here’s a bonus item that needs to be factored into everyone’s retirement.
The Ability to Adapt and Change
Many retirees fail in retirement because they refuse to change. It is important to adapt to the changing environment, rather than stay on a sinking ship. If there were errors in calculating your retirement needs, make the tough decision to cut expenses while you can still save your retirement. The longer you wait, the harder it is to recover.
Is retirement as simple as the steps above? Yes and no. It is simple on a fundamental level, but life contains obstacles. If you can understand your true expenses and have a realistic plan for how to meet those needs, you’ve conquered the hardest part for most investors. Create a sustainable system of replacing your paychecks and you should be able to retire comfortably.
Plan Ahead. Secure Your Financial Future !
You have worked hard your Whole Life.
Successfully Plan Your Retirement Today !
Enjoy Peace of Mind by taking Proper Action.
Call Chris Glading for a
Complimentary Consultation.
772.302.7320
Thanks to Kiplinger.com for article content
Three Misconceptions that Cost Investors Money
Misunderstandings about a few stock market basics can lead to expensive mistakes.
The three most valuable words an investor might say are “I don’t know.”
Admitting when you don’t know opens the door to asking questions, seeking information, and learning something new, positioning yourself to make higher-quality decisions.
Misconception Number 1:
Investing in the S&P 500 means Diversification
Another way to put this misconception is assuming the S&P 500 or Dow Jones is the stock market — and it is not.
Sure, you’re more diversified by investing in the S&P 500 than by putting all your money in a single stock position. But you're only diversified within one segment of the market. The S&P 500 represents under 40% of the entire global stock market. True diversification is important to mitigate investment risk while capturing as much return as you can from the whole market.
Misconception Number 2 :
You invest in the Market so whatever ‘the Market’ does is what Your Portfolio does
Using words like “the market” is ambiguous and doesn’t specify to what you are referring… because there’s a stock market. And there’s a bond market. And there are other markets, too.
The whole goal of creating a portfolio that fits your needs and your risk tolerance is to have the right balance between stocks and bonds and market segments. Your specific asset allocation and the way you diversify your investments may cause performance to look very different than a general measuring stick, like the S&P 500.
The bottom line? Gain a better idea of your portfolio's performance by purposefully looking at Your portfolio.
Misconception Number 3 :
Your Portfolio did worse than someone else’s over the last two years so
You should change Yours
If you’re comparing two portfolios and one has more small value stocks and the other has more large growth stocks, for example, the mistake would be to say, “because mine didn’t do as well over those two years as so-and-so’s, I need to make adjustments and chase the same returns that so-and-so received.”
Why? Any two-year period should not make or break an investment strategy. Chasing those returns can. It’s a bit like trying to change lanes in traffic; by the time you realize the lane next to you is moving faster than yours and you maneuver over, it stops — and guess which lane is moving now? The one you just left.
This is how average investors lose out in the market. By the time they realize another asset class is doing well, they have likely missed the upswing. They take on massive risk of that market segment performing poorly by the time they adjust their portfolio. They also risk abandoning their strategy right before the assets they were invested in start rising in value!
It is Never a Good Time to Lose Money !
Exercise Due Diligence.
Avoid these Dangerous Misconceptions.
Enjoy Peace of Mind by taking Proper Action.
Call Chris Glading for a Complimentary Consultation.
772.302.7320
Thanks to Kiplinger.com for article content