4 Steps to a Successful Retirement
Many investors nearing retirement are beginning to focus on life after work. Questions arise that can be difficult to answer, such as: How much savings is enough to retire? What sources of income will I have after I stop working? How do I construct a portfolio to fund spending goals? What will I do with […]
Should You Manage Your Own Money?
Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal writer Lindsay Gellman covered this important topic. She did an excellent job articulating the values of both hiring an advisor and managing your own personal finances. The sole point that I disagree with in the article is titled, “You won’t stick to a pro’s advice, anyway.” At […]
Active or Passive?
In a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, the debate over whether to use active or passive investments was addressed. The conclusion was just use both! Let’s take a look at the five reasons they give to defend this neutral stance and see if they hold up to scrutiny. 1. Use index funds for efficient […]
What is the Value of an Investment Advisor?
Does hiring an investment advisor improve your portfolio returns? This question is often on the minds of our clients or prospective clients. The value of an advisor is often easier to describe than define numerically. Many clients find value in hiring an advisor to provide “peace of mind” and comfort that a professional is watching […]
Are 401(k) Fees Preventing Your Retirement?
The Atlantic published an article over the weekend on 401(k) fees that really resonated with me. With employer retirement plans being one of the largest sources of savings, it is disheartening to continually see high fee 401(k) plans. Below is the article. Let us know if your 401(k) fees are eating into your […]
Geoff Wells featured in Market Watch article!
Market Watch recently released an article focusing on the confusion and stress felt by 401(k) savers. Investors feel the 401(k) options offered are too confusing and they don’t know what to do! Rockbridge financial planner, Geoff Wells, shared his feelings on how investors can eliminate that stress. Read the full article here (Market Watch Article)
Are You Prepared? New York State Estate Tax
Now that we are halfway through 2013 and the federal estate tax debate is far behind us, it is a good time to remember that as New York State residents, we are still subject to the state estate tax. A common phrase is, “Estate tax, I’m not wealthy enough to have to worry about that!” […]
Golf and Investing
I know this might be hard to imagine for most of us golfers, but which of the following scenarios would you rather choose: 1. Shooting par every time you go out and play a round of golf. 2. Shooting below par 25% of the time you play and failing to reach par the remaining 75% […]
Gambling with Retirement? It’s Time You Take Control!
Over the years there has been a shift of burden in retirement savings from the employer to the employee. The era of company pension plans is fading, leaving Americans on their own to save for retirement; primarily through company-sponsored 401(k) plans. Frontline recently aired The Retirement Gamble, where it highlights some of the downfalls of […]
The Million Dollar Question: Pension Lump-Sum or an Annuity?
If you are fortunate enough to have a defined benefits pension plan at work, you may have a very important upcoming decision to make. The task of deciding between a lifetime monthly payment or a 7 figure one-time payment can be daunting, To compound the complexities, there are various different annuity options factoring in […]
