Mid-Life Money Errors If you are between 40 & 60, beware of these financial blunders & assumptions. Between the ages of 40 and 60, many people increase their commitment to investing and retirement saving. At the same time, many fall prey to some common money blunders and harbor financial assumptions that may be inaccurate. These errors and suppositions are worth examining, as you do not want to succumb to them. See if you notice any of these behaviors or assumptions [...]
You Could Retire...But Should You? It might be better to wait a bit longer. Some people retire at first opportunity, only to wish they had waited longer. Thanks to Wall Street’s long bull run, many pre-retirees have seen their savings fully recover from the shock of the 2007-09 bear market to the point where they appear to have reached the “magic number.” You may be one of them – but just because you can retire does not necessarily mean [...]
Investing in Agreement With Your Beliefs The case for aligning your portfolio with your outlook & worldview. Do your investment choices reflect your outlook? Are they in agreement with your values? These questions may seem rather deep when it comes to deciding what to buy or sell, but some great investors have built fortunes by investing according to the ethical, moral and spiritual tenets that guide their lives. Sir John Templeton stands out as an example. Born and raised [...]
The Big Economic Mystery of 2015 If the economy is healthy, why are retail sales so poor? Retail sales have been flat or negative for four out of the past five months. Even though households are saving an average of $50 a month on gasoline compared to a year ago, that savings has not inspired consumers to increase their spending.1 Commerce Department data released last week showed no retail sales growth in April; even core retail sales (which exclude car [...]
Reining in Your Debt Americans are spending freely again. That has a downside. As the Great Recession faded, American household debt gradually decreased. In fact, it declined by $1 trillion between mid-2008 and mid-2014, according to the Federal Reserve.1 Now household debt is increasing once more. The Fed found it climbing by $78 billion (0.7%) during Q3 2014.1 On the macroeconomic level, that can be interpreted as a positive: it hints at greater consumer spending, easier credit, and more [...]