Posts Tagged ‘retirement’
Ageism – Getting Older Ain’t for Sissies Yet Our Humor Belittles Elders
#ageing #ageism #elderly Ageism is something many don’t recognize today as a concern worthy of their time. A reader recently sent me a series of cartoons about elderly people. Each panel poked fun at the commonplace inconveniences or afflictions of old age; i.e. incontinence, forgetfulness, general decrepitude, impotence, diminished libido, ineptitude, etc. The subjects were depicted…
Read MoreVariable Annuities Insure Beneficiaries Against Loss Due to Market Risk
This is the second in a series of articles that I am writing on variable annuities. Readers are urged to read the first installment before tackling the one that follows. My initial article about variable annuities stressed: Financial advisers have strong incentives to sell variable annuities as they pay more in commissions than most other…
Read MoreVariable Annuities Offer Tax Advantages as a Retirement Investment Vehicle
Financial advisers have several good reasons for selling variable annuities to their clients. They get paid more for one thing. On most other investments, the higher the amount a client invests the lower commission rate is for the adviser. In mutual funds, this is called a “break point.” An advisor, to illustrate, may get paid…
Read MoreAtheist Libertarian Golf Addict Befriends Agnostic Liberal at North Carolina Golf Course.
#atheist @agnostic #golf I hope that there is life after death because then I can play a few more rounds of golf with my friend Harry. That assumes, of course, that there will be golf in heaven (or whatever it is to be called) and that Harry will be there. If Harry is not in…
Read MoreInflation Persists as a Concern for Folks in Retirement on a Fixed Income.
I worked in the financial services industry for over 40 years, the last fifteen of which as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch in Winston-Salem, NC. My novel, Deadly Portfolio, builds a story around Matthew Wirth, a retiring financial advisor who, in preparing for his own retirement, is turning his practice over to junior partner,…
Read MoreThe Best Time to Buy or Sell in the Stock Market.
As a retired financial advisor, the question that I am asked most often is, “Is it safe now to get into the stock market?” I answer, “No. It’s never safe to get into the market.” When the market is falling, I hear, “Do you think I should get out?” Again, “No.” Investing isn’t like swimming…
Read MoreVariable Annuities — Great, But Be Careful
If you have researched variable annuities on your own, you know that I couldn’t cover everything in one blog on the subject. Variable annuities have their drawbacks. It is important to be aware of them. A variable annuity is a long-term investment, one that you will want to hold your entire lifetime. It’s the place…
Read MoreVairable Annuities — A Great Way to Protect a Retirement Portfolio
Thanks for all the questions about annuities. Yes, annuities are a valuable way to protect your retirement portfolio and secure an income for your survivors. But there are several things to be considered before buying one. There are two kinds of annuities; fixed and variable. Fixed annuities guarantee income to the owner and often the…
Read More401k or 403b, Rollover to an IRA or IRRA. Good Idea?
#401(k) #403(b) #rollover #ira One of the first questions that you will face as a new retiree or after changing jobs is what to do with your 401k or 403b* retirement account that has been building up over the years. Leaving it with your former employer is usually one option, and it may appear attractive…
Read MoreReflections on Growing Older. Retirement and Its Rewards
#growing older #aging #retirement I don’t consider myself as “elderly” at age 72. The rest of the world may, but anyone who is at least 72 will still see me as I see myself—young, vital, and engaged with life. At times, of course, a reminder works into my awareness. Yesterday, for example, I got down…
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