spiritus-financial-water-ripples-banner.png

MONEY matters

Mark Zaifman's thoughts on money, global economic trends and politics

Mark Zaifman

Boomers in Their Early to Mid-60’s Are Heading For the Exits
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, May 05, 2020 @ 12:57 PM


'We’re all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat’

I have read so many good quotes lately that I am not sure where the one above came from, but it certainly speaks volumes.

Twice a month, beginning in mid-February, I've been attending Zoom meetings with other financial planning colleagues from around the country.

Read More   
Financial Planning Matters More Than Ever Right Now
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Mar 25, 2020 @ 10:19 AM

 


 

 

“Pressure is what you feel when you are not prepared”

 

Lou Holtz

 

Read More   
Why You Should Develop a Trusting Relationship with a Financial Advisor Before Retirement
Mark Zaifman   |    Mon, Feb 24, 2020 @ 11:56 AM

As I write this blog on Monday, February 24, 2020, the Dow is down about 900 points at mid-morning. Most analysts are pointing to the recent outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy and South Korea as spooking the markets, since this could set off a global economic slowdown. We shall see.

Read More   
Why Waiting for the Perfect Time to Develop a Financial Plan is Risky Business
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, Nov 19, 2019 @ 11:08 AM


Have you ever said to yourself, when X happens, I’ll do Y? In other words, you’re waiting for the stars to align in your favor and then you’ll decide to do what you’ve been putting off for a long time?

In terms of financial planning, my sense is that too many people are waiting for the 'perfect' time to develop a comprehensive financial plan instead of moving forward when life, although not perfect, is pretty darn good. I would suggest that waiting for the perfect time is not only a risky decision to make, it could also end up costing you big time over the long run.

Read More   
Boomers Crave Freedom; Retirement, Not So Much
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, Sep 24, 2019 @ 09:00 AM

As many of my boomer clients get closer to that ‘magic’ number of enough savings to become financially independent, the concept of retirement, even just using the word ‘retirement’, is causing many to question what comes next.

Just last week, I came across a recent tweet written by Carl Richards. He’s the New York Times money sketch guy who writes a weekly column about behavioral finance.

Read More   
5 Tips for Managing your Cash Flow in Retirement During a Recession
Mark Zaifman   |    Mon, Jul 01, 2019 @ 03:31 PM

The latest economic guessing game these days is predicting when the next recession will occur in the U.S.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a mid-year market outlook conference at Charles Schwab headquarters in San Francisco.  There were four panelists; two from the equity side and two from the bond side of the investment world. Liz Ann Sonders, the Chief Investment Strategist for Schwab, was on the equity ‘team’. All four panelists agreed on two major themes; the global economy continues to slow down, and that a recession starting in early 2020 is a very likely possibility.
Read More   
Women & Money & the Fear of Being a ‘Bag Lady’
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, May 31, 2019 @ 10:31 AM

“Despite the good withdrawal rate, I still fear some catastrophic situation and imagine sitting on the curb as a bag lady!  That, of course, requires a therapist--not a financial planner, eh?”

 (This blogpost appeared four years ago, but it bears repeating.)

The above quote comes directly from a client, let’s call her Mary (not her real name) responding to an article I emailed her about the 4% withdrawal rule in retirement.

Read More   
How to Get Used to Hearing the “R” Word
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, Apr 30, 2019 @ 08:30 AM

Imagine you just left your job/business/practice for the last time after an illustrious career of 42 years. Today was your last official day of working for money and tomorrow, as the saying goes, is the first day of the rest of your life.


A week has gone by since your last day of work. You’ve been super busy, you’re still waking up at 6:30 a.m., still following a tight to-do schedule, so the sense that you’re no longer working hasn’t really sunk in yet.

Read More   
More Time or More Money - Which Road Do You Take?
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, Mar 26, 2019 @ 10:42 AM

Imagine you’ve been following a customized financial plan diligently for the past 10+ years. I say 10+ years and not 20 or 30 years, because truth be told, in my experience as a financial planner specializing in retirement planning, most people don’t buckle down and take retirement planning seriously until they’re about 10 years away from this major milestone in life.

Now imagine the number, the number that’s been in your head, in your dreams, the number you’ve known about and thought about, the number that represents your financial independence, your financial freedom from ever having to work another day for money has been reached. Now what?

Read More   
The Ultimate Decision Before Retiring - When is Enough, Enough?
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Jan 31, 2019 @ 10:44 AM

It’s the million dollar question and also one of the hardest questions to answer before you retire: When is enough, enough?


If you asked me that question back when I was a young and ambitious entrepreneur, striving yet never arriving, my answer most likely would have been never. You could never have 'enough'. Back then, I was a true believer that the sky’s the limit when it comes to earning money. More income meant more toys to buy, and anyway, how could one ever have enough?

Read More