MONEY matters

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.

With the political news, or should I call it the political storm-y brewing in DC, we might recall that it was only a few months ago that talk of a trade war with China and potential tariffs on steel and aluminum created dizzying volatility in the stock market.

It’s often one of the most common mistakes investors make. By that I mean, letting the amount of capital gains tax owed on the sale of your asset, whether that’s a stock, bond, real estate or business, dominate your decision process.

It’s never easy to pay taxes, especially a 20% capital gains tax. So instead of diversifying your overall investment portfolio and not concentrating too much of your net-worth in say one stock for example, you let it ride.

Soon, five, ten, twenty+ years goes by and now this asset that has strongly increased in value and makes up close to 50% of your total investment portfolio. You know having too many eggs in one basket is risky, you know and have seen and read enough about the importance of diversification and maintaining a well balanced portfolio, yet still, even with that self-awareness, you’re allowing the tax tail to wag the dog.

 The stock market has long been considered a leading economic indicator. Given the recent stock market rally since the election, it’s fair to believe 'the market' is sending a clear signal of what’s to come in 2017. Oh, but if only it was that easy.

One of the best money articles I read post-election in terms of what do I do now with my investment strategy was written by Ron Lieber of the Times in his Your Money column titled One Crucial Investing Question: Are Your Goals Different Now? Thankfully, this article makes you think long and hard before you decide to change your portfolio strategy.

On The Road to Retirement... “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

The refrain "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there" was essentially a paraphrase of an exchange between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Chapter 6 of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland: "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

Here we go again…..up, down, up, down. If this stock market roller coaster ride has you feeling anxious, you’re not alone.

If your retirement is 10-years away or sooner, you'll want to read, Get What’s Yours - The Secret To Maxing Out Your Social Security by Laurence Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller and Paul Solomon

One of the most overlooked elements of preparing for a successful retirement is deciding when to start drawing your Social Security. If you’re a married couple, the decision becomes even more complex.

Up until recently, the majority of people, usually by default, either started collecting Social Security at their full retirement age, early, at age 62, or waiting if possible until age 70. Simple on the surface right, three relatively easy choices.

Guess what. There are dozens of Social Security strategies that most people are unaware of. And remember, in the game of money, strategy is king.

Next week, your monthly investment statements will arrive via mail or email. And unless your portfolio has been invested 100% in Treasury Bonds, you’re going to see unrealized losses on your statement, as it’s been a terrible month/quarter in the stock market.

It’s often impossible to explain stock market volatility until long after the dust has settled. And these past couple weeks of volatility are no different.

Since the stock market crash of 2008-2009, interest rates, especially the 10-year Treasury, have stayed historically low. Last quarter, the 10-year Treasury saw its largest rise since the end of 2013, halting a streak of five consecutive quarters of falling yields.