Sometimes when I ask people, “What are your financial goals?” they say things like: “Other than having enough one day to retire on, I’m not sure I have any clear financial goals.” After a pause they add, “That’s not a very good answer, is it?” That’s usually when I say, “Maybe if I asked better […]
Are You Asking the Right Questions? Read More »
If you’re over 50, you may remember AAA TripTiks booklets. From AAA’s website: “In the days before Google Maps…or even the internet…a AAA agent would draw the route with a highlighter on a series of numbered maps, going through the route with the driver before they started. The end result, a guided route through a
“Do you want to retire one day?” That’s a question I ask new clients. The answers I get are fairly predictable. Older workers or people with jobs they hate say, “You bet! How about yesterday?!” People who enjoy their work say things like, “I might want to slow down one day, but I can’t imagine
Why would anyone pay for an oil change? Call me a weenie (and many do), but I don’t do my own oil changes. I know real men do, but I just don’t. I used to go to one of those places that made you wait in their lobby, where you read dated issues of People
Maintenance Always Costs Less Read More »
“I have an opportunity…” I can’t tell you how any of my client conversations start with that statement. “I have an opportunity to…buy into a business…buy some land…buy a house I’ve had my eye on for a long time.” Always these opportunities come with a timeline. “I need to give them an answer…by tomorrow…by the
Is It Urgent or Important? Read More »
Some people collect baseball trading cards. Other people collect antique books. I collect Social Security statements. Mine. Yes, I am that boring. The oldest one I’ve got dates back to 2003, so I’ve got almost 20 years’ worth of Social Security (SSA) statements. But they contain my work records all the way back to the
How Secure is Your Social Security? Read More »
If your feet hurt when you walk, get smaller feet, bigger shoes or go barefoot. That’s both the predicament and the choice left to many retirees (and those anticipating retirement) today. Their feet hurt. A.K.A., their expenses are larger than their income. If you’ve ever spent much time spending more money than you bring in,
“Should I refinance my house and get a 30-year mortgage? Is that crazy?” She was nearly 65 and had a six-figure mortgage attached to her house. She was single and had a good income as a nurse. But as she looked ahead, she could see trouble coming. “I make nearly $5,000 per month now, and
Retire Debt in Retirement Read More »
What causes the average Joe stress at work? Work, right? Or maybe something about work – a bad boss, poor working conditions, toxic co-workers or maybe just Facebook being blocked on their work computer (“dang IT guys!”). Each year international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) sponsors an Employee Financial Wellness Survey. Their 2020 survey asked employees,
Workers Worry About Money Today, Not Retirement Tomorrow Read More »
What would happen if you lived to be 100? When Wayne was contemplating his retirement from public service, he didn’t want to retire from life. He was looking for an older man who had lived the last portion of his life in an exemplary way. Wayne was 61 at the time. Who looks for a
Are You Prepared to Live to 100? Read More »
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