Retirement Meditation #11: Can a retirement plan have too many investment options?
During my time as a Senior Investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor, I reviewed the 401(k) plan of an investment management firm that had 78 investment…
Year to date through March 11, 2022, the price only return for the S&P 500 Index shows it down 11.29%, however, the index remains up 6.73% on a one year basis…
Retirement Meditation #10: What is dollar-cost-averaging?
While my goldendoodle, Bear, lays by my chair snoring, I’m thinking about rollercoasters. Why am I thinking about rollercoasters? Because I’m recalling a…
Although Tuesday's release of the NFIB Small Business Optimism Survey was conducted in February, and before the recent oil price spike, inflation issues are…
Retirement Meditation #9: Should I leave the 401(k) or move it to my new employer?
A 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) study reported that Americans held an average of 12 jobs throughout their working years. Whether or not you are a part…
The supposed recession that took place during the COVID/pandemic shutdown in 2020 caught nearly everyone by surprise. Fortunately, the economy and investment…
With each passing day it seems inflation continues to remain stubbornly elevated. The war in Ukraine is contributing to the inflationary pressure as sanctions…
Retirement Meditation #8: What’s the fuss with employee after-tax contributions?
I can only imagine how many phone calls retirement advisors received in July 2021 about employee after-tax contributions. On July 9, the Wall Street Journal…
Ukraine/Russia Situation A Near Term Market Headwind
The Ukraine/Russia development over the weekend is not a new event for these two countries. Russia invaded and annexed Crimea back in February 2014 and began…
It is no secret the Federal Reserve is near certain to raise the Fed Funds rate at the conclusion of the committee's March 15-16 meeting. The bond market has…
Retirement Meditation #7: Should I convert pre-tax money into Roth?
Following last week’s Retirement Meditation, one of my LinkedIn connections requested I address converting pre-tax money into Roth. The short answer to this…
Higher Inflation Leading To Weaker Consumer Sentiment
The consumer accounts for nearly 70% of the economy (GDP) and understanding what is driving their sentiment can provide valuable insight into future economic…
