Category Archives: Regular Blog

Should single folks delay SS benefits?

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Admin

How would Americans who are not married, benefit from suspending their monthly retirement benefits after filing for Social Security at their Full Retirement Age (FRA)? The biggest reason why a single person might want to do this is to benefit from the 8% annual delayed retirement credits until they reach age 70. This will give them up to a 32% boost in lifetime SS income. Plus when COLA’s (cost of living adjustments) are applied, the actual monthly income grows faster on a larger check than it does a smaller one. … Continue reading

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The 2 Doors to Retirement ‏

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Admin

There are only 2 doors to go through at retirement. Find out what they both are in my latest 60 second video. CLICK Below to watch it: http://youtu.be/UbKCfosugGY all the best… Mark

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An interesting stock market chart‏

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Admin

Here is a chart that I found (SEE BELOW) that I found pretty interesting. It shows the S&P 500 returns over the last 35 years. 27 of those 35 years were positive. But the average intra-year drop in value was -14.2%. In other words, even though most years have gains, the average loss within those years was in double-digits. Of course, some years had bigger drops and some had smaller drops within the calendar year. But to me, the most interesting thing that the chart … Continue reading

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Is a 529 Plan the best college savings option?‏

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Admin

The 529 Plan has long been one of the most popular vehicles to save for your children’s (or grandchildren’s) education. For many families, it is clearly the best choice – especially for those funding it with less than a few hundred dollars a month.  However, there are many little-known disadvantages of a 529 plan and these are the reasons many of my clients use a smart alternative. 529 College Savings Plans have: 1)   Financial Aid: A 529 plan counts as an important asset in determining the level of … Continue reading

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Don’t Blindly Trust Your Target Date Funds

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Admin

One of the topics of discussion during the retirement planning conference I attended last month was: Target Date Funds. In fact, it deserved a lunch presentation to the full conference. Target Date Funds have taken the retirement accumulation market by storm over the last 10 years. In many cases, they have become the 401(k) and 403(b) “default” investments inside these work-site retirement plans at work. Nearly $1 TRILLION is now invested in them through brand-name firms such as Fidelity, Vanguard, TRowe Price, American Funds and … Continue reading

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