Save it now, or suffer without it later!

You actually can learn from TV advertising!

FRAM ran a series of television ads in the early 1970’s (click here to watch one) with the catch phrase, “You can pay me now, or pay me later.” If we neglect spending a relatively small amount of money on a quality oil filter, we will certainly pay a much larger amount on the engine later. The principal is easily […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00February 7th, 2017|

Retirement Planning – As Simple as Turning Up the Heat

I know I need to plan for retirement. I just don’t know where to begin!

A peaceful retirement does not normally occur without planning and then effort given to work the plan. Moving through life with no plan for what is ahead does not end well; unless, we are sufficiently fortunate to inherit wealth. However, most would choose giving the cat a bath over committing thoughtful focus to […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00January 17th, 2017|

Vaccinate Your Retirement!

Yes, your retirement can get shingles!

Here is a shocking contrast, “70 percent of pre-retirees think that life will be better in retirement, but only 40 percent of actual retirees find that it is.”1 That’s right folks! Nearly one-half of those anticipating a better life in retirement are shocked to find that it is not. Even more disappointing is thirty percent of pre-retirees expect life to be worse, […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00January 10th, 2017|

Retirement Planning or Aerating the Lawn?

Plan Retirement? I’d rather wash a cat!

A clever ad agency created a commercial for Nationwide Insurance about retirement planning entitled “Two Up.”1 When “retirement planning” was mentioned by a couple at breakfast, they leapt into action cleaning the oven, cleaning the gutters, washing the family pets, eventually pressure washing the roses & pretending to aerate the lawn. The commercial is effective because it is based in reality. […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00December 20th, 2016|

Retiring in Peace Requires Planning

He or She who fails to plan…

According to goodreads.com, it was Benjamin Franklin who first stated, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”1 An online article by the State of Indiana, attributes Winston Churchill with the words “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”2 Whoever actually coined the phrase, the necessity to plan for one’s retirement should be a given. When do I […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00December 13th, 2016|

A Step Toward Retirement Peace is Oh So Simple

The Secret to Happiness in Retirement

The American College of Financial Services posted a video, “The Secret To Happiness in Retirement,” to YouTube on November 2, 2016. The premise is that a lifetime income is indeed the key to retirement happiness. David A. Littell, JC, ChFC and author Tom Henga make their case based upon various studies of retirees around the world. “Study after study after study has […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00December 6th, 2016|

Elder Financial Abuse: An Unusual, but Central Topic in Retirement Planning

Elder abuse, a story of disappointment and frustration

A number of years ago, I discovered relatives (for whom I had been appointed power of attorney) had been the victims of elder abuse. Prior to the death of my mother, her youngest sister and husband asked me to accept the responsibility when it became necessary. In a strange set of events, I learned the people they hired to care […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00November 29th, 2016|

Retirement – sure footed or standing firmly in mid-air?

Oh, the vision we have for retirement!

Whatever vision we may have about retirement, confidence is certainly a part of it. Whether we have a vision of traveling to romantic cities on multiple continents or a plan to work in some fashion other than our current employment, almost everyone includes a solid footing. No one I know envisions a retirement footing like that of Wiley Coyote after he […]

2017-11-09T02:40:19+00:00November 22nd, 2016|

“Whatever their itching ears want to hear!”

How will the markets respond to the election?

This is certainly one of the prevailing questions following the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America. The actual question investors are asking is, “What should I do now?” In Particular, Baby Boomers who have retired, or are nearing retirement, want someone to guide their actions in order to maximize funds. Having so […]

2017-11-09T02:40:20+00:00November 15th, 2016|

Don’t let Aunt Bea pickle your retirement!

Who is Aunt Bea & how can she affect my retirement?

Every Baby Boomer will certainly remember the iconic Andy Griffith Show. In December of 1961, “The Pickle Story” aired about Aunt Bea’s consistent failure in making pickles. Though she tried each year to follow the recipe, she annually produced quarts not of delectable pickles, but of “kerosene cucumbers!” Unfortunately, the same scenario often plays out with our […]

2017-11-09T02:40:20+00:00November 8th, 2016|