Big Stock Market Move on Monday?

It appears that the House, Senate, and White House are very close to a compromise deal on raising the debt limit. What will this mean for the markets on Monday? I have some thoughts for your consideration.

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New Social Security Calculator for Estimating Retirement Benefits

The questions and debates about when to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits continue to rage. The news coming from DC about deficit reduction and increasing the debt ceiling has made things worse. While this is going on, new concerns have arisen about changes that may come to the Social Security Retirement System.

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Second Quarter Net Worth and Investment Results

I’m a little late with our quarterly net worth review. I was distracted by a graduations, a car purchase, family moving in, and lake house reunions. These were all good things (except for the big cash outlay for the car). That’s all behind us so let’s get to the numbers.

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Market Timing and Your Retirement Nest Egg

I am primarily a “set and forget” retirement investor. I carefully allocate our investments among asset classes that are not correlated. This creates a “couch potato” or lazy man portfolio that should perform decently except during “black swan” market conditions in which everything falls. There are many investors who think differently. They are wrong.

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The Lines Between Vacation and Retirement are Blurring

I have been quiet the past few weeks. I have been preparing for and then enjoying the arrival of extended family to our lake house. This is the 8th year for this gathering. I still treasure these weeks. It is gratifying to know that so many family members are willing to use their valuable vacation time to travel and join together in Kentucky. This past week was interesting to me for another reason, as I made a special effort to distance myself from my work. Read more