Stock Market Returns Averaged 10% Since 1926
Although the S&P 500 index returned 10%, on average, since 1926, the actual return in each year was 10% +/- 2% in only six of the past 93 calendar years. In most years, the index’s return was outside of the range—often above or below by a wide margin—with no...
Estate Planning Tips for Couples and Surviving Spouses
These excellent estate planning tips for couples and surviving spouses appeared in the March 30, 2019 edition of the Wall Street Journal. I'm posting the key tips and a link to the article for easy reference. Take key steps for advance planning: ☑️ Hire an estate...
How Much Should Be Invested in Stocks?
Stocks Power Portfolio Values Over Long Periods There are 3 major factors to consider when contemplating your asset allocation: timing, risk tolerance, and to a lesser extent, valuation. This question is on people's minds no matter what the stock market is doing. I...
How Long Should You Plan to Live in Retirement?
One of the major inputs for retirement planning is how long you expect to live. Retirement calculators ask you to forecast your lifespan or number of years living in retirement. It’s a necessary input because longevity informs the estimated number of years your...
Fintegrity’s Investing Philosophy
Fintegrity’s investing philosophy is grounded in behavioral finance, understanding that emotion and psychology play a role when investors make decisions, sometimes causing them to behave in unpredictable or irrational ways that create opportunities and deviations from...
How to Save Money When Buying a New Car
When car shopping, think in terms of an execution plan with suggested steps listed below: Decide what car you want to buy, including options and colors. Research pricing, for an idea of the maximum price you would pay, recognizing that you could pay less by shopping...
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft by Freezing Your Credit Files
Millions of Americans reported being adversely impacted by identity theft. According to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft was the second largest consumer complaint (after debt collection) in 2017. The most frequent type of identity theft is credit...
Cheap Do-It-Yourself Wills and Trusts
Nearly 60% of Americans have no will, according to a recent survey by Care.com, creating difficulties for heirs when settling estates. More important, people with dependent children need a will to designate a guardian. Yet, they are less likely than average to have a...
Three risks in leveraged loan portfolios
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the loan market has been flooded with inexperienced money. This has worsened lending standards even compared with the debt bubble in the 2008 banking crisis. Investors may want to consider three risks regarding their leveraged...
How much will you really receive in Social Security retirement benefits?
Social security benefits make up 80% of most workers retirement income, according to Sita Nataraj Slavov, a professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. As a result, knowing how much you will receive in Social Security benefits is...