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Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part II) – It’s Not What You Earn; It’s What You Keep

This is the second in a three-part series of articles designed to help you better understand how to create a paycheck in retirement. (CLICK HERE to read the first one.) To answer that question, we’re addressing the following three topics: It’s not about returns; it’s about your account balance It’s not how much you earn; ... Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part II) – It’s Not What You Earn; It’s What You Keep

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Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part I) – It’s Not About Returns; It’s About Your Account Balance

One of the main questions people want to know as they approach retirement is “how am I going to get paid once I stop working?” Saving and accumulating wealth is much different than trying to figure out how to create a stream of income that’s going to last for several decades and keep up with ... Creating Your Retirement Paycheck (Part I) – It’s Not About Returns; It’s About Your Account Balance

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Socially Responsible Investing: Allianz Conference 2019

Martin Walsh attended the Allianz Global Investors “ESG University” conference in New York on June 20th.  ESG stands for “Environmental, Social and Governance,” an acronym that is a filter for evaluating socially responsible companies.  The conference was a detailed update for the investment advisor community on socially responsible investing, including the latest research and trends ... Socially Responsible Investing: Allianz Conference 2019

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3 Types of Questions Every Financial Advisor Should Ask You

A financial plan is only as good as the questions being asked when creating it. But beyond the platitude of needing to ask “good” questions, what does this really mean? After all, does anyone think the questions they ask are not good ones? What ARE the questions a financial advisor should ask you to create ... 3 Types of Questions Every Financial Advisor Should Ask You

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U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits New Low

According to the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate in the U.S. has remained close to all-time lows in recent months.  The most recent non-farm payroll data indicate an unemployment rate across the broad U.S. working population of 3.6%: a 50-year low.  The news is part of a broad trend of improving economic fundamentals in ... U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits New Low

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The Defining Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

We all love stories of originality and innovation. Who isn’t inspired by the entrepreneur who was willing to risk it all and, against all odds, succeeded? We all want to hear about the person with strong convictions who swam against the tide, and we want to copy the characteristics of such successful entrepreneurs. But there’s a real ... The Defining Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

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The Importance of Finding & Collaborating With a Team of Financial Professionals

We often speak with our clients about the need for high quality advice in all aspects of their financial life—not just investing.  As a firm, our approach to working with clients on their financial independence is comprehensive and involves a multi-disciplinary team of advisors. And while many in the wealth management world pay lip service ... The Importance of Finding & Collaborating With a Team of Financial Professionals

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It Matters How We Think About Work

Several years ago, the Principal Financial Group ran an advertisement showing an athletic woman in her sixties wearing a wet suit, carrying a surfboard, and delightedly heading to the shore.  The question was posed “Why do we work?” and then subsequently answered, “For the freedom that a secure retirement brings.”  It ended by stating, “We ... It Matters How We Think About Work

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Don’t “Give Money Away” (Invest in the Community)

When financial advisors are asked why affluent investors would be reluctant to make charitable gifts, they say it’s because they don’t know if they can afford it. When asked directly, though, affluent investors cite a very different reason: They are worried their gifts will not be used wisely.* We think this makes sense. The clients ... Don’t “Give Money Away” (Invest in the Community)

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Economic Productivity: Are We Missing a Piece of the Growth Puzzle?

There are two primary factors for measuring the change in economic activity in our country, also referred to as U.S. GDP: population growth and productivity growth. In other words, our domestic economy grows as the result of two factors: more people demanding good and services (population growth) and increased economic output per person (productivity growth). ... Economic Productivity: Are We Missing a Piece of the Growth Puzzle?

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Falling Interest Rates: A Bond Update

Medium and long-term interest rates in the U.S. have fallen precipitously in the past month.  Indeed, the yield on the 10 Year U.S. Treasury Bond has fallen from over 2.55% in early May to just above 2.07% today.  A confluence of factors are at least partially responsible for falling interest rates: increasing trade tensions with ... Falling Interest Rates: A Bond Update

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Estate Planning Questionnaire: 5 Things to Think About Before Meeting with Your Estate Attorney

Estate documents should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date and still adequately express your wishes pertaining to the distribution of your estate. Changes in your personal, family, or business circumstances along with changes in tax laws can necessitate the need for updates. At a minimum, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life ... Estate Planning Questionnaire: 5 Things to Think About Before Meeting with Your Estate Attorney

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