October 2016 | FIGuide

Stock Market Paths, Pull Backs, Poor Memory, and what’s Normal?

Oct 31 2016

This month’s Blog post comes to us from Stephen Reh, an adviser in Southern California who I’ve known for some time. I think it’s a good one and timely for Halloween.

Have you ever had a moment when you look back on memory such as a vacation and think “that was one of the best trips I can remember”? Then you mention what a great vacation it was to someone who was with you and they remind you that you had food poisoning, lost your luggage, and you called the trip the worst trip of your life. For whatever reason, …

2017 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

Oct 31 2016

The IRS recently published the new contribution limits for various retirement plans for 2017. These limits are indexed to inflation, and as such sometimes they do not increase much year over year, and sometimes they don’t increase at all. This year for the third year in a row we saw virtually no increases contribution amounts, and the income limits increased for slightly as they did for 2016.

IRAs

The annual contribution limit for IRAs (both traditional and Roth) remains at $5,500 for 2017 (third year without an increase). The “catch up” contribution amount, for folks age 50 or over, also …

5 Factors You Should Consider When Evaluating the Survivor Benefit Plan

Oct 31 2016

Everyone planning a military retirement has a very important decision: “Should I take the Survivor Benefit Plan or not?” As I’ve said previously, this is a very personal decision, and should not be taken lightly. While the best decision might depend upon the circumstances, it’s important to note the factors that might help inform your decision. Below are five of those factors, and the reasons why they are important.

Survivor Benefit Plan Factor 1: What sex are you and your spouse?

A generation ago, we used to take this for granted, since the military workforce was almost exclusively male. However, …

Why Young People Need Estate Planning

Oct 28 2016

Many young individuals and couples think that the time to start thinking about estate planning is when they’re older, or perhaps if they ever have “estates”. On other occasions, the impetus to plan may be due to a recent death of a friend or family member without an estate plan or as my friend Tom, an estate planning attorney says, “Right before they take a trip over water.”

However, many young individuals should start thinking and “doing” some estate planning right away. Before we get to specific recommendation, let us first understand what estate planning is – and, what your …

Brains and Wine – Both Improve with Age

Oct 26 2016

By Eve Kaplan, CFP® Professional

Brains and wine both improve with age (and any oenophile will tell you, putting the two together — in moderation — can be good for you). When I discuss brain improvement with age, I’m referencing a growing body of literature studying the so-called “middle-aged brain” (the 40-60s age group). True, brain processing speed slows a bit in this age group when compared with younger individuals, but problem-solving skills improve. This is good news for Baby Boomers and for financial advisors like me because we’re more readily on the same page.

Better Decision-Making = Better Financial …

Archive - October 2016