The FOMC’s meeting on March 16th and Chair Yellen’s comments resulted in some interesting insight into the future of policy normalization and the more recent focus on global risk. Prior to this meeting, the expectation was for the FOMC to raise rates four times in 2016 on its gradual path to normalization. However, the FOMC...
How much might health care cost you someday? As a retirement planning specialist, I am regularly asked about affording healthcare during the golden years. It’s true, as we age, healthcare-related expenses can get costly. The only way to help ensure you maintain the retirement lifestyle you planned for while receiving the healthcare you need, is...
Steve DeCesare provides insight on how you can be proactive with your pension and get the most out of this retirement savings vehicle. By Greg Brown, Columnist Published October 2015 For millions of Americans, a pension remains a solid “third leg” of the retirement stool after Social Security and personal savings. And while nearly all...
The five phases of life after 50 and the considerations that accompany them. Retirement isn’t a one-size-fits-all planning solution. Everyone and every retirement is different. It’s important to carefully analyze and plan each step to and through your retirement journey to help ensure financial success throughout your lifetime. This month’s feature article highlights the five...
It’s All About the Numbers Assessment of the economy, the markets and how it relates to you. Uncertainty about the domestic economy, the global economy, and the future of monetary policy resulted in a significant shift in sentiment in 2015. The anticipation of the FOMC’s (Federal Open Market Committee) decision to raise interest rates, the...
Unlike the December FOMC meeting, wednesday’s meeting was not as highly anticipated. The odds for another interest rate increase, a little over a month after the first rate hike in 9 years, were low. However, market participants were eager to see if any of the words in the FOMC’s official release had changed in order...
Happy New Year! I hope you are proving to have a wonderful start to 2016. In the spirit of making resolutions, I’d like to encourage you to include one of financial significance. This resolution could be as simple as reviewing your life insurance policy or financial plan together. Please let me know what your financial...
With the market so volatile, you need one in place. The Market Is Cyclical… As history proves time, and time again, the stock market is cyclical. Like gravity, what goes up, must come down. The problem with this cycle is that many investors don’t have the time or the willpower to ride yet another wave...
Wednesday’s announcement, a unanimous vote from the members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to increase their target interest rate by 25 bps is historic, not only because it is the first rate increase in 9 years but because the FOMC is signaling another step to the end of accommodative monetary policy. The FOMC’s...
President Clinton signed the “‘Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act Of 2000” in April of 2000 allowing Social Security receipients to suspend payments and earn delayed retirement credits. However, new claiming strategies were born from this legislation and in November of this year, Congress voted to eliminate two popular filing strategies to maximize benefits. In...
