Posts by Craig Kirsner, MBA
Target-Maturity Bond Funds and ETFs: Opportunities and Pitfalls
These investment vehicles have specific uses – such as building a bond ladder and diversification –but be aware of their limitations Target-Maturity Bond Funds and ETFs allow a person to access a portfolio of bonds with a targeted maturity date with a low-cost structure (in the case of ETFs) and, oftentimes, with low minimum investments.…
Read MoreMy Financial Predictions For 2019 and Beyond
Just as I warned at the end of 2005 – that the Real Estate Bubble was soon to burst with a recession following – all that I have been warning about this year in my book and on Kiplinger, Yahoo Finance, Fidelity.com, Nasdaq.com, my blog, and other websites have been coming true as well. It’s…
Read MorePainless Ways to Downsize During Retirement
Tips to simplify your life and cut costs We’ve seen this movie before — sky-high stock prices, sky-high real estate prices and the Fed raising interest rates. We also saw how those times ended in 2001 and 2008. At this point, my retired clients want to simplify their lives. So, let’s talk about some painless…
Read MoreDoes Your Retirement Portfolio Fit You? How much Risk do you Really Want?
If you’re not unsettled after the stock market action of early October 2018, then you weren’t paying attention. The Dow Industrials were gaining and losing several hundred points, not daily but hourly!1 This is not an accident. It’s all part of the more-volatile, more uncertain stock market environment that we started to enter back in…
Read MoreStock Market Storm Trackers Have Their Eyes on the Skies
The conditions are looking increasingly favorable for a hurricane of a stock market correction to form. Luckily, like with most hurricanes, investors have time to prepare. Plotting the course of the stock market can help us mitigate risk, much like plotting a hurricane’s trajectory. Tornadoes are smaller than hurricanes. They strike hard and largely unexpectedly.…
Read MoreAre You Uncomfortable With the Losses You Might Have Incurred in October 2018?
After the crash of 2008 – 2009, the stock market has been going up for 9 long years, one of the longest bull markets in history. However, in 2018 the market has been quite volatile after many years of very low volatility. For example, October saw the S&P 500 down 6.9% and tech stocks took…
Read More7 Ways the Recent Tax Reform Could Affect Your Retirement Investments
7 ways the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could impact retired investors A great deal has changed under the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Many changes may be for the better, some for the worse, and some hardly noticeable at all. What matters is that saving and investing during retirement has changed. Understanding the…
Read MoreExplaining the Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) – A Better Alternative to Bonds according to Ibbotson Research
The pros and cons of diversifying your asset portfolio with a Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) There are many ways to preserve or grow your wealth at retirement. But before investing, you want to be sure that you understand each option and the risks involved. It’s especially important to understand the contract with your insurance provider…
Read MoreUnderstanding How Broker-Dealers Make Their Money – and Handle Yours
By Craig Kirsner, MBA, Nationally-Recognized Author, Speaker, Retirement Planning Professional and President of Stuart Estate Planning Wealth Advisors The trusted handshake concept is set to tighten up under a new SEC rule The role of a broker-dealer is to offer secure financial advice and investment opportunities to clients. Both aspects of the job require different…
Read MoreNo Two Retirees Look Alike – And Neither Do Their Investment Strategies
A detailed, customized analysis that speaks to your retirement needs and risks While it would be nice if one investment strategy worked to provide a financially-secure retirement for everyone, the truth is there is no such thing. You can’t rely on stereotypes or generic, well-meaning advice on strategy, even if it comes from so-called…
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