We own a home in the Sacramento region with $ 400,000 equity – we owe $ 255,000 on a home valued at $ 675,000. I can retire as early as 2029 with about $ 75,000 in a pension from the public retirement system and healthcare taken care of. The home loan will be about $…
Today’s preretirees and retirees face several financial challenges in addition to concerns about the world we leave our children and grandchildren, as described in the first part of this series. To face these challenges, we’ll need to make many small, medium, and large steps in our lives that will improve our finances while helping to…
Read More “12 ways to make your retirement better for the planet” »
Given today’s challenging markets and unprecedented economic circumstances, a midyear review of your investments and wealth plan takes on a heightened sense of urgency this year. Stock prices are down, interest rates are up, the pandemic is still lurking and inflation hovers at a four-decade high. Add the looming retirement for many boomers, as well…
Read More “Opinion: 10 things to talk about with your financial adviser” »
The first half of 2022 has been a historically bad stretch for markets, and the carnage hasn’t been limited to stocks. As stocks and bonds have sold off in tandem, investors who for years have relied on the 60-40 portfolio – named because it involves holding 60% of one’s assets in stocks, and the remaining…
Ever since the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA in an antitrust case in 1984 and invalidated its national television contracts, college sports programs have been realigning among athletic conferences in search of larger television contracts. Athletic conferences used to be based on geographic proximity and academic affinity. Why, after all, if schools really cared…
Read More “Opinion: Say good-bye to the Power 5; it’s now all Big Ten and SEC” »
Paid medical debt is rolling off consumer credit reports in an overhaul that the credit bureaus say will improve people’s financial wellbeing. In a time of rising interest rates and increased costs with the pandemic’s scariest days hopefully done, for some it can’t come a moment too soon. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are dropping the…
In bear markets, winnings tend to go to investors who focus on fundamentals, not fads, and who pick stocks based on traditional business principles rather than the latest experimentation in finance or society. Many stock investors are sidelined today, facing crushing losses in crypto or tech, and a general bruising across equities. They’re confused by…
Now may be a good time to do a Roth conversion. But, contrary to an argument that’s popular right now in financial planning circles, “the factors that make such a conversion a good or bad idea have nothing to do with the fact that the stock market is so much lower than where it stood…
If you head to your local pool or beach this Fourth of July weekend, don’t be surprised to find that it’s closed: A lifeguard shortage of epic proportions is playing havoc with that sacred summer ritual of going for a swim. As has been widely reported, cities and towns across the US are unable to…
Read More “Beach or pool closed? 6 reasons why there’s lifeguard shortage this summer” »
“Stranger Things” is no stranger to shilling things. The fourth season of the hit Netflix series continues the show’s tradition of featuring countless consumer brands front and center. The main characters are dipping into jars of Jif peanut butter, playing games of Dungeons & Dragons, or sporting a cool Levi’s denim vest. And let’s not…
