HAHN: Reflecting on lessons learned in 2020
I hope you take time to reflect on your personal priorities, what positive habits you have developed or been forced to adopt and make changes that will help you reach your goals.
I hope you take time to reflect on your personal priorities, what positive habits you have developed or been forced to adopt and make changes that will help you reach your goals.
The stress of 2020 could really mess with your decision-making and good financial intentions.
While it might not be possible for you to singlehandedly change the corporate culture, there are things you have control over.
The pandemic has highlighted the fragility of many Americans’ financial situations. We need to start prioritizing saving and self-reliance.
Investment returns are driven by basic economic fundamentals: corporate earnings, economic growth, interest rates and many factors outside the control of any particular administration.
The retirement savings crisis has been growing for several years. The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the impact.
In addition to my business review, I am taking the time to look at where I am personally.
We all have varying levels of human capital, and our mindset determines how we use and enhance that capital.
In economics, there are only three ways to produce income—land, labor and capital. If you want to stop laboring [retire, reach financial independence, whatever], you need to acquire the other two.
Tricksters abound in times of crisis. They are opportunistic and clever. As the COVID-19 outbreak advances, so do their efforts.
At some point, the uncertainty will be resolved. The fear will be tougher to dampen.
The challenge is to create a spending strategy that allows individuals to optimize spending over an uncertain time frame without depleting a portfolio.
Every situation is different, but some objective measures can be used as a snapshot and tracked over time to measure progress.
Between all the holiday parties and batches of eggnog, there are some financial tasks to check off your list before Dec. 31.
The estimated median household savings of retirees is $75,000. About 9% do not have any savings, 31% have savings of less than $50,000, and only 38% have savings of $100,000 or more.
While there are substantial benefits to electronic trading, there are ethical concerns.
As a long-term investor, I like the fact that the earnings on my money will not be taxed when withdrawn.
While not every purchase will bring great happiness, five principles of money will help answer, “Am I getting the biggest bang for my buck?”
As I read and learned more about handling money and finances, I was able to see how my actions undermined my long-term goals, and I was able to make changes.
My clients and I spend a lot of time working on the balancing act of spending enough while they are healthy vs. saving for the possibility of living longer.