Investment Risks and Taxes

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No investment is completely free of risk.

When it comes to investing, it’s critical to understand that no investment is 100% safe and all investments come with risk. Unlike when you store your money in a savings account, investing has no guarantees that you’ll earn a return. When you invest, experiencing a financial loss is a possibility.

Investing means that you’re putting your money to work into a financial asset in the expectation of getting a positive return. Yet, where there’s the chance of financial gain, there’s always going to be the chance of a financial loss. Investment risk and investment reward are two sides of the same investing coin.

On the other hand, saving — which is basically parking your money in an account so it’ll keep its value.

Some investments are considered safer than others, but no investment is completely free of risk, because there’s more than one kind of risk, according to SoFi.

Different Types of Risk

Investors who choose products and strategies to avoid market volatility may be leaving themselves open to other risks, including:

  • Inflation risk – An asset could become less valuable as inflation erodes its purchasing power. If an investment is earning little or nothing (a certificate of deposit or savings account, for example), it won’t buy as much in the future as prices on various goods and services go up.
  • Interest rate risk – A change in interest rates could reduce the value of certain investments. These can include bonds and other fixed-rate, “safe” investment vehicles.
  • Liquidity risk – Could an asset be sold or converted if the investor needs cash? Collections, jewelry, a home, or a car could take a while to market—and if the owner is forced to sell quickly, the price received could be lower than the asset is worth. Certain investments (certificates of deposit, some annuities) also may have some liquidity risk because they may offer a higher return in exchange for a longer term, and there may be a penalty if the investor cashes out early.
  • Tax risk – An investment could lose its value because of the way it’s taxed. For example, different types of bonds may be taxed in different ways.
  • Legislative risk- A change in law could lower the value of an investment. For example, if the government imposes new regulations on a business, it could result in higher costs (and lower profits) for the company or affect how it can serve its customers. Or, if taxes go up in the future, savers who put all or most of their money into tax-deferred accounts [IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.] could end up with a hefty tax bill when they retire.
  • Global risk – An investment in a foreign stock could lose value because of currency problems, political turmoil, and other factors.
  • Reinvestment risk – When an investment matures (think CDs and bonds), the investor might not be able to replace it with a similar vehicle that has the same or a higher rate of return.

Taxes

“Worried about an IRS audit? Avoid what’s called a red flag. That’s something the IRS always looks for. For example, say you have some money left in your bank account after paying taxes. That’s a red flag.” Jay Leno

Taxes are a key consideration for investors – and not one that investors might think about when logging into their brokerage account. Yes, $0 trades are exciting, but don’t forget about taxes — which are an investors “biggest expense” or every traders “silent partner”.

The key to taxes is to not just think about taxes in tax season, because there’s not that much you can do besides contribute to an IRA.

When it comes to tax planning, most of it has to be done before the year is over. One strategy that’s very useful is tax-loss harvesting. Essentially, it allows investors with any sort of investment losses to use that to offset any gains, reducing the amount of taxes owed.

Investors can use the tax-loss harvesting proceeds to buy something else, and it can even be very similar. Or they can use the money to rebalance. “Don’t hesitate to take losses and use them to your advantage,” said Hayden Adams, director of tax and financial planning at Charles Schwab. “You’re likely to have losses and tax-loss harvesting is a great way to rebalance to get back to proper risk tolerance.”

The key for investors is to know the rules and work within them.

References:

  1. https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/what-is-a-safe-investment/
  2. https://www.businessinsider.com/safe-investments
  3. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-new-stock-traders-need-to-know-and-do-before-the-end-of-the-year-192426159.html

Letter from a Dead Husband|

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If something tragic were to happen to you, would your surviving family members be able to manage the family finances without you? Motley Fool

Devoted husband Bob Hassmiller asked himself this same question because he was concerned that his spouse wouldn’t be able to take care of the household finances if he passed away, according to an article posted by Motley Fool.

So he wrote his spouse a letter, called “A Letter From Your Dead Husband,” that he updated every year. This letter was a document that contains information and instructions to help your loved ones make sense of their financial life after you die. If something happened to him, his wife would have the letter providing detailed instructions about where to find everything she needed.

In Hassmiller’s “Letter From Your Dead Husband”, he included things that were important to him. Additionally, in the letter, he described why this is important and meaningful, both for him and his spouse.

But, before you begin, spend some time thinking about how you’d like to structure your letter. Do you want to create a giant table or spreadsheet in a program like Excel? Or do you prefer typing out instructions in a word processor? Maybe you want to use a hybrid of both approaches.

Before discussing the topics to include in your letter, keep in mind that federal and state laws often differ depending on where you’re located. Please use this as a basic guide — but financial and estate experts recommend you do your own research.

Have an introduction

Although it may seem self-explanatory, your letter should describe why this is important and meaningful, both for you and whomever you leave behind.

This is a good place to list the contact info for those who are part of your “financial team” (attorney, financial planner, executor, etc.).

You should also include the locations of your personal documents (Quicken files, utility bills, tax returns, etc.), as well as the locations of any legal documents and the names of anyone else who has copies. Don’t forget to include access instructions for safes, alarms, and websites.

Break down your accounts

List all the accounts that hold your money, including the account numbers. Leave no account unidentified! Be sure to note what is and isn’t automatically paid. You can also include a section for recurring and automatic payment accounts that your spouse may wish to stop — things such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, home loans, insurance, and others. Some types of accounts to consider include savings, checking, money market, CDs, brokerage accounts, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, Roth IRA), and FSAs (health and dependent care).

List out your assets

Provide the physical locations of your non-monetary items that have value. Include identifying information such as license plates, VINs, insurance appraisals, etc.. Some assets to consider are real estate, personal property (autos, motorcycles, jewelry, artwork, etc.), stock or bond certificates held outside brokerage accounts, what’s owed you (money, goods, or services), business interests, Social Security income, and pension income.

Explain your liabilities

List all the debt or other liabilities in this section. List everything you owe, with account numbers and information about automatic payments, if applicable. Be sure to identify debts held in your name alone separately from what is held jointly by you and another person (spouse, business partner, etc.).

Liabilities to consider are credit card accounts, home equity loans or lines of credit, student loans, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, business loans, and money, goods, or services you owe someone.

Run through your insurance

People sometimes forget how many different types of insurance they have. If you have minor children, it is wise to review your insurance needs about every three years. And be sure to list the term/renewal date of any insurance.

Some insurances to consider are life, health, disability, vehicle, home or renters, and property (you know, for Aunt Gertrude’s rubies that nobody wants to wear).

Collect your legal documents

Provide the locations of all your legal or other important documents, as well as who has hard copies.  Legal documents should include a will, a living will, instructions for final arrangements, trusts or a living trust, power of attorney, medical power of attorney or an advance directive, financial power of attorney, and account names and locations of any passwords.

You can also use this section to address the general disposition of your assets when you die.

Share your financial roadmap
Use this section to provide a summary of your existing finances. You want to give your spouse a general overview of how your finances are set up, what your short- and long-term goals are, and how those may change once you’re gone. Along with a net-worth summary and a list of all our investments.

List trusted financial advisor and their telephone number, especially if you have allowed your investments to become complicated.

Plan for your spouse’s future, and end with love
Your can dictate the disbursement items or money that you feel strongly about. But many people choose to leave everything in bulk to a spouse, giving them the flexibility to spend as they see fit. So make your general wishes known, and include any special instructions.

End your letters with a statement of love. Your completing this letter speaks of all the wonderful times you’ve planned for your future. The document should require only minimal “tweaking” in the future, though it should be a yearly reminder to you and your spouse that financial planning, too, is a sign of your love.

There’s no “right” way to write your letter, so do what makes sense for your family. Remember, this document is for them — make sure they’re comfortable using it!

References:

  1. https://www.fool.com/retirement/letter.aspx
  2. file:///C:/Users/ebrow/Downloads/DeadLetterChecklist.PDF

 

Meme Stock Risks

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“There’s a problem with the memes (a stock that has gone viral online, drawing the attention of retail investors) because the people who are investing will lose a very substantial amount of money.” Thomas Peterffy

Definition:  A meme stock is a stock that has seen an increase in volume not because of the company’s performance, but rather because of hype on social media and online forums like Reddit. For this reason, these stocks often become overvalued, seeing drastic price increases in just a short amount of time.

The big problem with the so-called “meme”stock, which are assets powered higher on social-media sentiment and not on fundamentals, is that inexperienced investors will be saddled with real losses when stocks like AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC), and GameStop Corp. (GME), eventually come back down to Earth.

The escalation in the values of these companies, like AMC and GameStop, don’t align with their prospects for earnings or revenue in the near or midterm.“There’s a problem with the “memes” because the people who are investing will lose a very substantial amount of money,” Thomas Peterffy, founder and chairman of Interactive Brokers Group Inc., said.

Peterffy said that the good thing about the surge in memes is that it will likely bring more young investor into the fold, but they will likely learn a hard lesson in the process.

Selling Short and short squeeze

Selling short means investors are betting that the asset will fall in value. The investments in AMC and GameStop originally started out as organized short-squeezes by a cadre of individual investors who had identified that a number of companies were heavily shorted by hedge funds, according to MarketWatch. These individual investors surmised, correctly, that those stocks could be pressured higher if enough buyers collectively swooped in.

A short squeeze is when many investors looking to cover short positions start buying at the same time. The buying pushes the share price higher, making short investors accelerate their attempts to cover, which sends the shares spiraling higher in a frenzy.

Short sellers, who bet a stock will fall, provide potential fuel for stock rallies when they’re wrong. If the stock jumps, instead of falling, the short sellers are forced to buy the stock to stop their losses from growing.

Lesson learned

Trying to identify a fundamental narrative that can justify meme stocks’ price and market cap are admittedly difficult. Still, it is an exercise that might provide some insights for meme stock investors. Essentially, when the music stops for the meme stocks like AMC and GameStop, investors could be looking at big capital losses.

References:

  1. https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-meme-stock-5118074
  2. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/interactive-brokers-founder-says-problem-with-amc-entertainment-memes-peoplewill-lose-a-very-substantial-amount-of-money-11622836260
  3. https://www.investors.com/etfs-and-funds/sectors/amc-stock-rally-here-are-the-14-most-shorted-stocks-now-sp500/
  4. https://www.marketwatch.com/articles/buy-sell-amc-stock-51622844305

Financial Literacy – 7 Principles of Money Management

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“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll

Mastering personal finance requires more than a strategy of hope and ‘wishing for the best’—you have to look at your current financial situation holistically and come up with a financial plan for how to manage your money and how to achieve your goals. There are seven personal finance principles that are important for achieving financial success: mindset, budgeting, saving, debt, taxes, insurance, and investing for retirement.

1. Mindset – According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, your mindset plays a pivotal role in what you want and whether you achieve it. Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself; and, people are capable of changing their mindsets. Mindset influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. And, the first step on the path to financial success is believing you can change your financial circumstances, being accountable, and accepting responsibility for your current reality and financial future. You must embrace that you are in control of your financial future, and every choice you make and action you take can have an impact.

2. Budgeting, Financial Planning and Goal Setting – Budgeting helps you better understand how you spend your money and shows you ways to manage your money, pay off debts and save for future financial goals. Budgeting helps you better understand how you spend your money and shows you ways to manage your money, pay off debts and save for future financial goals. Whether you’re new to budgeting or you’ve tried it before and failed, understanding which steps to follow makes budgeting for beginners simpler.

Begin planning your monthly budget by figuring out how much you have coming in versus how much is going out every month. Ultimately, you want to end up with a blueprint that specifically breaks down your income and expenses, so you know how much you can spend and how much you can save each month.

Figuring out how to budget can be challenging. Avoiding these three common budgeting pitfalls:

  • Getting overwhelmed,
  • Having unrealistic expectations, and
  • Being too strict

Financial planning involves implementing strategies that help you reach your financial goals, be they short-term or long-term. The path to financial success involves planning. It is impossible to effectively manage your finances if you don’t know how much money you have available to spend or have a plan on how you want to spend, invest, and save. You need to create a road map by defining your financial goals.

“The great majority of people are “wandering generalities” rather than “meaningful specifics”. The fact is that you can’t hit a target that you can’t see. If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. You have to have goals.”  Zig Ziglar

Three essential keys to setting financial goals:

  • Be specific – define what you want to achieve and when. Goals can be short term (a few days, months, or a year) and long term (five, 10, or 15 years).
  • Be realistic – make certain your goals are attainable. Setting unattainable goals will only lead to disappointment when they are not achieved.
  • Write them down – keep records of your goals and mark off key milestones as you achieve them. Refer to this information from time to time. Writing down goals, reviewing them, and recording your progress can motivate you.

3. Credit and Debt – Understanding the way compound interest works is key to building wealth or avoiding crushing debt. Compound interest can work to your advantage as your investments grow over time, but against you if you’re paying off debt, like credit cards. Thus, make that compound interest work for you instead of against you.

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.” Albert Einstein

Compounding interest can be a powerful tool to have in your financial arsenal. It can be very beneficial in building wealth and in creating large sums of money over time if invested correctly. But unfortunately, there is a darker side to compounding interest – compounding debt.

Debt is rampant across the United States. According to the New York Federal Reserve, consumer debt was approaching $14-trillion in the third quarter of 2018. This includes mortgages ($9.14-trillion), auto loans ($1.65-trillion), student loans ($1.44-trillion), and credit card loans ($829-billion).  The thing about debt is that it eventually has to be paid. There is no such thing, economists like us tend to remind too often, as a free lunch.

Compound interest means reinvesting earned interest back into the principal of an investment Although investment returns aren’t guaranteed, compound interest can potentially help your investments grow exponentially over time.

If you don’t have credit already, start building it now! Many lenders consider not having credit just as bad as having bad credit. Many people in their 30s who have no credit think they have perfect credit because they’ve never had delinquent payments. They can’t have great credit, since they have no credit at all. Many people who are afraid of credit don’t actually understand credit. They may have a credit card, but never use it. Because they never use it, there is no history to report to the credit bureaus. In this case, they might as well not have the card at all, since creditors have no way of determining their credit trustworthiness.

4. Taxes – Being tax efficient with investments allows more money to be reinvested into a portfolio to grow over time. There are ways investments can be taxed and strategies for potentially minimizing tax burdens. Tax planning and financial planning are closely linked, because taxes are such a large expense item as you go through life. If you become financially successful, taxes will become your single biggest expense over the long haul. So planning to reduce taxes is a critically important piece of the overall financial planning process.

5. Saving and Emergency Funds – An emergency fund is 3-6 months of expenses set aside in the event of a job loss, car problems, a medical emergency, or other unexpected financial situations. An emergency fund should be kept in a liquid bank account like a savings account that is easy to access in the event of a financial emergency. An emergency fund is just one type of savings account that is “earmarked” or reserved for financial emergencies. Ensure your emergency fund is only used during financial emergencies so it can help you survive if you lose you source of income or your paycheck stops coming in.

6. Insurance and Risk Management – No one really wants to think about life insurance. But if someone depends on you financially, it’s a topic you can’t avoid. Getting life insurance doesn’t have to be hard (or boring). We have some answers to common questions about life insurance so that you can make informed decisions about protecting your loved ones financially. Have you ever wondered on your family would manage if something happens to you? Life insurance is important for protecting your loved ones if something happens to you.

7. Investing for Retirement – It should not be intimidating to start investing. There are five simple rules for building a long-term portfolio:

  • Contribute early and often
  • Minimize fees and taxes
  • Diversify your portfolio
  • Consider how much time you have
  • Focus on long-term goals

Financial Independence, Retire Early (F.I.R.E.) —is a growing movement of people who want to break free from relying on a job for income. Research has found several money management habits of financially independent people that can help you make the most of your money regardless of your financial goals.

References:

  1. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-mindset-2795025
  2. https://diversyfund.com/blog/compounding-debt-the-dark-side-of-compounding-interest/
  3. https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/understanding-the-way-compound-interest-works-is-key-to-building-wealth-or-avoiding-crushing-debt-heres-how-to-make-it-work-for-you/articleshow/78711610.cms
  4. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-beginners-guide-to-building-a-budget-2019-08-09?mod=article_inline

U.S. COVID-19 cases hit lowest point

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New COVID-19 infections are down in the U.S. to the lowest level since March 2020.

For the past 56 weeks, COVID-19 infections have been tracked nationwide. Currently, the case counts are low and the virus infection rate has been effectively contained.

By the numbers: The U.S. averaged roughly 16,500 new cases per day over the past week, a 30% improvement over the week before. according to the CDC. New cases declined in 43 states and held steady in the other seven.

The official case counts haven’t been this low since Americans went into lockdown in March last year. Overall, roughly 33 million Americans — about 10% of the population — have tested positive for COVID-19 and about 595,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S. since March 2020.

The virus is under control, nationwide and in every state, thanks almost entirely to the vaccines. Just over half of American adults are now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

As of May 27, 2021, nearly 133 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, and the national percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive over the last 7 days was less than 3%. This is one of the lowest rates the United States has seen since widespread testing began.

Effectively, the U.S. was never able to control the virus without vaccines. The risk is still high for unvaccinated people, as reported by the Washington Post. An average of about 500 Americans per day are still dying from COVID-19, almost all of them unvaccinated.

The U.S. has finally gotten the virus down to a level that just about every public health expert agrees is safe. Fewer than 20,000 cases per day, spread across the U.S. population of 331.5 million people, is a relatively low number of cases, and that number continues to improve every week.

Florida

Florida has more total cases per day — about 1,800, on average — than any other state. But again, that’s spread over a state with over 20 million people, and its numbers are improving just like the rest of the country’s. Florida’s daily case counts fell by 25% just this week.

The bottom line: Cases in the U.S. are low, and they’re likely to stay low. The FDA approved for emergency use vaccines work. They’ve brought COVID-19 infection cases to their lowest levels, and because that improvement is the result of vaccines, there’s no reason to believe the virus will start gaining significant ground again any time soon.

References:

  1. https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-infections-vaccines-success-fa7673a1-0582-4e69-aefb-3b5170268048.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html

5 Money Moves | TD Ameritrade

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Miranda Marquit, Ticker Tape Contributor

The habits you develop with your money today can lay a foundation for your future wealth and financial success. So, you can set yourself up for future financial success by considering the following money moves:

1. Create a Budget

A good first move is to create a budget so you can direct your resources in a way that makes sense for you. Start by reviewing your past spending and income so you get an idea of how money moves in your personal financial situation.

Prioritize your expenses, starting with needs like housing, food, and transportation. Look at other financial goals you have, including paying down debt and saving for a down payment on a home. All these items should be considered, along with when and how much you expect to get paid.

By having a plan for conscientious spending, you can get more from your money in the long run.

2. Save for Retirement

The perfect time to start saving for retirement—even if you have outstanding debt–is now. If your employer offers a matching contribution to your tax-advantaged account—usually a 401(k)—take full advantage. That’s free money for you. Even if your company doesn’t offer a match, it’s still a good idea to save for retirement as early as possible. If you start setting money aside now, it has time to potentially grow using compounding returns. The longer your money is in a retirement account, the more likely you are to reach your wealth goals later.

Consider having your retirement contribution taken directly from each paycheck. Make it automatic and you won’t have to think about it going forward. Then when you tweak your budget, you can base that budget on your pay after your retirement contribution is already taken.

3. Build an Emergency Fund

With an emergency fund you’re more likely to avoid debt when something unexpected, like a car repair, comes up. Even if you only have a few bucks a week to set aside for emergencies, that can potentially help you in the long run. When you have an emergency fund, you can also gain peace of mind knowing you can cover unexpected costs that crop up.

Consider using a high-yield savings account or some other account for your emergency fund. Think about your needs and how you might need to access the money, then set up an account that’s likely to fit your style. The key here is to start with as much as you can and get in the habit of setting aside money for a rainy day. As your finances improve, you can increase how much you set aside for emergencies.

4. Pay off Student Loans

Kore than 40 million Americans have outstanding student loan debt. And, now is a good time to start paying off your student debt. First, check with your employer to find out if they have a student loan repayment program. Some companies will match your student loan payments, and others will simply put money toward student loan repayment for its employees. Find out if such a program exists in your company.

Next, figure out if you might need to get on an income-driven repayment plan if you can’t afford your payments. Student loan consolidation might also help you reduce your monthly payments. However, realize that being on income-driven repayment or using consolidation can cost you more in the long run because it lengthens the amount of time you have the debt.

Finally, don’t forget to look into student loan forgiveness. Depending on your job and your employer, you might be eligible for state and federal forgiveness programs. Find out what’s available to you and make a plan to meet the requirements so you can potentially get a break later.

If you aren’t eligible for forgiveness but can afford to put more toward your student loans, consider paying extra each month. You can also consider using a private refinance to reduce your interest rate and pay off your debt faster. Carefully think about your choices and what’s likely to work best for you.

5. Plan for Life and Financial Goals

Plan for tomorrow by setting financial goals today.

Don’t forget to set aside money for other goals. Get used to thinking ahead and creating a plan to save for items that are important to you. Whether it’s a down payment on a home, having a baby, going on vacation, or buying a car, think about how you want to direct your financial resources in the future.

You can save for multiple goals at once. Prioritize them by time frame and amount and look for ways to set aside money for them each pay period. 

In the end, one of the best things you can do for your financial future is get used to prioritizing your goals and directing your resources toward the things that matter most. It’s essential to put that money to work on your behalf and develop habits that will lead to financial stability in the long run.

References:

  1. https://tickertape.tdameritrade.com/personal-finance/new-graduates-first-job-money-habits-15330

Dividends and Income

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“Income and cash flow are the priority in retirement.”

A dividend is a payment made from a company to its shareholders – often quarterly, but sometimes monthly. Dividends are a way for shareholders to participate and share in the growth of the underlying business above and beyond the share price’s appreciation.

Dividends are cash payments made on a per-share basis to investors. For instance, if a company pays a dividend of 20 cents per share, an investor with 100 shares would receive $20 in cash. Stock dividends are a percentage increase in the number of shares owned. If an investor owns 100 shares and the company issues a 10% stock dividend, that investor will have 110 shares after the dividend.

When publicly traded companies have extra cash on hand, it gives the management team some flexibility and options. With some extra cash, they can:

  • Take that money and invest it back in the business – they might do that through expanding existing operations, building factories, possibly acquiring another company that can help them grow.
  • Take that money and buy back shares of its own company – this strategy reduces the number of ways ownership of the company is sliced up, increasing the ownership. or
  • They can pay out some of that money to people who own shares of the company as a way to “share the wealth” and reward them for owning the business (dividend)

Dividends vs. Bonds

Bonds are obligated to pay interest to bondholders on a regular basis, but there’s no obligation for a company to pay dividends. When income from dividend producing assets decline, retirees may realize they don’t have enough cash flow to pay all their expenses. In order to save cash, some non-essential expenses are often cut or eliminated.

Investors who rely on income, especially those in retirement, tend to gravitate to dividend stocks because bonds pay so little. They could be in for a big shock. Many steady dividends payers have said they will cut their dividends (AT&T) or eliminate them completely (Boeing). For people who live off of dividends, a severe cut would significantly affect the amount of money they have to live on.

Additionally, dividends are taxed at the more favorable capital gains tax rates. This can be an important benefit for retirees who likely don’t have a lot of write-offs,

Long-term investors should focus on total return (capital gains plus dividend income) when thinking about how to invest your retirement savings.

Dividends importance to total equity returns over the long term cannot be overstated. Ibbotson Associates data from 1927 to 2002 show that more than 40% of the compound annual growth of its large-cap equity index can be attributed to dividend payouts. That said, the contribution of dividends over shorter periods can exhibit a fair amount of disparity. Indeed, over the decades, it has ranged from a low of about 15% in the 1990s to a high of 71% in the 1970s.

Graphing the difference between ten-year compounded growth rates from dividends and capital appreciation for the years 1947 through 2002, a picture of alternating leadership begins to appear. Clearly, capital appreciation has been dominant in periods of lower inflation and stable interest rates due to the positive impact that it has on price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples. On the other hand, dividends have carried most of the burden of equity market returns in periods of higher inflation and volatile interest rates when P/E multiples were contracting.

Consider all streams of income — Social Security, pensions, IRAs, part-time work — when devising a broader strategy (and tax plan) for your retirement years. Given that “investors using dividend-paying stocks for income must have a strong constitution,” says Richard Steinberg, chief market strategist at The Colony Group.

Dividends are not guaranteed and are paid at the discretion of the board of directors. Unlike a bond, which must pay a contracted amount or be in default, the board of directors can decide to reduce the dividend or even eliminate it at any time.

References:

  1. https://money.usnews.com/investing/investing-101/articles/how-to-live-on-dividend-income
  2. https://money.usnews.com/investing/investing-101/articles/what-are-dividends-and-how-do-they-work

Building Wealth By Focusing on the Long Term

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Americans can build wealth and achieve financial security by following proven long term financial strategies and wealth building principles.

These fundamental financial principles include to live on less than they make, avoid debt, stay invested for the long term, have an emergency fund, and remain financially disciplined and responsible. Theses are just a few of the habits and principles of Americans who have built wealth and achieved financial security.

INVESTING WITH PURPOSE

Investing is a great way to grow your money, especially for long term goals like building assets for retirement. It is important to understand and accept that building wealth has little to do with income or background.  According to financial guru David Ramsey, “it doesn’t matter where you come from…it matters where you’re going.”

What it does take to build wealth and achieve financial security is saving and investing over a long period of time measured in decades, patience and a systematic approach that creates good wealth building habits.

When you’re planning for short- or medium-term financial goals, it may make sense to put your money in a savings account or short-term cash equivalent, such as a certificate of deposit. For longer-term goals (more than 3 years away), you want to start investing a portion of your money to accelerate the growth of your savings and net worth.

It is imperative that investors avoid the pitfalls of short term financial strategies, such as reacting to equity market volatility, chasing returns, timing the market and excess trading. Instead, the strategy and focus must for financial long-term goals like retirement.

Overall, our belief is that it does not require vast investing knowledge, a large income, a streak of good luck, or a huge inheritance to build wealth or become financially secure. It takes embracing proven long term financial strategies and wealth building principles, such as to stay invested and focus on the long term.

Longevity and long term health care costs in retirement are significant challenges that must be considered by Americans.

Focus on long-term financial habits and goals

The best investor isn’t necessarily the person with the most short term successes, but rather the one with the best process and judgment. To make money safely and steadily, it is not the companies we invest in were flawless, but “the price” was too favorable to those who invest in them.  This experience produced two of my most important observations:

  • Success in investing doesn’t come from buying good things, but from buying things well, and it’s essential to know the difference.
  • It’s not a matter of what you buy, but what you pay for it.

Investors should not spend all of their time picking outstanding companies that the prices they paid were too high.  Mostly winning companies appear as poor investments in the beginning.

We’re living longer, and the world’s population is aging rapidly. In fact, the number of persons aged 50 or above is expected to double to almost 3.2 billion by 2050, according to UN projections. It will transform the way all of us will live, both economically and socially.

With unprecedented spending power, our ability to work longer and to have different retirement expectations, today’s older generation will propel innovation and economic prosperity unlike before. Their collective needs and spending, an estimated $7 trillion and climbing, will drive certain sectors, products and investments, that will have a substantial impact and ripple effect on economic activity.

References:

Honor the Fallen on Memorial Day

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“Memorial Day is a day no American should ever forget the meaning of. This weekend, we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.”

by JOHN PETTIT, CUINSIGHT.COM

May 28, 2021

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. We owe the freedoms we have to those who have given their lives to preserve them.

On this Memorial Day, here are three ways you can honor those who gave everything for all of us:

  1. Follow Memorial Day etiquette with your flag: If you don’t have a flag on display at your house, this is the perfect weekend to do so. If you have a flag pole, fly your flag at half mast (to recognize those who’ve died in service) until noon and then raise it to its peak (to celebrate all who have served).
  2. Take a moment to reflect: The National Moment of Remembrance, first proclaimed in May 2000, asks Americans to pause for a duration of one minute at 3 pm local time on Memorial Day in order to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.
  3. Visit a memorial: There are many museums, memorials, and monuments located all over the country. Find one and take time to pay respect to the men and women who are honored by these symbols of gratitude.

Reference:

  1. https://www.cuinsight.com/3-ways-to-honor-the-fallen-on-memorial-day.html

5 principles to guide you on your financial journey

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“Think long-term when investing. When times are good, be grateful. When times are bad, be patient. Focusing on the long term is a winning strategy for all seasons.” Jack Brennan

You can’t control the markets, the economy, or the performance of an individual security, according to Jack Brennan, former CEO Vanguard Investments and author of “More Straight Talk on Investing”. You can, however, give yourself the best chance for investment success by taking ownership of your finances in a sensible way.

Here are 5 enduring lessons learned during Brennan’s tenure as Vanguard’s CEO:

Develop a financial game plan

First, establish clear, attainable goals and create a plan that will help you reach them. Be conservative in your projections about how fast your money will grow. By avoiding impractical saving or spending requirements, you can help keep your plan on track.

Become a disciplined saver

4 key words for building a secure financial future are “live below your means.” Make a habit of putting money away. If saving money doesn’t come naturally to you, find creative ways to make it a fun challenge. Consider what changes you’re willing to make to set aside a little more for your future.

Invest with balance and diversification

Create a sound investment strategy by choosing an asset allocation that uses broadly diversified funds and considers your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

Control your costs

While you can’t control the markets, you can control your investment costs and taxes.

The less you pay for funds, the greater your share of the investments’ returns. Be sure to avoid funds with high expense ratios.

To reduce taxes, consider tax-efficient investments like index mutual funds and ETFs. IRAs are another way to mitigate the impact of taxes.

Maintain a long-term perspective

Over time, you’ll experience both good and challenging times that can evoke various emotions. Resist the urge to make impulsive decisions. Taking a disciplined approach that keeps you focused on your long-term objectives is a winning strategy for all seasons.

Markets are unpredictable and investment fads come and go. Yet, it is not difficult to develop a sound investment program for the long term that manages risks and taxes by following these 5 enduring lessons learned.

References:

  1. https://investornews.vanguard/5-investing-principles-that-are-built-to-last/

Jack Brennan joined Vanguard in 1982 and served as chief executive officer from 1996 to 2008 and chairman of the board from 1998 to 2009. Currently, he serves as chairman emeritus and senior advisor. He’s been in the investment management business for nearly 40 years.