It was the most dismal December in the market for many a decade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 650 points on a very Grinch-like Christmas Eve, while the S&P 500 dropped to just short of bear market territory, almost 20 percent below the peak levels set earlier in the year. The grim […]
Thinking Of A Life Care Community?
We took time out last week to visit John Knox Village (JKV), a Life Plan Community located to our south in Pompano Beach, Florida. As many of you may know, JKV is situated on 70 acres between Ft Lauderdale and Boca Raton, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Mari has been visiting clients who […]
Why Women Need To Take Charge Of Their Money
Fidelity CEO Abby Johnson has been called one of the most powerful women in finance, so it makes sense that she understands the financial power of women. Johnson noted in a recent interview that women control an increasingly large share of overall wealth in the United States, and when women begin shopping around for an […]
Why No One Likes IRMAA: Medicare’s Stealth Tax Targets Higher Income Retirees
We’ve gotten more than a few calls this week from clients about those nasty Medicare premium hikes. Specifically, we’re talking about increases in your Medicare premiums because the government says you made too much money. Here’s the scoop: All about IRMAA We’re talking about IRMAA (Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), which is an extra charge added […]
Quote Of The Week: You Can’t Afford To Skip This Ride
“Real risk lies in how we respond to the ups and downs in the market. Just because an investor doesn’t like the ups and downs of the stock market doesn’t mean that she can afford to skip the ride if she wants to meet her goals.” Ben Johnson, CFA, Director of Global ETF Research for […]
What Do Market Declines “Mean”? You May Be Surprised To Learn
“The market is down!” says the panicked caller. “What does that mean?” We’ve had more than a few of those calls recently with clients (and a few with relatives and friends too!). Of course, we never know what will happen in the future. But we do know that while some market declines foreshadow future problems, […]
Unnerved By Market Volatility? Read These 5 Tips
Just in case you weren’t paying attention to the news in October, here’s what you missed. The stock market went down. As you open your October statements, you’ll see evidence of the pullback in your account balances. But before you hit the panic button, here’s a few things to keep in mind. Pullbacks are normal. They […]
Take A Deep Breath. Market Pullbacks Are Normal.
Last week’s sudden market decline probably took more than a few investors by surprise. So perhaps this is a good time to remind everyone that market pullbacks are normal occurrences, taking place about once per year on average. (See our previous article Don’t Turn Market’s Temporary Pullbacks Into Permanent Losses.) It’s hard not to react emotionally […]
About Mari Adam, CFP®
Mari Adam, Certified Financial Planner™ has helped hundreds of individuals and families build wealth and plan for a more secure financial future for over 30 years. Her advice has appeared in publications such as Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Money Magazine, Business Week, and CBS MarketWatch.
