Who Plans to Retire Early?
We often joke that our job was created because of increasing life expectancies and pensions seldom being offered. Obviously, finance and investing have become more complicated over time and there is an ever-increasing number of investment vehicles and planning strategies to help our clients choose between. We also understand there is great value placed in […]
Planning for “Fixed” Income During Retirement
Fixed Income in retirement can come from many different sources of assets. It may be a pension, real estate rental income, bond/CD ladder, annuity, Social Security, or even an income-yielding individual bond. In all scenarios, using “fixed” income as retirement income comes with many different benefits and risks. While it is very situationally dependent, in […]
Planning for RMDs
The vast majority of people save the bulk of their retirement funds in qualified retirement accounts (401ks, 403bs, etc.) and IRAs. Through regular saving and long-term growth of the investments inside these accounts, a typical account holder hopes to develop some type of an income stream during their retirement years. According to the US Census […]
Evaluating Pension Options
Each year we are seeing fewer workers covered by a company pension plan. Overwhelmingly companies are trending away from the traditional pension- a defined benefit, to a defined contribution plan like a 401k. By and large employers have decided that guaranteeing a retirement income is too expensive. If you are lucky enough to be in […]
Determining a Healthy Withdrawal Rate
One of the more arduous tasks facing retirees and soon-to-be retirees is trying to determine how much money can be withdrawn from retirement accounts each year without running out – yet not skimping yourself either. Solving this puzzle has become even more challenging given today’s low interest rate environment and tempered expectations for future investment […]
Benefits of Multiple Income Streams at Retirement
In our second Atheneum article for this quarter’s Retirement Income subject, we discuss the benefit of having multiple income streams during retirement. To understand the advantage of having multiple income streams, it is important to first understand one of the most important factors that affects portfolio longevity when taking income: sequence risk. According to Investopedia, […]
The Importance of Tax Diversification
When most people think of diversification, they primarily focus on a proper mix of portfolio assets. As we have noted in the past, we target an asset mix of non-correlating assets for our clients. This could include stock, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, REITs, etc. However, one area of diversification that is often ignored is […]
Retirement Savings
One of the most fundamental jobs of the financial planner is to assist our clients with retirement savings. How much do you need to save? Which account types should you use? Given multiple options, where should you save your money first? The following articles discuss these and other questions relating to retirement savings. Are […]
Cash Flow Planning
The Ballast Atheneum is a collection of our thoughts on the twelve most important topics in financial planning. Today, the focus is on Cash Flow. Cash flow planning is perhaps the most fundamental building block of financial planning. You need to have the money in to cover required expenses, entertainment, and saving for future […]
Retirement Savings
The Ballast Atheneum is a collection of our thoughts on the twelve most important topics in financial planning. Today, the focus is on Insurance. A fundamental job of a financial planner is to assist clients with retirement savings. How much do you need to save? Which account types should you use? Given multiple options, where […]
Estate Planning
The Ballast Atheneum is a collection of our thoughts on the twelve most important topics in financial planning. Today, the focus is on Estate Planning. Estate planning is no longer reserved exclusively for the ultra-wealthy. An estate plan is an integral part of any sound financial plan. Whether it’s a last will, a simple testamentary […]
Planning Opportunities with SECURE Act 2.0
SECURE Act 2.0 is good for retirement savers. Key Takeaways: RMD Age Delayed from 72 to 73, then 75 for those born in 1960 & later Expanded Roth savings opportunities Expanded savings opportunities, especially for pre-retirees It’s becoming a holiday tradition. On the morning of Christmas eve, I sat down to a cup […]
