Now What?

The transition to retirement—rather than being an occasion for scaling back and becoming less engaged—can be the occasion for renewed productivity and creativity. The inspiration for today’s blog post is Norman Maclean, who at age 74, published his first novel,  A River runs through It.  Maclean said, “I started to write to fill a gap

Crossing the Threshold of Retirement

Hardly a week goes by without our having several discussions about the financial aspects of retirement.  This week we address some issues from the last several days. How much house can I afford?  The traditional rule of thumb—i.e., not more than 28% of your monthly income going for a mortgage payment—is not particularly helpful.  There

This Week with J. Mark Nickell & Co. – April 2, 2015

Investors concerned about recent market swings wonder if there’s any relief in sight.  The short answer:  not any time soon.  The Chief Investment Officer at Schwab, Liz Ann Sonders forecasts the near future for this secular bull market.  As tax deadlines approach, the IRS recently announced taxes collected from affluent taxpayers rose more than expected

At the edge of retirement

We’ve had a few conversations lately with clients on the edge of retirement or having recently crossed over to the other side.  A few articles this week shed light on several key issues. The Average Retirement Age—An Update.  Today’s average retirement ages of 64 for men and 62 for women are about the same as

Mom and Dad, we need to talk.

Serious illness and loss struck throughout our client base in 2014.  Indeed, we acquired a lifetime of experience in 2014 dealing with serious illnesses among family members. This week we share some of the wisdom acquired. Mom & Dad, we need to talk.  A family discussion on end of life care cannot wait until the

Preparing to retire in a low-return environment

Intriguing subject matter relating to retirement was the topic of several sessions at the AICPA Advanced Personal Financial Planning Conference held January 19-21, 2015.  This week we share some of the conference’s golden nuggets and more. Retiring in a Low-Return Environment.   Investment returns and retirement spending have been based on information drawn from the past. 

Life Satisfaction in Retirement

Intriguing subject matter relating to retirement was the topic of several sessions at the AICPA Advanced Personal Financial Planning Conference held January 19-21, 2015.  This week we share some of the conference’s golden nuggets. What makes for a Satisfying Retirement?  Although money matters, planning for a lifestyle can be equally important in order to get