80/20 Financial Services-Blog

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Time is our most precious resource and I thank you for allowing me to get a few minutes of your time each week. I hope you find the blog helpful and informative. Send me an email if there is ever a topic you would be interested in learning more about. I will research it and write a future blog about it.

Should You Pay A Financial Advisor?

Typically, you pay an advisor the same reason you pay a mechanic to repair your car. If you wanted to repair it yourself, you probably could, but what's your time worth? Is that really what you want to do? Can you do it right? What is your strategy for doubling your income in retirement? What is your strategy for tax planning in retirement? What is your strategy for claiming Social Security in retirement? If you aren't sure of those answers, it would be wise to sit down and talk to an advisor about your retirement planning needs.

What Is Money?

March 25, 2024 Investment Retirement Funding

If we know that on average our money is losing a value of between 2-3% yearly, then we know that in 20 years from now our money will have lost about half of its value. Or simply put, in 20 years our cost of living will double. That means if you make $50,000 per year now, you’ll need to be making around $100,000 in 2041 to maintain the same standard of living you have today. So what is your plan in retirement to double your income in 20 years?

Inflation Is The Silent Killer Of Your Retirement Plan

February 26, 2024 Investment Retirement Funding

High Blood Pressure is often referred to as the silent killer of human beings. It has no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong. Many people don't even know they have it. It develops slowly over time and although it can't be cured but it can be managed. Your retirement plan has a similar killer...inflation.

The Secret To Successful Investing

January 14, 2024 Investment Retirement Funding Insights

The secret to investing is complex. There is no silver bullet, there is no pill to take, there is no hot new stock, etc. Everyday we are bombarded by advertisers trying to sell us quick fixes to complex problems.

Are Annuities A Good Investment Option For Your Retirement?

January 8, 2024 Investment Retirement Funding

If you are about to retire or already retired, chances are you've been approached or heard a pitch from an Annuity Salesman. (I'm referring to after market annuities in this blog. Not the annuity option available from your NRECA R&S Plan).

Don't Listen To The Serpent

March 20, 2023 Investment Retirement Funding Insights

In the Book of Genesis, God gives Adam and Eve authority over the earth, forbidding them of only one thing. They are forbidden from tasting the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And for a few moments, their innocence is perfect. Then it happens. They taste the fruit and commit the original transgression. And after that, everything bad and wrong with earthly life suddenly enters the world: sin, shame, struggle, sickness and death. They only made one little mistake, but it was the only mistake they couldn't afford to make.

How Long Do Bear Markets Last?

January 7, 2023 Investment Insights Misc.

Since 1948, there have been 10 Bear markets U.S. excluding the one we are in right now. The average number of years from the peak of the Bear market to the recovery, meaning the time it took for the S&P 500 to climb back to its previous highs was 3.9 years and the median/midpoint was 2.7 years. On five of those occasions, the market recovered in 2 years or less! In other words, market downturns feel much longer than they actually are.

Retiring From Your Cooperative This Year? Lump Sum or Monthly Pension?

October 12, 2022 Investment Retirement Funding

A 30 year retirement means more than likely facing many surprises with which a flat monthly payment isn't going to help. The lump sum option, invested properly, offers flexibility to meet those surprises, can be strategically invested to provide regular income, and most importantly could possibly change the lives of the loved ones you leave behind.

Is Gold A Good Investment Right Now?

February 24, 2022 Investment Insights

It seems that whatever I read, watch or listen to these days gets interrupted by a commercial with a current or former celebrity telling me I need to buy gold because of inflation, because Russia invaded Ukraine or because of (insert whatever manufactured crisis you want here). If I'm seeing this constantly then some of you are as well. So...let's talk about gold as an investment.

Can A 529 Plan Hurt Your Child's Chance Of Receiving Financial Aid?

January 20, 2022 College Planning Investment Insights

Good intentions sometimes have bad consequences. A perfect example can be opening a 529 plan for your child or grandchild. Depending on the financial situations of the parties involved the intentions of helping the child can possibly (key word is possibly) have the consequence of hurting the child chances of financial aid in the future. Let's explore how.

Are Your Investments Performing Well?

January 11, 2022 Investment Retirement Funding

Performance calculations for a portfolio on a monthly statement can be very complex and over a 30-year retirement even totally meaningless. Remember as long-term goal-focused investors, we don’t chase performance, we chase outcomes. If your portfolio is up 25% this month or year congratulations! But will that matter in 15 years if you run out of money??? Retirement is a marathon, not a sprint.

Should You Get Out Of The Market Because Of The National Debt?

September 30, 2021 Investment Retirement Funding Insights

Every night in the news or in any news article we read we hear about the government spending trillions of dollars on some new bill that's going to change the world. As our national debt snowballs it makes one wonder, will it affect your investments at some point?

Why Do Stocks Go Up?

August 5, 2021 Investment Insights

The long answer is stock prices are the world's way of appraising the value of the company in which they own stock. The most consistent and reliable signals of a companies value are the level and trends of it's earnings over time.

What Is A Bitcoin?

February 15, 2021 Investment Insights

I'm a financial advisor that specializes in retirement planning. My job is to align peoples investments with their goals in retirement. What I do isn't sexy and doesn't make the news but it works and it has for well over 100 years.

What Can We Learn From The GameStop Debacle?

February 2, 2021 Investment Retirement Funding Insights

"The majority, if not all, of financial input you get from the "news" is journalistic. And journalism by nature, stays in business by selling you the news which is timely, as opposed to the truth, which is timeless." Nick Murray

Is Robinhood Commission Free Investing Really Free? Spoiler Alert-It's Not.

November 16, 2020 Investment Insights

In short, Robinhood is an online trading platform that allows its customers to buy and sell stocks for free. They target rookie and novice investors by using gamification and of course everyone's favorite word...free. But is it really free? Let's break it down.