Blog

What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends, you can read about it here. And once in a while, we may throw in a movie review or some other surprise. So keep checking in. We’re glad to have you reading along.

 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Since we haven't been able to catch a movie in New Jersey lately, I thought it would be fun to reminisce. On July 28, 1978, National Lampoon's Animal House was released in theaters. With a mere $3 million dollar budget, the movie has...

 

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

July 21 is National Junk Food Day! This is the one day a year to stray from our healthy diets and indulge in our favorite treat! Reading this blog a little late? That's okay, we won't tell! So, grab your favorite snack or treat and...

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Today is tax day! For those who have not filed yet, hopefully, you or your CPA submitted the proper extension request forms for a little extra time. This week also kicks off earnings season starting with the big banks. Please enjoy...

 

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

In a holiday-shortened week, stock prices turned higher as encouraging economic data outweighed an increase in COVID-19 cases and a rollback in economic re-openings.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.25%, while the Standard &...

 

Friday, July 3, 2020

Dear I think we all need to recall the meaning of what it means to live in America, founded on the words WE THE PEOPLE. The recent demoralization of our nation's values and history that was seen by millions with riots NOT peaceful...

 

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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Please enjoy this edition of my Weekly Market Insights Blog. It's a shortened trade week as the stock exchanges observe the fourth of July this Friday. A jump in COVID-19 cases dampened investor enthusiasm last week, sending stock...

 

Thursday, June 25, 2020

NEW, Short WEBINAR: Your Retirement After the Pandemic & 5 Factors You Need to Know I did a short webinar this week and wanted to share it with you. I covered the following: COVID-19: A Look at Your Financial Risk 5 factors driving...

 

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Happy summer! It's hard to believe we are almost half way through 2020. It's been a strange year to say the least. I'm hopeful that we have a more optimistic second half of the year. Broad markets have been stable the last few trading...

 

Thursday, June 18, 2020

My mother was a million dollar real estate agent back in the 1970's through the mid-1980's. When she saw the retirement writing on the wall, she decided to buy a piece of land in the Naples area of Florida about 10 years before she...

 

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Yesterday, New Jersey restaurants got the green light to open their doors for outdoor dining only. This seems positive even though several other states saw an uptick in positive virus cases including Arizona, Texas and Florida 7....

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

As more and more states begin to open up non-essential businesses as well as the passage of less strict requirements of PPP loan usage, the markets saw that as a favorable sign. Too bad New Jersey is still 2-4 weeks behind the rest of...

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Many people who thought they had a viable retirement plan in place in early 2020, have found themselves watching the stock market cautiously. Gratefully, things have improved in the last several weeks. That said, with everything else...

 

Monday, June 8, 2020

When I first saw this email, I was confused what a Homograph was. When I read it, I couldn't help but laugh because it shows how complex our language really is! Anyway, Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one...

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

I think we need a time machine right now, like the one that was in the old TV series with James Darren, The Time Tunnel. After all, the two characters, Tony and Doug become participants in past events such as the sinking of the Titanic...

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Hello Friends, Clients & Colleagues, In recent days, we have watched as outraged and frustrated protesters spilled out into the streets of American cities. Across our communities, unhealed wounds have been brought vividly to our...

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Of all the TV watching I did over the last two months it never occurred to me to watch movies about pandemics. Hmm… You know, like in THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971), where the key to defeating the virus, was in finding what the two...

 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Hello Everyone! New Jersey gets the go ahead to hold high school graduation ceremonies and begin professional sports events. Traders took to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange since it shut down in March. Airlines still losing...

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

As we head into the Memorial Day Weekend, we hope that you and your families can enjoy this time together and continue to stay safe and healthy. We recently received a request from our local Boy Scout troop of which both my son's are...

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

When your grandparents retired a few decades ago, they may have spent a considerable amount of time sitting on the front porch or putting together jigsaw puzzles on the living room coffee table. But that’s not the case anymore...

 

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

My father-in-law is 96. Kirk Douglas was 103 and his wife is 102. Olivia de Havilland is 102. It is estimated that there are currently living 150 to 600 people alive who have reached 110 years old. 1 As our lifespan has increased, it...

 

Saturday, May 9, 2020

I don’t know about you, but I keep feeling like Bill Murray in that movie, Groundhog Day, where my alarm keeps going off and I live the same day, every day. As sure as the sun will rise and set, this morning and the previous 2...

 

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

As Baby Boomers make their way through their “next 50 years,” eating right and exercising have become essential components for many – and to aid with a long list of issues, such as digestion, stamina, and weight loss,...

 

Thursday, March 5, 2020

I think about being 63 sometimes and subtract years from it to remember a time in the past to feel how fast the time has flown. My sister and I used to talk about how old we would be in 2000. I said I’d be 43. I won’t say...

 

Friday, February 21, 2020

Back in the early 2000's I became my mother's primary caretaker after she had a major stroke. Over the next few years she did recover quite well and moved into a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CRCC). She went from Independent...

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

It is if you’re saving money in tax-advantaged accounts like traditional IRAs and/or employer-sponsored retirement accounts like a 401(k) or 403(b) plan. That’s because in most cases, your contributions that go into these...

 

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Even if you were a gold medal athlete in your younger years, it can be difficult to maintain a regular exercise routine as we get older. One barrier is simply finding the time – particularly if you are still working at a full-...

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your ideal retirement. What do you see? Are you and your spouse relaxing in your new beach house - the home that you've both been imagining for many years? Or, does your dream take you...

 

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

As you prepare to retire, you may have started wondering how much money you will receive each month from your Social Security retirement income benefits. You may also have concerns about whether or not you will get any benefit from...

 

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

A brand new year – and even better yet, a brand new decade – is always a good time to review past accomplishments and to plan ahead for the future. This is particularly the case for many Baby Boomers who are anticipating...

 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Well, the Holiday season is in Full Swing. Have you been shopping online by any chance?How The Hacker Stole Christmas If so, this blog post may interest you...and please shoot me an email if you want more information. For starters, do...

 

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Thanksgiving IS a binge-fest. Ever wonder why we not only allow, but plan to give in to our gluttonous selves on the last Thursday of November? Why is Thanksgiving all about the pumpkin pie? The puffed appetizers? The black Friday...

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

While there are many ways to save and accumulate assets for our future retirement, for us boomers, this was just the beginning - it is just one of the two key parts of the overall retirement picture. The first part, where we have been...

 

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and it made me want to go to the Memorial Park where my parents are buried. One of the things that I learned from my relationship with them was too try to be grateful under almost any circumstance because...

 

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

When Spring comes, it melts the Winter snows. That's a fact. Likewise, freezing your credit will prevent thieves from stealing your identity. That was a fact, but maybe not so much anymore. With all the breaches that have occurred in...

 

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

I can kick myself for some of the dumb mistakes I have made in my life. Maybe you feel like that too? Well, we all have heard that history has a way of repeating itself… Maybe we should pay attention to that! Here's what I mean....

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

When my mom was 79 years old, she had a massive stroke and it took 2 years to her life back to "almost normal". During that time I was her primary caretaker, which did have its ups and downs. I tell you that to tell you that this...

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Based on my last post, the question arises "What can we do to protect my phone being hacked?" Well, I'm glad you asked! Let's start with... The Many Dangers of Having Your Cell Phone Hacked Kathy had just hung up from an important, and...

 

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

In 2004 my bank account was hacked and I was so amazed that someone could get past the protection of one of the world's largest bank's security system. So I became an avid student of Identity theft and the purpose of this two-part...

 

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Big news! As most of you know, we have chosen to use TD Ameritrade as our firm's account custodian. We originally chose them over other institutions for a wide range of reasons including their award winning technology as well as their...

 

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Today we will focus primarily on Original Medicare- parts A and B. We will also take a look at Medicare Supplements. Original Medicare was never intended to cover all of a retiree’s health expenses, similar to how Social Security...

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Why Baby Boomers Absolutely Need a Will, Living Will and Power of Attorney Here’s a secret, but it’s between you and me okay? I used to go and get my haircut at different salons when my hair started to go grey in my mid-...

 

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Somewhere along the way you might have heard somebody say: “Man, I hadn’t thought of it that way. I hadn’t heard that before. I hadn’t seen that perspective before.” Maybe you learned something. Whatever...

 

Sunday, August 18, 2019

If you are reading this blog post, chances are you are at that point in life where you need to make some decisions about your retirement healthcare. The purpose of this blog is to give a quick overview of what I call "Medicare Alphabet...

 

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Did you know that the burger chain FIVE GUYS* is the most reviewed restaurant in the world and has grown from one store in Arlington, Virginia back in 1986 to more than 1500 locations in recent years?*Their secret is their focus....

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

We have seen this mistake made more often than you'd expect.

 

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision Whether through inertia or trepidation, investors who put off important investment decisions might consider the admonition offered by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Almost any decision...

 

Friday, June 1, 2018

Many of us grew up with the concept that making regular, periodic contributions to our retirement account was a sound investment strategy. The idea was that, in a fluctuating market, regularly investing a set amount would enable an...