Searching for the Goldilocks Economy Provided by Marc Aarons Last week, the Federal Reserve took an aggressive stance toward inflation by raising the key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point.  A move unseen since 1994. With consumer prices soaring, pushing short-term rates higher is the Fed’s attempt to slow economic growth and rein […]

The Behavior Gap and Your Financial Health How might it affect you? Provided by Marc Aarons   “It turns out my job was not to find great investments but to help create great investors,” writes Carl Richards, author of “The Behavior Gap.” From increasing our budget mindfulness to taking a steadier approach to investing, Richards […]

Creating a Retirement Strategy Most people just invest for the future. You have a chance to do more. Provided by Marc Aarons   Across the country, people are saving for that “someday” called retirement. Someday, their careers will end. Someday, they may live off their savings or investments, plus Social Security.  They know this, but […]

Rehearsing for Retirement Try living as a “retiree” for a month or two before you commit to leaving your career.   Provided by Marc Aarons   Imagine if you could preview your retirement in advance. In a sense, you can. Financially and mentally, you can “rehearse” for the third act of your life, while still […]

Couples Retiring on the Same Page Agreeing about what you want from retirement is crucial.   Provided by Marc Aarons   What does a good retirement look like to you? Does it resemble the retirement that your spouse or partner has in mind? It is at least roughly similar? The Social Security Administration currently projects […]

What is an Annuity? What you should know about them. Provided by Marc Aarons   Individuals hold about $2.5 trillion in annuity contracts; a tidy sum considering an estimated $12.2 trillion is held in all types of IRAs.1 Annuity contracts are purchased from an insurance company. In exchange, the insurance company makes regular payments to […]

Should You Downsize for Retirement? Some retirees save a great deal of money by doing so; others do not.   Provided by Marc Aarons   You want to retire, and you own a large home that is nearly or fully paid off. The kids are gone, but the upkeep costs haven’t fallen. Should you retire […]

THE RETIREMENT REALITY CHECK Little things to keep in mind for life after work.   Presented by Marc Aarons      Decades ago, there was a book entitled What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School. Perhaps someday, another book will appear to discuss certain aspects of the retirement experience that go unrecognized – […]

Will the GDP Report Suggest a Recession?   The advanced report on first-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was just released.   Perhaps no other economic report this year will be more scrutinized.   Those looking for economic clues that could signal a recession will undoubtedly dissect the GDP report like a CSI team in a lab. […]

Inflation Creeping into Personal Finances Provided by Marc Aarons   If you have a balance on a credit card or an adjustable rate mortgage, you might be noticing changes in your payments. Higher interest rates are starting to ripple through the personal finance landscape, and it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon. […]