Investing Can Be Like Playing a Game of Monopoly
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:27
Originally posted on April 29, 2015
Remember playing Monopoly with your kids or as a kid? It’s a game of strategy and most of us choose one of two ways to go. The first way is to spend most of our cash on a high-end property like Park Place or Boardwalk in the hopes that we will score a big profit when the other players land there. The other strategy is to purchase a combination of high-rent and low-rent properties to spread out our investments.
Let’s go through some data that will prove, historically speaking, that a diversified portfolio is a better way to invest than simply the S&P 500 Index. In keeping with my Monopoly metaphor, this would be akin to purchasing various valued properties and not just the most expensive rents.
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Alternative Investments: Risk or Savior?
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:10
Originally posted on June 3, 2015
We all know it’s natural for the market to go up and down. But when you have hard-earned cash invested in that market, those ups and downs can sometimes weigh heavily on your emotions. The downs can cause stress, self-doubt, and more importantly, a smaller investment account. While the ups can sometimes make you feel smart, wealthy, and confident. The successful investor knows how to handle his or her emotions when dealing with a prolonged bull market or when the inevitable happens and she is stuck in what seems like a never-ending bear market.
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Emotions and Investing: Keep your Poker Face
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:43
Originally posted on June 25, 2015
We all know it’s natural for the market to go up and down. But when you have hard-earned cash invested in that market, those ups and downs can sometimes weigh heavily on your emotions. The downs can cause stress, self-doubt, and more importantly, a smaller investment account. While the ups can sometimes make you feel smart, wealthy, and confident. The successful investor knows how to handle his or her emotions when dealing with a prolonged bull market or when the inevitable happens and she is stuck in what seems like a never ending bear market.
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Enough is as Good as a Feast
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:41
Originally posted on July 30, 2015
“Enough is as Good as a Feast.” This was the quote at the end of an e-mail I received the other day and it intrigued me. It would be such a simple way to live, having just enough of everything you need—no more, no less. The problem is, when it comes to money, many people are unable to define “enough.” John D. Rockefeller purportedly was once asked, "How much money is enough?" He candidly replied, "Just a little bit more."
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Suitability vs. Fiduciary Standards…It Matters!
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:38
Originally posted on Tues, August 23, 2016
If you are anything like us, you are always busy -- right?
We tend to make time for what is most important to us but never seem to be able to achieve everything we want to accomplish. I’m sure there are things you would like to learn if you had the time to train or study. For example, playing a musical instrument or speaking (another) foreign language are probably popular bucket list items.
Personally managing your hard-earned wealth may be another. However, determining if you should manage your investments, in our opinion, boils down to three simple criteria: time, training and temperament.
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Federal Long Term Care Insurance - Why Did My Premiums Increase??
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF®, and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:31
Originally posted on Tue, August 16, 2016
Last week we met with a long-time client who retired from the federal government. Prior to retiring, she had the foresight to purchase the long term care insurance offered through the federal government (FLTCIP). However, she and (we) were shocked to find out about the most recent increase in this program’s costs – over 125%!!
In terms of the “sticker shock,” there will be an average increase to your monthly insurance premium of 83%, or $111, for those that opt not to change their coverage. John Hancock Life & Health recognizes that not all policyholders will be able to afford this change; therefore they have provided a personalized letter indicating the various options available to maintain the premium at the current level. Ultimately, this change will take effect on November 1, 2016 for affected policyholders, and there is a September 30th, 2016 deadline to review and choose your option.
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Are You a Disciplined Investor?
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 15:02
Originally posted on August 19, 2015
Discipline is an easy word to say (in comparison to, well, Worchester) but requires a mental strength that some of us simply can’t overcome when it comes to certain topics. So what is the secret to becoming a disciplined saver, athlete, student, or whatever it is you want to do? How do some people have the discipline to exercise five to six days a week? How do people have the discipline to do the hard things in life?
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No Day at the (Information Security) Breach
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 14:54
Watch out – Your Medicare Premiums May Soar!
Posted by Posted by By Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 14:41
Originally posted on October 29, 2015
If you are a Medicare beneficiary who has your Part B premiums directly withheld from Social Security (SS), you are safe. Because if you are in this boat, you aren’t required to pay any premium increases at all next year since you legally have a safe haven. You are “held harmless” against increases since you can only experience increases in your Medicare Part B premiums up to the social security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and there was no COLA adjustment this year!
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All I Want for Christmas is My Identity Back
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 14:36