Wealth Management Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc.

Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) – Advantages and Pitfalls

Peak Thoughts / Steven Smith / October 27, 2021

Managing life-stage transitions is an essential component of good financial planning. Late life planning – for a time when you need help with everyday tasks on account of either physical or cognitive decline – can be a special challenge. One increasingly popular choice is the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), which provides both housing and […]

Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) – Advantages and Pitfalls Read More »

Is Retirement a Dirty Word?

Financial Lifestyle, Financial Planning, Life Transitions, Peak Thoughts, Retirement / Steven Smith / September 30, 2021

I made the mistake of asking a client when she wanted to retire. This is a common inquiry to my clients. Yet unwittingly, I opened a fraught subject for this couple. She loved her job and wanted to work forever. He was ready to retire now and see the world. I learned a valuable lesson.

Is Retirement a Dirty Word? Read More »

4th Quarter Client Note

Waypoints / Steven Smith / January 25, 2021

If you would have told me in April when I was writing my 1st quarter client note, reporting 19.6% loss, that the S & P 500 would be up by 18.40% for the year; I would have asked what you were smoking. At that moment, we were at the beginning of the pandemic and its

4th Quarter Client Note Read More »

Preparing for Short-Term Election Volatility

Financial News, Investment Management, Peak Thoughts, Political News, Uncategorized, Wealth Management / Steven Smith / October 2, 2020

What’s better for investors, Republican Presidents or Democrat Presidents? It’s a trick question. First, because in general, over the long run, it doesn’t matter. While some data correlates Democratic administrations with stronger markets since the end of World War II, there is no evidence of a cause and effect relationship. And this nifty interactive exhibit

Preparing for Short-Term Election Volatility Read More »

Retire Early? Retire Late? Or Retire Right on Time? – Lessons from the Early Retirement Movement

Financial Lifestyle, Peak Thoughts, Retirement, Uncategorized / Steven Smith / September 10, 2020

The FIRE movement captured my interest only recently. Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is an aspiration of motivated young people today to stop working and retire in their 30’s and 40’s. As a retirement advisor, seeing the obvious challenges of saving enough money and otherwise getting one’s act together at such an age, I rather

Retire Early? Retire Late? Or Retire Right on Time? – Lessons from the Early Retirement Movement Read More »

2nd Quarter Client Note

Waypoints / Steven Smith / July 17, 2020

The US stock market just had its best quarter in more than 20 years. (Yes, you heard that right.) Of course, that was on the heels of one of the scariest quarters in history, fueled by the Coronavirus pandemic reaching US shores in February. At its worst, on March 23, the S&P 500 was down

2nd Quarter Client Note Read More »

1st Quarter Client Note – Covid-19 Edition

Waypoints / Steven Smith / April 10, 2020

There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I have quoted Vladimir Lenin in a client note. And probably the last. A great deal has indeed happened since my first post on the coronavirus pandemic, when the implications were just beginning to emerge. The public health implications

1st Quarter Client Note – Covid-19 Edition Read More »

Now is a Good Time to Review Your Estate Plan

Waypoints / Steven Smith / March 30, 2020

While it may seem morbid, now, during the Covid-19 outbreak, is the time to make sure the estate and disability plans for you and other members of your family are in order. Especially if you or your parents are over 60. These documents typically include: Wills, Living Trusts, Financial and Medical Powers of Attorney and

Now is a Good Time to Review Your Estate Plan Read More »

4th Quarter Client Note

Waypoints / Steven Smith / January 14, 2020

The S&P 500 (Total Return) Index gained 9.07% in 2019’s final quarter. Bringing the advance for the year to 31.49% — and for the decade, to an average annual 13.56%. (And yet, all anybody wants to talk about is how poorly their bonds are performing. The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index eked out a

4th Quarter Client Note Read More »

Dreaming of a Mountain Retirement

Financial Lifestyle, Life Transitions, Mountain Lifestyle, Peak Thoughts, Retirement, Wealth Management / Steven Smith / October 10, 2019

Do the mountains call you for your dream retirement? Many people, including most of my clients, aspire to retire to the active lifestyle, fresh air and natural beauty of the Colorado mountains. What will it take to achieve that dream? Here are some considerations for planning your mountain retirement: Follow Your Dream

Dreaming of a Mountain Retirement Read More »