How do I present probabilistic outcomes (i.e., Monte Carlo simulations) to financial planning clients? I was asked this question recently – while consulting with a company on developing their financial planning software. Fortunately, the answer is straightforward: frame Monte Carlo results not as the likelihood of financial plan failure, but as the “probability of adjustment.” […]
Financial Planning
Direct Real Estate for Cash Flow in Retirement
In a previous post, I discussed how stock market investing was superior to California real estate investing. This conclusion was based on the investment returns available with each strategy; in a flat out annualized returns vs. annualized returns comparison, the stock market outperformed. (Even in a successive analysis that considered leverage, stock market investing was […]
Don’t Buy a House; Take a Sabbatical Instead
I’m writing this just a few feet from the beach – from the comfort our little self-converted recreational vehicle (RV). This is roughly our seventh month on the road – and almost one year since I’ve left the office. As I’ve enjoyed learning a whole new skillset in the van-building process (electronic schematics, electrical soldering), […]
The Cruel Math of Inflation on Stagnant Wage Growth for Late-Stage Earners
I’ve come across two distinct clients recently who were experiencing identical issues. Both clients were single women on the cusp of retirement. And, as with almost every middle-class American, these two distinct clients faced an identical situation: They had not saved enough money. The simple (obvious?) solution to their savings shortfall was to downgrade their […]
Case Study: Account Distribution Hierarchy for Mortgage Paydown in Retirement
Imagine a retired client. Being 68 years old, he’s managed to save a bit of money over his lifetime. Whatsmore, that money is spread across different types of accounts: His tax-deferred traditional IRA His tax-free Roth IRA The family’s taxable investment account Being that the client is retired – and a good portion of his […]
How to Save on Taxes
No one likes taxes. So, why not strategize on how to save on them? Listen up for a few strategies to decrease your tax bill.