Uncategorized Archives - RNA Financial

Are you prepared?

Are you Prepared? August 25, 2015. The past week in the market has shown us that while we should hope for the best, we need to be prepared for the worst. By nature I am an optimistic person, but there are ominous economic signs that disturb me. Market Volatility. This past week has been a rollercoaster ride in the markets. Is the ride over? I don’t think so. At the markets close on Monday 8/24 the S&P 500 was down over 8% for the year; the Nasdaq down over 4%. I believe there are a lot of warning signs that

My spouse has passed away – Now what?

It is difficult to make decisions after your spouse’s death. Many of the decisions that have to be made can be made beforehand, with the help of a lawyer and/or a financial planner. But most people refuse to think about death, they mistakenly think that they do not have enough assets to make planning worthwhile, or procrastinate until it is too late. It is normal to feel mentally paralyzed following the death of a spouse. Most surviving spouses have trouble concentrating, feel disoriented and are easily overwhelmed by the slightest problems or the simplest decisions. Your family and friends will

Retirement Survey

Throughout our years of study and research, we have discovered very few retirees and pre-retirees are properly prepared for the financial challenges that await them in the future. Market volatility, chronic Illness, inflation, taxes, market losses, even living too long. Pitfalls are all around us if we’re not careful. The prospect of living another 20 to 30 years is great news to most of us, but it carries the added burden of making sure that our money doesn’t run out before we do. (Click here to take a quick survey). The survey will give a quick overall snapshot of how

Tax Free Retirement Income

Our Government has a Plan… DO YOU? The United States currently spends approximately 76 cents of every tax dollar it collects on four things: Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid and the interest on the National Debt. By the year 2020, experts believe that expenditures on the same four things will comprise 92 percent of collected tax revenue. Today the top marginal tax rate at which the wealthiest Americans pay taxes is only 39.6%. Taxes haven’t been this low in 80 years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid go unchanged, the rate for the lowest tax

Using the Debt snowball to get out of debt.

Dave Ramsey’s debt-snowball method of debt repayment is a form of debt management. Under the method, extra cash is dedicated to paying debts with the smallest amount owed. As each smaller debt is repaid in full, the monthly money used to pay that debt is then applied toward making additional payments on the next-smallest debt, and so on until all debts are repaid. The basic steps in the debt snowball method are as follows: List all debts in ascending order from smallest balance to largest. This is the method’s most distinctive feature, in that the order is determined by amount owed, not the rate of interest

WEALTH MANAGEMENT TERMS

FREQUENTLY USED TERMS We provide this list in order to improve your understanding of financial terms and concepts. This will enable you, the client, to make more informed decisions and fully utilize your advisor interactions while fulfilling our commitment to transparency and clear communication. FIDUCIARY A person or entity legally appointed and authorized to manage assets in trust for another party. The fiduciary must manage the assets with the best interest of the asset owning party at all times. FORMULA INVESTING Investing by rigid adherence to a formula, which governs both asset allocation and timing. Quantitative Trading – Trading strategies

Assistive Technologies for the Older Adult

Aging is something we will all experience in our lifetime; however, how we age will be different for each one of us. During the aging process, many older adults may find themselves needing some type of assistance to perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or near impossible to accomplish. I believe this is where assistive technologies might be the miracle that will enhance the capabilities of older adults to maintain their independence and dignity as they age. It has been noted that older adults do not want to be a burden to their families or friends by having to

Ageism and Health Professionals

Within our society, there are some common myths, stereotypes, and negative attitudes that are thought to be truths about older adults and thus greatly influence our interactions with them. Several stereotypes about older adults are discussed in the media clips (Notes from the Field), (e.g., older adults are evil, rigid or incompetent, lose their memories, slower, obsolete, inflexible, don’t want to try anything new, and have poor opinions of anything that’s new or people that are younger than they are). Some forms of ageism encountered in healthcare settings by older adults’ are based on entrenched attitudes that a worker may

More Social Security Income

More Social Security Income Imagine your retirement with more income. Electing your optimum Social Security income benefit may be the most important financial decision you make in your lifetime. Although the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 closed some the strategies for clients born after May 1, 1950, there are still many options available. Born after May 1, 1950; no more file and suspend (File with Social Security, then immediately suspend your benefits so your spouse will get a portion of your higher amount). Born after Jan 1, 1954; no more restricted application (claim spousal benefits now, then claim on own Social

Know your credit score

The Facts about Credit: Do you know your Number? Your credit score can mean the difference between securing a historic low interest rate on a loan and being stuck in a higher tier. Great credit scores are the result of one thing – a stellar credit history. More than 18% of consumers have near perfect FICO scores (800-850). While, it may seem difficult to reach this level, especially for the 15% of consumers in the lowest FICO range (300-549), it’s not impossible. The information I’m sending this month details the steps to take to begin improving your credit now. We

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