The Changing Story Of Retirement

789 Words4 Pages
Mark and I for years have been talking a lot about how things aren’t like they used to be. That applies to a lot of things in life, like technology, healthcare, standard equipment in automobiles and yes even retirement planning. Some of these changes have made planning for life a little harder, but many have made planning, preparing, and enjoying retirement a lot better. In our column and on our radio show over the next two weeks we will explore the changing story of retirement.

One thing that has remained the same over all of these years is history often repeats itself. From movies to wars there is usually a villain and “good guy” usually wins. Even though when we watch the story play out knowing what the outcome is going to be,…show more content…
Implement a plan that is tailored to your unique situation. An investor who wants “market” returns must also be willing to accept “market” losses. Remember to buy low and sell high. As certain markets reach new highs consider selling some of those assets and buying lower performing assets. In our office, we also use what we call “circuit breakers” or predetermined points to sell investments to help remove the human emotions of investing with the goal of limiting against loss. Increasing the risk of investments without a specific new long term goal could be a costly mistake.

Federal taxes are another area that has changed a lot over the years. As self employed business owners, I would say that Mark and I feel the pain of taxes every time we write out a check. You too might be complaining about all the taxes you pay as we are all now getting focused on tax season. Yet, looking at the history our current tax rates are actually quite low. Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s the top marginal tax rate was about 90% and capital gains rates were 35% in the 70’s, ouch! At the same time, the current and previous Presidents have racked up more national debt than every other President combined. And the debts are getting bigger and bigger, for a great visual visit www.usdebtclock.org.

So what does history tell us about lower
Get Access
Related
Get Access