Did you know retirement is listed as one of the ten most stressful life events, alongside things like marriage, divorce, and pregnancy?! Even joyous, momentous times in our lives can be stressful because of all the unknowns that change can bring. While we can’t help you figure out what hobbies will keep you busy or what volunteer work will fulfill you during your retirement years, we can be your partner as you navigate all things related to your finances.
Haunted houses are not the only thing that can be downright terrifying, give you a shock, and make it hard for you to sleep at night. A poorly made or forgotten-about estate plan can leave your loved ones vulnerable to hauntings of the financial kind.
2022, in no uncertain terms, was a bad year for global bond markets. After years of high prices and low yields, the rapid rise of interest rates, intended to reduce inflation, impacted the bottom line of bond investors in a historical way. Fortunately, the Fed’s approach seems to have made a sizable impact on inflation ...
When I began my financial planning degree program in 1996, it really didn’t occur to me that I was entering a male-dominated profession. My mother had always been the leader in financial decision-making in our family, which didn’t seem unusual to me at all. Through her, I learned the value of a dollar and the value of giving back. Almost three decades later, it is now the norm for women to direct their own as well as their family’s finances. In fact, two separate studies show that women’s investment returns were .4%1 to 1%2 higher annually than their male counterparts. They suggest the main reasons for women outperforming men with regard to investment returns boil down to “overconfidence” and “overactivity.
Mind over Matter: Perspective for Investors on the US Debt Ceiling -- No doubt there has been plenty of uncertainty in the last few months to keep the 24-hour news channels busy. First, it was banking issues, and now the debt ceiling. It is our innate human nature to want to take action when things happen that feel out of our control. Sometimes a little perspective can help. Below is a good piece from Dimensional Fund Advisors on this topic that we thought you’d find helpful. Enjoy!
Happy New Year from all of us at Woodward Financial Advisors! Three years ago, the original SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) passed, bringing a host of changes, including an increase to the Required Minimum Distribution age from 70 ½ to 72 and the elimination of the “Stretch-IRA.” On December 29, 2022, the much-anticipated SECURE Act 2.0 was signed into law.