Articles and Videos

Managing Your Financial Future

Does a Bear Market Change Your Investing Style?- Season 2: Episode 4

April 7, 2020

It’s a fairly well-known and well-accepted fact within the investment world that market timing – attempting to get in or out of equities on the highs or lows – doesn’t work.  Most investing novices (and even veterans) who trade on daily trends will lose money, and some will lose all of their money.  The stock… View Article

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What the CARES Act Means to You

April 4, 2020

Last week, Congress enacted the largest emergency economic stimulus package in the history of our country. Two of the most relevant items have to do with the stimulus checks and the temporary adjustments to the Required Minimum Distributions.

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9 Questions Answered About Your Stimulus Check

April 3, 2020

Updated April 7, 2020 with information regarding stimulus check mailing dates.  The US government may soon be sending you money in the form of a “stimulus check,” designed to provide some relief to those who have taken a financial hit from the shutdown over the Coronavirus pandemic. As of April 1, the final authorized payments… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

The College Saving Dilemma

April 2, 2020

Every parent wants what’s best for their kids, so it’s natural for them to feel the need to help them wherever they can. As a result, many new parents begin to save for their child’s college education immediately, guessing (perhaps correctly) that tuition costs 18 years from now will have risen almost unimaginably high. And that may be a very good idea. What’s not a good idea, though, is to take the money you were saving for your own retirement and redirect it to a college savings account for your children. Shortchanging your retirement savings, especially in the earlier stages of your working life, can ultimately cause much bigger problems for you down the line.

Managing Your Financial Future

Talking Lifetime Income with Chris Lloyd- Season 2: Episode 3

April 1, 2020

One of the most potentially useful tools a financial planner has is the ability to create some form of lifetime income for those who need it. In much the same way that a company could provide a pension to its employees, so may an advisor offer “pensionized” income as a way to provide guaranteed lifetime… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

A Bear Market: Why We Don’t Panic, and Neither Should You

March 25, 2020

The equity markets have been on a wild ride these past couple of weeks, to say the least. One would think it’s almost become a “new normal” to see swings of at least 5% to either the up or the down side on a daily basis. While that’s not quite true, it is indeed true that we’re living in volatile times, with no way to even remotely ascertain what’s to come next.

Managing Your Financial Future

From Bull Market to Bear Market in a Flash – Season 2: Episode 2

March 24, 2020

So maybe you looked at your 401(k) balance as recently as mid-February, and then decided you’d finally enough saved up to retire.  You put your notice in at work, everyone wished you well, and then… And then.  From bull market to bear market in a flash, without warning.  What have you done?  Can you really… View Article

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Guide to Financial Survival During the Outbreak

March 19, 2020

With everything going on around the world, you may have noticed that it’s not only difficult to find everyday grocery store items, but also basic information regarding your money. With that in mind, here’s our Guide to Financial Survival During the Outbreak, a collection of topics, links, and potential solutions to issues that we at Lucia Capital Group believe you or others may find useful.

Managing Your Financial Future

Keeping Your Cool When the Markets Drop- Season 2: Episode 1

March 17, 2020

So the long bull market finally came to an end.  The drop in equity values was quick, sudden, but not unexpected.  The markets simply did what they’ve always done, and while we never knew the exact date it would happen, we knew it was inevitable. And because we know it’s inevitable but cannot predict when… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

This Is Why We Strategize!

March 13, 2020

When markets are good, when equity values are rising, it can be difficult to be the lone voice that sets out to remind people that the good times don’t last forever. It’s a tough sell. But as we’ve seen over just the past several days, things can turn around, and turn around quickly. We can’t predict when, why or how – we only know they will. Absent a fully-functioning crystal ball, the only thing we really can do is to be ready when it hits. This is why we say that having a strategy is absolutely crucial. Buildings have fire exits, homes have storm cellars, and prudent investors have a plan. And while no plan or strategy is completely infallible, it’s a good bet that those who strategize for the bad times may be better prepared when they occur. True, the up-markets don’t last forever, but then again, neither do the down-markets. Lucia Capital Group Chairman and CEO Ray Lucia Jr. offers some words of encouragement in this Bonus Edition of Lucia Capital Group Weekly.

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Is It Time to Restructure Your 401(k)?

March 5, 2020

One of the nice things about a 401(k) plan is that it’s automatic. You set it up, create your allocation, decide what percentage of your income will go in each pay period, and just let it happen from there. Many people don’t give it much thought after that. And that may be fine, if you’ve still got 10 years or more until retirement. But as the date gets closer to when you’ll actually need to access that 401(k) money, the set-it-and-forget-it approach often becomes less beneficial. You begin to subject yourself to market risks if you don’t change your allocation to include some less-volatile assets. Many people recognize this, and actually do make changes to their 401(k) allocation. But there’s another step that you may be missing — a crucial step that you need to consider, well before you retire.

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The markets have dropped. What now?

February 28, 2020

If you have seen or heard the news in the last few weeks, you have probably heard about the virus referred to as the Coronavirus or COVID-19. There has obviously been a lot of downward stock market volatility in the last week to say the least. The S&P 500 closed down about 8% Year to Date as of yesterday.  And, until the personal and economic effects of the virus become more certain, volatility may continue in the short term.