Articles and Videos

Managing Your Financial Future

Maintaining Your Confidence in Retirement- Season 2: Episode 10

May 19, 2020

The standard, cookie-cutter portfolio often consists of just three main assets: stocks, bonds and cash.  One may argue that this is not enough diversification, but that discussion aside, some investors seem to find themselves these days replacing some of their “riskier” stock portfolio with the relative safety of US Government bonds. But interest rates are at historic lows, and the reward for owning bonds is minimal, at best.  Are people really satisfied with a 10-year rate of return that’s currently paying less than 1 percent annually?  Maybe: but there may also be some bond alternatives available to you that pay a bit more than that.

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Staying Financially Healthy

May 14, 2020

There’s a lot of talk these days, understandably so, about health. This is extremely important, and following proper guidelines may help save your life. But besides personal health, it’s also important to make sure you’re financially healthy as well. Thus, it’s a good idea to do a checkup every so often to assess where you are right now, and decide if you’re prepared for any potential roadblocks that may occur.   So where does financial health start? It begins with the simple things: an emergency fund, one that may cover your basic expenses in case your income is slowed or stops. But there’s more to it. What about debts? Are you taking advantage of any employer matches in your company retirement plan? Have your goals changed in the past few years? If so, are you still set up to get to where you want to be? 

Managing Your Financial Future

Why Own Bonds in This Low Interest Rate Environment?- Season 2: Episode 9

May 12, 2020

The standard, cookie-cutter portfolio often consists of just three main assets: stocks, bonds and cash.  One may argue that this is not enough diversification, but that discussion aside, some investors seem to find themselves these days replacing some of their “riskier” stock portfolio with the relative safety of US Government bonds. But interest rates are at historic lows, and the reward for owning bonds is minimal, at best.  Are people really satisfied with a 10-year rate of return that’s currently paying less than 1 percent annually?  Maybe: but there may also be some bond alternatives available to you that pay a bit more than that.

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The Often-Neglected Part of Your Plan

May 7, 2020

With so much happening in our lives these days, it can be easy to lose track of the things that we normally let cruise on auto-pilot.  Of course, when it comes to our finances, that auto-pilot feature can be great: it allows us to save in our 401(k) plans, it makes sure that our bills are automatically paid on time, and it keeps us from over-thinking things, which we’ve shown can be dangerous to our portfolio’s health.

Managing Your Financial Future

Don’t Neglect the Ordinary Things – Season 2: Episode 8

May 5, 2020

With everything we have going on in our lives right now, with all the new things we have to deal with, it’s important to keep in mind that ordinary events still happen during extraordinary times.  Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, family events — things both in and out of your control — continue.   Part of the essence of financial planning has to do with making sure that both expected and unexpected events are properly dealt with.  This should be the goal of every financial advisor — to minimize the surprises that inevitably crop up during your lifetime.  Yes, extraordinary events do happen, but if you’re ready for them, if you’ve prepared to deal with them, then your advisor has done their job.

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Questions Regarding the Partnership with LPL Financial

May 1, 2020

We are really excited to announce that LPL, the country’s largest independent broker-dealer firm, will be partnering with Lucia Capital Group later this year. A broker-dealer is a company that provides regulatory compliance and support to registered investment advisor firms, and acts as the buyer and seller of securities for its customers. In addition, LPL will also act as Lucia Capital Group’s clearing firm that will custody our brokerage and advisory assets.

Managing Your Financial Future

Answering the Everyday Financial Questions- Season 2: Episode 7

April 28, 2020

Stock markets are volatile, people are hunkered down in their homes, and life as we know has been put on pause, at least for a while.  In spite of that, though, all of the regular financial issues still exist, pandemic or not.  And today we’re answering those emails that have come in from you, our loyal listeners, over the past few weeks. The issues at hand:  taking distributions from your IRAs even without RMD’s, fleeing the stock market out of fear, and the up-front bonuses that insurance companies often offer to people who are considering buying annuities.

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Navigating These Treacherous Stock Market Waters

April 23, 2020

We’ve seen several eras of stock market volatility over the past few decades: the dot-com bust, 9/11, the Great Recession of 2008.  But somehow, this market, this new era, feels a lot different. Whether it is or is not remains to be seen, but as we work our way through this time of absolute uncertainty, it seems more important now than ever before to have a steady hand on the wheel and an eye on the long term. We’re hearing a lot of talk about a “flight to quality,” or a “flight to safety,” and the potential benefits of active management versus passive management when the markets do crazy things.  But what does that mean? Do you really change your investment style in times like these, or did you already have a strategy to deal with these inevitable turns so that you can just stay the course? Difficult questions, indeed.

Managing Your Financial Future

The Best Opportunity to Get Your Financial House in Order – Season 2: Episode 6

April 21, 2020

During normal times, it’s easy to put our financial lives on autopilot.  Our 401(k) contributions happen without us having to do anything, many of our bills are paid with auto pay, and once we’re set up with the proper amount of life insurance, health insurance, and maybe long-term care insurance, we tend to resort to… View Article

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3 Ways to Take Care of Your Finances During the Pandemic

April 16, 2020

If there’s one thing that many people have more of right now than they ever had before, it’s downtime. Yes, you may be working from home, and your kids may be taking up more of your time, but this pandemic has forced people to work differently, freeing them up from things like daily commutes, phone calls, texts, and emails.

Managing Your Financial Future

Why the SECURE Act Is So Important to You with Janean Stripe – Season 2: Episode 5

April 14, 2020

Between the CARES Act and the SECURE Act, both of which have been enacted, 2020 has turned out (so far) to be a year of change and uncertainty. The SECURE Act was passed in December of 2019, aiming to make retirement saving easier for individuals, increasing access to tax-advantaged accounts, and preventing older Americans from… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Four Things You Must Do at Age 50

April 9, 2020

A person in their 20s seems to have just about all the time in the world – or so it may seem to them. And that may be a somewhat correct assumption when it comes to their long-term finances, like saving for retirement. But ask just about anyone who’s at least age 50, and they’ll tell you that the time went by quickly, and now that their retirement date is much closer, they realize they have far less margin for error. If you’ve reached the age of 50 and your retirement date is approaching, but still a decade or more away, you may have a unique opportunity to take care of a few very important things. In fact, making a few small changes or updates right now could potentially save you time, money and aggravation when you finally make it to retirement.