Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Articles

What Is an “Alternative” Investment?

April 16, 2021

Diversification is not just a financial industry buzzword; it’s often an important part of just about anyone’s financial strategy.  A common form is a simple one: stocks, bonds, and cash.  But is that true diversification?  For some people, that may work just fine.  Others, though, may want to consider a little extra: something known as an “alternative investment.” Whether these are suitable for an individual investor, though, depends on several factors.  So before you jump into anything non-traditional, it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into and why.

Articles

Why Having Multiple Sources of Retirement Income May Be Best

April 8, 2021

If you’ve ever thought about how you’ll be able to have enough income to make it through retirement, you’re not alone.  Many people are concerned about potential future cuts to Social Security, as well as a continuation of low interest rates — both of which can impact your income at retirement. This is why it may be a good idea to consider having multiple sources of income once you’ve stopped working.  But how do you do that? And what form should that income take?

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Your Spouse Dies – What Do You Do Now?

April 1, 2021

“What will happen to me if my spouse passes away?” It’s a question we get a lot; and it’s one we also don’t get often enough. The death of a spouse is hard enough emotionally, but when financial issues are added to that, it can quickly become overwhelming.   This, again, is why it’s so important to have a strategy already in place. Sometimes just knowing that so many things are already taken care of can lessen the long-term burden of losing a spouse.

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Can You Really “Super-Fund” Your Roth IRA?

March 26, 2021

You may have heard about the potential tax benefits of owning a Roth IRA. While a Roth is not a panacea for everyone, it can provide some individuals with favorable tax-treatment options that a traditional IRA cannot. So if your goal is to get as much money as possible into a Roth IRA, but you’re hamstrung by the annual contribution limits, what options might you have for “amping up” your Roth savings plan?

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3 Important Issues With Later-in-Life Divorce

March 19, 2021

Most marriages are designed to last forever, or at least that’s usually the intention.  But when divorce happens, it can often create unforeseen financial issues for one or both parties — especially if they’re older, and have a lot of assets. Divorce in or near retirement can destroy years of careful planning if you’re not aware of your options.  There are pension considerations, Social Security issues, and you sometimes have to figure out what to do with your home.

Articles

Taking Advantage of Market Volatility

March 12, 2021

It probably goes without saying that 2020 was one of the most volatile years for stocks that we’ve ever seen.  We saw a decade-long bull market come to an end, followed by the shortest bear market in S&P 500 history, and then a rebound that sent the index back to all-time highs in early 2021. … View Article

Articles

Three Hidden Benefits of the Roth IRA

March 5, 2021

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are designed to be used as savings vehicles for your retirement.  As an added incentive to save, they often come with distinct tax advantages, such as deductions, deferrals, or tax-free withdrawals.  There are also, in most cases, penalty taxes for removing your money from the account too early. With the Roth IRA, though, there are exceptions to this “penalty tax,” potentially allowing you to access your money before you would normally be allowed to do so.  How might you be able to benefit from that? 

Articles

Why You Should Take Your RMDs Early in the Year

February 25, 2021

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) can be a tricky thing to navigate.  This has always been true, but even more so for last year (2020), when some of the rules either changed or were temporarily put on hold.  Not understanding these rules, or having the wrong information, can be costly. But did you know that you… View Article

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Practical Advice on Buying and Selling a Home

February 18, 2021

Homeownership is for many people a major goal in life.  And while it’s often the most expensive thing we will ever buy in our lifetimes, there are also several potential financial benefits for owning, purchasing, or selling a home. If you’ve got plans this year to either buy or sell a primary residence, there are some things you should consider before doing so. 

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Beware of the Hidden Taxes in Retirement

February 11, 2021

One of the bigger myths that people often take into retirement is that their tax situation will become simpler once they’ve stopped earning a paycheck.  While this may be true in some instances, it’s certainly not the case for everyone.  In fact, it may be that your tax headaches are just beginning. Knowing what to expect, and then making plans in anticipation of that, is one of the best things you can do to potentially improve your financial situation in retirement. 

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How the 2020 Economic Relief Acts Will Affect You in 2021

February 4, 2021

If nothing else, 2020 was a year of change.  Most of it temporary, some of it permanent.  This was true in all phases of life, including finance.  We saw, among other things, stimulus checks (two rounds), extra unemployment benefits, and people who were forced to relocate and change their lives completely around. Each of these… View Article

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Is It Smart to Pay Off Your Mortgage?

January 7, 2021

If you’ve ever considered taking some extra money and paying down (or paying off) your home mortgage, you may have found that arriving at a decision wasn’t as easy as you thought. The choice usually is this: either put those funds toward the mortgage, or invest it and hope for greater net returns. There are two aspects to consider here: the emotional and the rational. And those two are often in conflict with one another.  How do you decide what to do?