Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Sequence-of-Returns Risk: What If You Retire at the Wrong Time?

October 7, 2021

Have you thought about what might happen if the stock market dropped precipitously just as you began your retirement? What if your portfolio took a 10-, 20-, or 30-percent cut or more just when you needed the funds the most? This is what’s known as “Sequence of Returns” risk. And can be one of the biggest challenges a recent retiree can face.

Investing and Personal Finance

Are You Really Diversified?

September 30, 2021

You’ve probably heard that diversification of your investments is a good thing. And it would seem to make sense that by keeping all of your eggs out of a single basket, and spreading your wealth across different asset classes and geographies, you may be able to avoid the catastrophic risk that often comes with just… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Let’s Manage Your Tax Bill

September 22, 2021

So we’ve still got some time left in 2021, which means that right now may be a great opportunity to do a little tax planning. This is especially true if you’re retired and you’re looking for ways to potentially lower your tax bill, either right now, or over the long-term. Here are a few things… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Two Roth Rules You Need to Know

September 14, 2021

The Roth IRA was made available to us back in 1998, and for many people it’s been a useful tax-advantaged tool to help save for retirement.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Roth IRA, it works like this: You put money in on a post-tax basis, and, if you follow the rules properly, any potential gains you realize from… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Can You Reduce Your Risk Without Sacrificing Your Return?

September 8, 2021

When we meet with someone for the first time, we often find that they’re taking far more risk than they should, given their stated objectives.  They understandably like the greater potential for return, but in order to get that return, they figure they’ve got to raise the risk. And yes: risk and return do generally go… View Article

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

Are Taxes Higher or Lower in Retirement?

July 13, 2021

There are people out there who may be saving too much for retirement—and you might be one of them! Don’t get us wrong, building your savings is a good thing. In fact, we’re in the business of helping people do just that. You certainly don’t want to under-save, but over-saving can also be a problem.

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Is Now a Good Time to Capture Some Gains in My Portfolio?

July 8, 2021

A lot of people we’ve been meeting with have noticed that the stock market has far exceeded their expectations since the “Covid Crash” in March 2020…  and now they’re wondering how long this good fortune is going to last. They want to know: “Is now a good time to get out and capture some of… View Article

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The Zero-Percent Tax Bracket

June 24, 2021

Have you ever heard about a 0% tax bracket?  It does exist – although not officially. Here’s the deal. If you look up the federal income tax brackets and tax rates online for 2021, you may find a table that looks something like this: 2021 Federal Income Tax Brackets and Rates for Single Filers, Married… View Article

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How a Qualified Charitable Distribution May Be One Of The Best Tax Moves for a Retiree

June 3, 2021

As you get closer to, or into, your required minimum distributions, you may find that the requirement to remove a percentage of funds from your tax-deferred retirement accounts is a bit of a tax burden.  Of course, if you need those funds to pay your monthly expenses, there’s not much you can do except bite… View Article

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Is Hiring a Financial Advisor Worth It?

May 27, 2021

If you’ve ever considered hiring a financial advisor, you probably also asked yourself this question: Why should I pay an advisor when I could probably just manage my investments myself? It’s a legitimate question, and one you should consider carefully if you believe that self-management of your assets is a viable option for you. Is… View Article

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The Best Qualities of a Good Financial Advisor

May 20, 2021

Any time you hire someone to do a specific job for you — whether it’s painting your house, fixing your car, or anything else — you want to know that you’re getting value for your money, and that your project goals are going to be met.  Otherwise, you’re simply wasting your money and everyone’s time. The same holds true when it comes to hiring a financial advisor.  It should go without saying that the person who’s handling your life savings has to be trustworthy, but you should also expect to receive something from them that you wouldn’t have otherwise been able or willing to achieve on your own.  But what should those expectations be? In this week’s edition of Lucia Capital Group Weekly, you’ll hear from “Professor” Rick Plum, CFP®, about what he believes are the qualities of a good financial advisor, and what expectations you should reasonably have for that individual.

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Is It Possible to Over-Save?

May 13, 2021

We all know that if you don’t have enough saved up for retirement, you probably can’t quit working any time soon.  This is why we stress the importance of having a nest egg you can rely on, and building it as early as you possibly can. But is it possible that someone could actually save too much for retirement?  From a purely tactical standpoint, probably not.  More money is usually better than less.  But if your savings GOALS are set too high, such that you put off retiring until much later than necessary or you’re denying yourself more than you currently should, then it can certainly become problematic. Learn more about this savings dilemma