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How Much Risk Do You Really Want To Take?

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We believe the risk is simply a measure of how much you could potentially lose in the next stock market crash. Since 1929 the stock market crashes an average of 40 percent, every 7 years.

So as a retiree, or pre-retiree, are you willing to lose the same 40 percent to try and earn a higher rate of return?

If you have one million dollars saved for retirement, and you suffer a 40 percent loss, you’ve just lost 400,000 dollars and you now only have 600,000 dollars left. Can you afford this type of loss if you’re not able to take the same amount of income you planned from your retirement assets?

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The Reality Of Saving For Retirement

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You started saving money decades ago, so you wouldn’t have to worry about money during retirement. You saved, sacrificed, and budgeted carefully so that when you retired, you’d have no more worries about your money. How has this worked out for you?

You’ve saved a lot of money, but you’ve found you worry more about your money now than you ever did before. You find yourself worrying more and more about big stock market losses.

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Why Did You Start Saving Your Money Decades Ago?

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The reason you first started saving money was to create a dependable income flow that would replace your paychecks and last for as long as you lived, once you retired. You saved money while you were working so you wouldn’t have to worry about money when you retired. The big problem is, you may have incorrectly been taught you have to invest your assets for growth instead of for dependable, even guaranteed, lifetime income.

Did you invest your money to watch it go up and down on a daily basis?

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Safe Income Withdrawal Rates During Retirement

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When you started saving for retirement, you were told you could save up a big pile of money, use the earnings for retirement income, and leave the same exact pile of money to your beneficiaries. This probably won’t happen, because the world and the financial markets have changed, along with Safe Income Withdrawal rates.

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Episode 2: Answers to Your Pressing Financial Questions

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Join Jim Files and Dan Ahmad as they answer listener questions touching on topics that range from pension management to retirement planning to why it’s so important to have a written plan for your personal wealth management goals. Having a comprehensive financial plan for your future is critical to staying on top of your finances and setting you and your family up for the retirement you deserve.

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Series Premiere: Is there too much risk in my current portfolio?

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Join Jim Files and Dan Ahmad as they provide valuable information about risk level in your portfolio as you age. Mathematically, there’s a high probability that you will experience many peaks and valleys of the stock market. That’s why as you age, your risk of running out of money in retirement goes up.

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Scams Abound Amid Pandemic Panic

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Sadly, as is the case in any crisis, there are those among us who are looking to capitalize on cruelty and take advantage of heightened vulnerabilities. Hackers are trying to lure victims to click on COVID-19 related hyperlinks that contain malicious software and other computer viruses. In some cases, these scams look like official messages from the government and they send people to fake websites where their sensitive information can be stolen.

The following guidelines can help you protect yourself from these digital scams and stay clear of suspicious links you may come across in your internet travels.

How to Spot a Phishing Email

Phishing is a practice in which scammers send emails that appear to be from legitimate organizations. In the case of COVID-19, they may promise to share important information about the coronavirus or how to keep your family safe. In short, they prey on a public fearful of a dangerous virus.

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CARES Act Signed into Law –Brings Relief to Millions of Americans

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On March 27 the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to address the unprecedented public health and economic crisis related to COVID-19.

This $2 trillion bill is meant to impact both individuals and businesses and contains significant tax-savings measures. It could affect prior tax years while also creating immediate cash-flow.

Impact on Individuals

Stimulus Checks

Perhaps the most impactful provision for American citizens is the CARES Act’s promise of cash payments of up to $1,200 per single individual and $2,400 for a married couple. Parents will also receive an additional $500 per qualifying child. Payments are phased-out for individuals with incomes greater than $75,000 and for married couples filing jointly with income greater than $150,000.

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Tax News: IRS Announces Extended Deadline for 2019 Tax Returns

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Americans Can Defer for 90 Days

As we continue to face uncertain times, the IRS has made a welcome announcement.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that the IRS has decided to extend the filing and payment deadline for 2019 tax returns, allowing taxpayers to defer until July 15. Mnuchin indicated this move will put $300 billion into the economy during a time of great economic concern over the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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How to Remain Hopeful and Keep Perspective During the Covid-19 Outbreak

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We are facing something we have never faced before in our lifetimes. That is a fact and, in time, when the news of the pandemic spreading and the recommendations on social distancing getting broader by the day, it can be hard to feel certain or safe about anything.

Although Peak Financial clients have benefitted tremendously from the risk and volatility reduction strategies used to manage their assets, it is still very troubling to watch the unprecedented market decline and hard to tune out the constant media noise regarding losses. But most importantly, we need to maintain our health and the health and safety of our family, friends, and neighbors. Covid-19 which emerged late in 2019 in China has spread rapidly worldwide since then and is a global pandemic. The measures taken by leaders around the globe have for the most part been strong, leaving most children without a classroom to go to, parents working from home or without a job altogether, and investors uncertainty causing panic about what is to come.

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