Steve’s Blog

Markets rise, fall, rise, fall, and then rise again. When long term bull markets hit their peak and then fall into a BEAR market, it tends to expose investors who were just "playing" the market instead of taking it seriously. Throughout history, the worst bear markets...

Everybody wants to make money in the stock market. And, to an equal or maybe even greater degree--almost everybody hates LOSING money in the stock market! This year, 2020, will go down as one where we got a big taste of both. A Taste Of Honey, A Taste of Vinegar As...

Bull markets occur because more people buy near the top of a market than the bottom. Bear markets occur because more people SELL near the bottom, than near the top. How can investors navigate volatile markets while remaining calm through all types of financial...

Profitable investing involves practical thinking. It also involves finding ways to keep it simple. There’s a lot to remember as an investor. Once upon a time, investors lacked the data required to make informed decisions. Today, we are drowning in data. How do you...

Over the past century, markets have crashed A DOZEN TIMES, several times by more than fifty percent, leaving people’s finances and dreams in disarray for YEARS.  Not only is money lost, but TIME is lost. It takes time to build up a nest egg. The last thing anyone...

During your working years, you get paid for your expertise. When your working years end, you need to find investments that pay you for waking up in the morning. Typically, the most effective way to get paid to own your investments in retirement is to allocate a large...

Most investors in or near retirement are looking for three main things with their nest eggs:  1) ample liquidity 2) permanent, worry-free income to cover all expenses, and 3) an effective and systematic way to grow money in the stock market over time. The stock market...

Many people own revocable living trusts and consider the idea of making their trust the beneficiary of their IRA. Even before new laws were proposed, the idea was problematic. Unless your trust is specifically worded using what is known as a “conduit provision”, the trust may be a poor choice for an IRA, 401k, 403b, or TSP beneficiary.

Everyone is seeking the ideal investment: 20% annual returns, 100% safe, 100% liquid. Here's the problem: It doesn't exist. Today with 10 year treasury bonds paying in the range of 1.5% in the USA and nearly .7% NEGATIVE rates in Germany (one of the world's most...