Investing

Many investors own an IRA or other type of retirement account. Some own an annuity or life insurance policy. All such accounts or products designate a beneficiary—to whom the assets will transfer, or whom the assets will benefit—when the owner someday passes away. You are probably familiar with the idea of a beneficiary designation but may not realize just how powerful it is. What you choose to complete on your beneficiary form supersedes what you write in your Will, ...

We all want to make the right decisions when it comes to our money. Therefore, at Entrust we identified three components of wealth management that can make all the difference to you, when it comes to long-term financial success. These are: Holistic wealth management planning for the long-term Values and goals-based portfolio strategy (rather that product-based) Periodic review meetings to assess and refine planning, as needed There may be no better illustration of the need for these three components than ...

Preparing for retirement is often identified as the number one concern of middle-class millionaires. The implied solution for resolving this concern is rather straightforward: Build a portfolio large enough to generate the income you need for the style of living you prefer, and you are good to go. After all, having a good income during your working years made all the difference. Won’t it be the same in retirement? Well, maybe, but then again maybe not—due to what we, ...

The kids are heading back to school and we parents are hoping they learn a lot, not just academic information but life and social skills, too. Jen’s video introduces an important life skill—understanding money—that you can help your children learn.

Most of us want to retire—someday. And we aim for our investments to appreciate so that we can distribute income from them throughout our retirement years, without running low on money and equally importantly, without diminishing our style of living. As the capital markets gradually appreciated during 2017, our goals for making work optional—retirement—felt good indeed. Now that volatility has returned with a vengeance, it can take a dose of faith to stay invested. However, there are three things we ...

Achieving “millionaire status” is the financial aspiration of many. However, when we do the math in 2018, we realize that for most of us accumulating a million dollars for the future is just step one. With the disappearance of pensions and escalating costs for health care as we age, we need to have multi-millions set aside for our retirement. After all, we do not want our style of living to diminish down the road; if anything, we want it to ...

Rachel would tell you she likes to make money, not count it. However, what stands out when you meet her are her phenomenal entrepreneurial skills. In fact, Rachel’s relentless effort in her business endeavors, coupled with a superb instinct for calculated risk-taking, led to the accumulation of a nest egg of over $6 million saved (in cash). She accomplished this while living a lavish lifestyle including owning a home on each coast. Finally, at age 53, Rachel scheduled a meeting ...

When we hear the word “recipe,” most of us think of food. And now that the summer season is here, foods with fresh ingredients are abundant–a welcome and nutritious change. But we can also apply the friendly term “recipe” to our portfolio asset allocation, recognizing that our portfolio ingredients are likely to be stocks, bonds and real estate. Fortunately, when we get the proportions right, these investment ingredients may deliver welcome results and keep us financially healthy. Sue’s experience provides ...

You can instill a sense of gratitude and generosity in even the youngest children by teaching them to share with others, beyond the immediate family. For instance, a great place to start is to encourage your kids to volunteer their time or share a portion of their allowance with the causes they love. Strategies for transforming your children into young philanthropists include: Discover what sparks their interest Create a family tradition Establish a donor-advised fund Discover what sparks their interest You can easily ...

Stock markets have been on a wild ride this year and it is likely that the volatility will continue through the remainder of the year because of the degree of uncertainty around the world. Current events with indeterminate outcomes almost always trigger emotional responses on the part of investors, thereby affecting capital market movements. When there are large swings in market activity it is often just an overreaction to uncertainty; there may be no fundamental reason for investor worry. A ...