Rick Brooks
Rick Brooks's Latest Posts
Creating Your Best Retirement Isn’t All About Money
A 2014 study of retirees done by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave led to the following conclusion: “Retirees say health is the number one ingredient for a happy retirement.” Financial security, family and purpose were all important, but health was tops. And this makes perfect sense, as good health leads to living longer, having more […]
Common IRA Mistakes in Retirement and How to Avoid Them
The most common IRA mistakes made in retirement are easy to avoid. Most come from not understanding the complex rules surrounding Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Others come from trying to game those rules to avoid paying taxes. As tempting as it might be to try to avoid paying taxes on retirement savings distributions, breaking the […]
Protecting Your Travel Investment
A lot of Baby Boomers have been retiring recently, and a good many of them have spent that extra time travelling. For some, that has meant hopping in a recreational vehicle and roaming the highways and byways of the Continental United States. For others, that has meant jetting off to destinations they didn’t have time […]
The First Horse of the Apocalypse?
There’s been a fair bit of media attention on the Treasury Yield Curve lately, so I thought I’d dig into that a bit this month. Investors look at a LOT of indicators to try to figure out where the economy and the stock markets are headed. There are several leading indicators that you can look […]
Getting Ready for Medicare
Medicare is the primary health insurance for U.S. citizens over 65. Unless you (or your spouse) are still working and covered by an employer-sponsored group health plan, all persons age 65 and older must sign up for Medicare to obtain health insurance. The Medicare rules are complex and can be confusing. It is important to […]
Social Security and Longevity
Every year, the Trustees for Social Security release a report which discusses the funding of the Social Security program. While it’s possible that Congress may enact changes to the Social Security program at some point in the future, we can’t predict how (or even if) that might take shape. With the caveat that there is […]
Roth Conversions: More Important Than Ever Before
A Roth Conversion is when you distribute money out of a regular IRA and “convert” it into a Roth IRA. Because you are taking a distribution from your IRA, this creates taxable income. If the funds are then left in the Roth IRA for five years or more (and you are over 59½), earnings in […]
The Two Best Tools for Understanding Your Finances
Have you ever looked at an empty toolbox and wondered what should be in there? What are the fundamental tools that a craftsman absolutely must have? For financial planners, two of the most important tools are a person’s balance sheet and cash flow statement. A quick review of these two documents can tell a lot […]
The Problem With Protectionism
On balance, global trade makes everyone better off. Trade lowers prices for domestic consumers and increases the choice and variety of goods available. Sixty-inch flat screen TVs would not be selling for $600 today without the increased availability and lower costs of global trade. So how do tariffs affect trade, and why is the stock […]
Trust, But Verify
Hiring a bookkeeper is an excellent way to help keep your finances organized, especially if you’re not that into managing money and balancing a checkbook. A bookkeeper who can keep track of income and pay bills is a valuable resource for a busy entrepreneur, enabling a business owner focus on his or her business instead […]
