Do You Really Need a Financial Advisor? Investing Mistake #1: Not Considering Inflation!
As a financial advisor in Woodbridge, CT, as well as the founder and president of Heritage Capital, I see some of the same dangerous mistakes made by DIYers (and sometimes bad financial advisors) when putting together a financial plan. It is not properly factoring in the detriments of inflation. Inflation is a general rise in prices over time, which reduces your purchasing power. In other words, it cuts your standard of living. It’s been tame for years, but don’t be […]
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Date: January 18, 2021
New Year’s Resolutions: Using What We Learned From 2020 (And 1986)
The year 2020 will not soon be forgotten. For some, the market created significant new wealth. But for many folks, the year was terrible in terms of health and finances. Even so, it’s an ill wind that blows no good, so we would do well to pay attention to the year’s hard-learned lessons. Perhaps the best way to do this is to apply some new wisdom to our 2021 New Year’s resolutions. Another year worth studying is 1986, leading up […]
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Date: December 14, 2020
Does Your Retirement Plan Cover You for Life?
One factor that can complicate your retirement planning is not knowing how many years your retirement will last. While no one can know for sure, if you haven’t considered your realistic life expectancy, you risk shortchanging your later years or even running out of money. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average length of retirement is 18 years. People retire at age 63 on average, and a general life expectancy is 81 years. That means a typical retirement plan […]
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Date: December 7, 2020
Why People Don’t Participate in Their 401(k) Plans … And Why That’s a Big Mistake
Here’s a shocking statistic: In 2018, almost 30 percent of private sector workers with access to a 401(k) or similar plan did not participate. Here’s another one: About 20 percent of participants don’t take full advantage of their employer’s matching program. As the founder of Heritage Capital, this boggles my mind. Failure to fully take advantage of a 401(k) is truly a big mistake and can mean a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of dollars at retirement time. Why are […]
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Date: November 17, 2020
Are You Part of this Retirement Statistic?
I read recently that only 40 percent of Americans have calculated how much they need to save for retirement. That statistic is shocking! Knowing how much to save now can seem mysterious, but it really shouldn’t be. How do you reach a goal if you don’t know what to do to get there? This is a fundamental step for any goal, but retirement may be the most important one you have. Living comfortably when you no longer receive a paycheck […]
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Date: November 2, 2020
5 Reasons Baby Boomers Need a Financial Advisor
Nearly 20 percent of Americans are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. Many Boomers have already retired, while the remainder have reached or are approaching retirement age. The common challenge shared by most Boomers is how to adequately fund their retirements so that they don’t outlive their money. At Heritage Capital, we work with clients at all stages of their financial journey. And, while just about everyone can benefit from working with a financial advisor, Baby Boomers have specific […]
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Date: October 19, 2020
Important Retirement Ages
Your retirement benefits are a critical component that determine your quality of life in your Golden Years. You’ve got important decisions to make before and after your retirement date that directly impact your benefits from Social Security and your retirement accounts. Overlooking a few important dates lead to some of the biggest retirement planning mistakes we see made – mistakes that could have easily been avoided. So, open up your calendars and mark down the 8 key dates we highlight […]
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Date: October 6, 2020
How to Test Drive Your Retirement: Addressing Retirees’ 3 Biggest Fears
Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty type of person? Whichever camp you belong to, it’s realistic to have concerns about your retirement life. The changes that retirement brings deserve serious thought, and more importantly, action. It’s even better if you can test drive your retirement to see if the plans you put forth really work for you. The team at Heritage Capital has been helping people retire with confidence for more than 30 years. In that time, we’ve identified the […]
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Date: September 28, 2020
How to Retire Without Your Spouse: Investment Strategies for the Divorced or Widowed
Divorce has become increasingly common in the United States over the past few decades, and roughly 25 percent of people 65 or older are widowed. Despite this, however, approximately two-thirds of married couples don’t have a financial plan set up in the case of divorce or widowhood. What happens if you do become divorced or widowed either when retirement is imminent or once you’re retired? Are there investment strategies that can help in either scenario? In our more than 30 […]
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Date: September 14, 2020
Common Questions About a SEP IRA
Your standard IRAs and 401(k)s hog a lot of the attention when it comes to defined contribution retirement plans. While these can be terrific vehicles for creating a long-term nest egg, we don’t want to discount another effective option, the SEP IRA. At Heritage Capital, we’re often asked about the SEP IRA, which can be a low-cost alternative to other employee retirement plans. Can I convert a SEP IRA to a Roth IRA? Can I roll a SEP IRA into […]
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Date: August 17, 2020
