We have a lot to cover in this blog - Enjoy!!

• Thank You to our Keys to Exceptional Retirement Class Participants

• Welcome to the RAA Team, James Palmer!

• Investing Lessons from 2018

• Educate Yourself on being a Caregiver

• Best Credit Card for Travelers? Probably Not One from an Airline

• 8 free — or Almost Free — Valentine's Day Ideas

Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? The 10 guidelines article may help you improve your chances for succeeding. Updating your estate plan may be one of the most important things you can do for your loved ones. If you have thought about making your home “smarter,” you will want to read this summary of some of the new tech, including virtual voice assistants, thermostats, and lighting and whether they make practical and economic sense to buy. Sometimes, what we DO NOT do is as important as what we DO. Let’s resolve to never make these seven investing mistakes, especially when markets are volatile!

Help a friend or family member - tell them about our Keys to Exceptional Retirement Class!

We all have different ways of celebrating the holidays, but one thing almost all of us have in common is the giving of gifts. See the article on how to give a great gift: “It’s the thought that counts” applies to much more than gift giving. Also read about how reframing our thoughts about money may ultimately help us become better at managing what we have and reaching our goals. Do you have old phones or laptops you are not sure what to do with? Find out how to sell or donate them. Now, let’s talk about the stock market for a moment … we encourage you to ignore the headlines, and remind you that we are in this for the long run.

We are all familiar with the adage that it is better to give than to receive, but recent studies have found that giving can actually improve your health, help you live longer, and increase your happiness. Click to read our articles on the health benefits of altruism, how your donations to disaster relief really do help those impacted by natural disasters, what principles we can use from the millionaire next door, and a video about staying the course in the face of recent market volatility.

Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war, and geopolitical standoffs with nations like North Korea and Iran, are all part of today’s world and they can affect markets in unpredictable ways.

Is there anything you can do to protect your portfolio?

Find out in this issue of the Retire On Your Terms Visual Insights Newsletter.

Happiness is a popular topic lately — what it is (and isn’t), how to find it, how to keep it … so we were intrigued by the article below about setting aside money for a happiness budget. This isn’t about “keeping up with the Joneses” but about determining what you believe is worth spending money on…

Our post today shares 4 interesting articles about achieving happiness and success: 1. Don’t get distracted by the “next hot thing” featuring Warren Buffet and Jay-Z. 2. 5 Tips for Better Decision Making: How psychology and behavioral economics can help us tame the biases that can sabotage good decision-making. 3. 4 Ways Couples can Tackle Money Goals Together, and 4. 7 tips for your child/grandchild to make a smooth transition to college.

What does freedom mean to you? Understanding the recent income tax changes may help in achieving financial freedom - please see the 1) article featuring the IRS Tax Calculator, which will help with proper withholdings. This post also features articles regarding 2) Diversification (and a comparison vs. NBA teams), 3) Money Saving Tips for Summer, and 4) Camping ideas.

Being open to new experiences can open up new possibilities. And favoring the familiar doesn’t always serve you well when it comes to your portfolio. See the articles about 1) global stock return rankings, 2) the perils of trying to avoid the worst days in the stock market, 3) money tips for recent graduates, and 4) 25 essential drives for a U.S. road trip.

Summer is approaching quickly and we are looking forward to warm days outside, celebrations, and relaxing vacations - we hope you are too! Yes, there are still stock market volatility headlines, but since you know your long-term plan was designed to weather these short-term storms, you can focus your attention on other important things: like family.

There is one indisputable thing about investing that we have all been reminded of over the past couple of months: markets will go up and down. When they head south, you may feel a twinge of doubt surrounding your investment plan and even about the markets themselves. The reality is, there is nothing any of us can do to control the markets, so instead of worrying, be optimistic that, historically, markets have tended to reward patient, long-term investors. The world will keep turning…

Over the last month or so the stock market has had a lot in common with the classic Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island: lots of bumpy ups and downs, stomach-churning moments, and unpredictability (and all without the cotton candy). We have compiled some pertinent articles relating to the emotions of these ups and downs...

With last week's market volatility we want to reiterate our strategy of staying the course with your investments. We had several conversations with our clients last week to remind them that volatility is a normal part of the market cycles and also to give them the continued confidence that they are doing the right things. If you have a friend or a family member who you think could benefit from the same high level of professional advice we would encourage you to have them contact us to see if we can help. 

Why do we make new year’s resolutions? Because we’d all like to live happier and more fulfilled lives. Would saving money toward a more secure future help cut down on financial stress and maybe even give you the option to retire a little earlier (or enjoy retirement a little more)? Remember; it’s never too late to start saving and investing more. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2018!

Dear Friends:

We are excited to announce that we are changing our name from E&R Wealth Management to Runey & Associates Wealth Management. We are doing this to reflect our updated ownership structure and management team.

Though the holiday season is a wonderful time, holiday travel can sometimes be a little less than merry. Similarly, with investing, market declines and gains often happen when we least expect them. This unpredictability highlights the importance of being diversified and measured in your response to the unexpected. Being flexible while rolling with the punches is the art of being a patient and smart investor. Enjoy your planned (and unplanned) experiences this season...

Welcome to the holiday season, which seems to come faster each year! I know many of us have witnessed or experienced events this year that prompted us to stop and count our blessings. I wanted to express my gratitude to you for your trust throughout the year as we work together to realize your important goals.

Deep down, most of us recognize that change can often be good for us. Whether it’s our job, our address or our perspective, it’s important to be ready for and embrace change. When something unexpected happens, it’s important to understand the facts and risks without panicking. However, when security breaches occur, as recently happened with Equifax, taking prompt action to protect your identity and credit can make a lot of sense...

Today's blog post doesn't focus on the market or traditional investment strategies. Instead, we want to take a look at the less obvious, and perhaps undervalued, measures of success and happiness. 

It has been said that the baby boomer generation will be the most generous generation in history when it comes to the giving of both time and money. Because giving is so important to so many of you, we want to chime in since it's a personal decision that can have great financial impact.

Global stock markets delivered robust gains in the second quarter of 2017 as stronger earnings growth, upswings in global economic data and diminished political uncertainty in Europe all buoyed markets around the world. It’s wonderful to have positive economic data to reflect upon. But even when world events aren’t so rosy, we need to remember to be steadfast in our commitment to ourselves: stick to our long-term investment plan and concentrate on the big picture.

It sounds like we're turning into farmers over here, but stick with us for a few minutes and we'll explain...The age-old question is “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” But today’s question asks, “Do I have enough chickens to lay enough eggs to last through my retirement years?”...

In today's post, we invite you to "take stock" (pun intended!) of your knowledge of investing for retirement. You may know where you want to go, but to get there you have to know where you are currently. After all, when you ask for directions to the latest restaurant, the first question you'll have to answer is, "Where are you coming from?"...

Many people delay retirement again and again, and there is one reason in particular that nobody likes to talk about. For some, retiring sounds blissful, but for many there can be a dark side to it, especially if you can't visualize how you'll spend your time.

HERE’s a great article showing that active managers rarely beat their benchmarks, and their historical performance have been disappointing to say the least. Once you include an active managers' costs, which are typically 6-8x a passive manager's costs, it makes defending their employ even more difficult...

Cash creep can erode your portfolio returns if you aren’t careful. Check out THIS ARTICLE to make sure you're not in its path. What are the things that have tempted you into cash creep?  How are you fixing it? 

It's actually quite common to be concerned or anxious about retiring, but this article shares some surprising findings. Check it out HERE. What was the best surprise about retirement for you? 

We all make mistakes; that is a fact of life. But wouldn’t it be nice to avoid financial missteps before they happen? This short, poignant video explores investors’ often-avoidable mistakes and why it is so important to make sure emotions don’t get in the way of our long-term plans.

Sometimes we get so focused on the saving side of retirement finances that we are blind to the mistakes we might be making in our spending.  Hint: They are probably not what you think!  Click the image below to go to this excellent article from Dr. Meir Statman featured in The Wall Street Journal: