Host: Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey
Guest: Mark Singer, Certified Financial Planner
Broadcast and podcast on webtalkradio.net. The podcast is also on the links below
I thought there wasn’t much I hadn’t read about the basics of retirement finances but Mark Singer opened my eyes with his 30,000 feet perspectives. I had subscribed to the conventional buy and hold quality stocks philosophy. I didn’t realize that there are blocks of many years in which the market has been flat. We have had 21 years, 17 years, 16 years and our current 11 years and counting.
Mark’s philosophy is that buy and hold works well during a bull market, but gives flat returns in a flat market. He believes a flat market calls for tactical and alternative investments. The challenge is that tactical and alternative investments require more knowledge, closer monitoring, and more risk. Thus, it almost requires a professional investor.
Mark’s advice on checking beneficiaries and being careful with IRA rollovers, especial nonspousal rollovers, can prevent a world of hurt. His rule of thumb for how much to withdrawal from retirement savings is to average not more than 4% a year. With an 8% average return, that gives 4% for income and 4% for inflation.
I also was fascinated by how men and women have different investment psychologies, with men wanting to win the game and take care of their wives, and women wanting family security, taking care of their kids, and making sure they don’t become a “bag lady.”
Mark’s website is www.YourRetirementJourney.com. Dr. Brickey’s other websites are www.DrBrickey.com and www.Anti-Aging-Speaker.com.