Retirement Watch Weekly
Preparing for the End of the Bull Market
It’s one thing to worry about when the bull market in stocks will end. It’s another thing to really think about it and prepare for it. This article is an in-depth review of why people need to prepare for bear markets and the many options you have for setting your portfolio for bad times. As […]
How Much Should You Save For Retirement Each Year?
This article is mostly for younger people who are wondering what percentage of their income they should be saving for retirement. The thesis of the article is that there is no good rule of thumb. Each rule mentioned in the article has pros and cons. Here’s a point not made in the article. Save a […]
The Outlook for Earnings
What’s the outlook for U.S. corporate earnings and what does it mean for stocks? Earnings were in a recession, even while the economy grew, from 2014-2016. Earnings for most companies declined year-over-year during that period. Late in 2016, we finally saw positive and even robust earnings growth. Analysts generally expect such strong earnings growth to […]
The Return of Active Managers and Hedge Funds
This article covers a conference that tipped against the current wisdom. The conference participants talked about the advantages of hedge funds and active stock fund managers. Most participants seemed to agree that over the last few years, the vehicles haven’t delivered what investors expected. But they expect that investors will want these vehicles sometime in […]
Worry About a Narrow Market – The Problem with Capitalization Weighted Indexes
It is the nature of capitalization-weighted indexes that a few large companies dominate the returns for the index. This becomes especially pronounced after long bullish runs. So, these days we hear a lot of talk about five to 10 stocks deceiving investors about the nature of the market. There’s some truth to that idea. But […]
Medical Spending in Old Age and Retirement
This is a policy/academic paper by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Yet, it’s interesting reading. It points out that medical spending varies by income level, with lower income people on average spending more on medical care. But most of that spending is due to nursing home costs. The paper also looks at […]
Is a Bear Market Coming? A Response to Pessimists
Some analysts have been forecasting the end of the economic expansion and bull market in stocks for awhile. In fact, both are on the verge of setting longevity records. This article explores the records and why the expansions have continued. It also forecasts they are likely to continue for a while. Don’t be nervous. It […]
Mastering Aging: How to Have a Successful Retirement?
Many people flounder in retirement, because there aren’t enough resources to help them develop successful retirements. There now is a class available called Aging Mastery available through the National Council on Aging. Read here for more details. Watts met classmates who have turned into real friends. She also learned about an important aspect of managing […]
