Ask Terry Questions Retirement savings

Retirement savings

By Terry Savage on January 07, 2018 | Financial Planning / Retirement

My wife and I are 62. Holding off on SS until 70. We have about $500k in savings, house paid off, no debt. Last year my individual stocks returned around 16% but the equity funds my broker has us in returned much less. Am I being foolish by riding the Bull market for too long? Should we take our gains and sit out 2018?

Terry Says

I see no reason why your broker should have underperformed the market last year!  Almost everything went up!  So you should start asking questions. Remember, a "broker" is not a fiduciary financial advisor.  Perhaps it's time for someone else to take a look and advise not only on those individual funds, but on your overall asset allocation.  A bear market in the years before retirement could be devastating to all your best plans.  Go to www.feeonly.org to search for a fee-only financial advisor, who acts as a fiduciary (putting your interests first) and does not take commissions or fees on the investments recommended.  And learn more about the role of a financial advisor (as opposed to a broker) at www.campaignforinvestors.org.

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