Come on Smokie and Road......you guys can talk about anything you want on here.....it is a free speech thread. As I have said I have ZERO control of what is done on this thread I am not a STOCKAHOLICS mod. AND....I do not care to control what is said on this thread even if I had that power. Just because I am not interested in discussing something does NOT mean you guys have to stop. I have ZERO issue with how and what you guys have been posting about tariffs....or much of anything else over this thread. I may not agree but have no issue with others talking about it. Any post I have made recently about "ME" not posting on some topic is just to let people know......not to think just because I dont respond or even if I "like" a post that I agree.....my silence on a post does NOT mean I agree with it. AND....at the same time if I ignore a topic....that does not mean anyone else has to stop talking about it. I have no problem with others talking about topics that you think are relevant to investing.....or for that matter.....anything else. Lately my posts have been fairly abrupt....I have had a lot going on with other "things" taking up my time. That is one problem with the internet there are no...."cues"....and posts can easily get misinterpreted. As I said.....CARRY ON.
to continue.....HELL....I post stuff all day long that is probably me just talking to myself. That is just how it is. I dont care if a topic gets a reply or response....if you want to document something on here or talk about it.....and see if anyone else is interested go ahead. Even if no one responds....go ahead...if it is of interest to you. We ALL get along on here with little to no internet message board DRAMA. So dont CENSURE yourself. This thread is a real SLACKER for drama......I have been on some sites with MASSIVE drama on the investing boards. This site is the exception.
OK.....back to the earnings today. Apple reports light Services revenue, expects $900 million in costs due to tariffs https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/01/apple-aapl-earnings-report-q2-2025-.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Apple reported second fiscal-quarter earnings Thursday that beat Wall Street expectations, but the company’s closely-watched Services division came up light versus estimates. Cook told CNBC that Apple is already sourcing about half of the iPhones for the U.S. from India, and most of its other products for the U.S. from Vietnam, where tariffs are lower than they are from China. Apple’s Services division revenue grew to $26.65 billion in the quarter, an annual increase of 11.65%. However, that came in slightly under StreetAccount expectations. Apple reported second fiscal-quarter earnings Thursday that beat Wall Street expectations, but the company’s closely-watched Services division came up light versus estimates. Shares of the iPhone maker fell more than 2% in extended trading. Here’s how Apple did versus consensus estimates for the quarter ending in March: EPS: $1.65 vs. $1.63 estimated by LSEG Revenue: $95.4 billion vs. $94.66 billion estimated by LSEG iPhone revenue: $46.84 billion vs. $45.84 billion estimated, per StreetAccount Mac revenue: $7.95 billion vs. $7.77 billion estimated, per StreetAccount iPad revenue: $6.4 billion vs. $6.20 billion estimated, per StreetAccount Wearables, Home, and Accessories revenue: $7.52 billion vs. $7.95 billion, per StreetAccount Services revenue: $26.65 billion vs. $26.70 billion, per StreetAccount Gross margin: 47.1% vs. 47.1%, per StreetAccount Apple typically provides data points about how it sees the current quarter shaping up on a call with analysts. Analysts are looking for third-quarter guidance of $1.48 in earnings per share on $89.45 billion of sales. Cook provided Apple’s first comments on the impact of tariffs on its business on an earnings call with analysts, saying Apple saw “limited impact” in the March quarter because it was able to optimize its supply chain. In the current quarter, Cook said, Apple said it expects tariffs to add $900 million to Apple’s costs, assuming no new tariffs or other major changes. “For our part, we will manage the company the way we always have with thoughtful and deliberate decisions, with a focus on investing for the long term and with dedication to innovation and the possibilities it creates,” Cook said. “As we look ahead, we remain confident.” Cook told CNBC that Apple is already sourcing about half of the iPhones for the U.S. from India, and most of its other products for the U.S. from Vietnam, where tariffs are lower than they are from China. Apple still makes the “vast majority” of its products for other countries in China, Cook said. “If you look at the U.S., over half of the U.S. sales of iPhone come from India,” Cook said. “If you look at the other products, Mac and iPad and AirPods and the Watch, almost all of the country of origin is Vietnam.” Cook said the iPhone uses a lot of chips made domestically, and that Apple is buying 19 billion chips this year from the U.S. “With an iPhone, you really have to go a step lower and look at the individual parts and where they come from,” he said. Apple said its board authorized up to $100 billion in share repurchases this quarter, down from $110 billion in authorization last year. Apple also said it would pay a dividend of 26 cents per share, a 4% increase. “We continue to plan for annual dividend increases,” Cook said. The company reported $1.65 per share on $24.78 billion of net income during the quarter, versus $23.64 billion, or $1.53 per share, in the year-ago period. The company’s most important product line, iPhones, topped estimates at $46.8 billion in sales during the quarter. The overall product line’s sales were up just under 2% on an annual basis. Apple’s profitable Services division includes iCloud subscriptions, services like Apple Music and Apple TV+, warranties and revenue from search licensing deals like its agreement with Google. Cook, in a statement, hailed “double-digit” Services growth to $26.65 billion in revenue during the quarter, an annual increase of 11.65%. However, Services revenue came in slightly under StreetAccount expectations, and last year, Apple’s services division grew 14.2% during the March quarter. Apple hardware generally did well during the quarter. Mac sales rose nearly 7% to just under $8 billion, and iPad sales were up 15% on an annual basis to $6.4 billion. Apple introduced new mid-priced iPad Air and MacBook Air models in March. However, Apple’s wearables division, which includes Apple Watch, AirPods and accessories sales, declined 5% versus the same period last year to $7.52 billion in revenue. Sales in Greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, were down slightly year-over-year at $16 billion. Cook said that China sales were accelerating on a quarterly basis, and that Apple sales in the region would have been flat if not for foreign exchange rates. On the other hand, sales in the Americas, Apple’s largest market that has seen some increased consumer demand ahead of tariffs, rose nearly 8%. Cook told CNBC’s Steve Kovach that Apple had not seen evidence of order “pull forward” because of tariffs. “We don’t believe that there was a significant pull forward due to tariffs into the March quarter,” Cook said. “There’s no obvious evidence of it.” During the quarter, Apple delayed some of its AI features announced last summer to the “coming year,” which some analysts said might reduce the appeal of Apple’s latest iPhones. “We need more time to complete our work on these features so they meet our high quality bar,” Cook said on an earnings call with analysts." MY COMMENT This is about as good a beat as any company this big can expect.....a VERY NICE beat in just about every single category. the miss in services is so slight as to be meaningless....as is the very slight miss in wearables. It is all bout the WHOLE.....and as a whole this is a very good BEAT. I dont care what the IDIOTS say. AND.....this is another company throwing cold water of the impact of tariffs on their business. In addition....this BEAT....is way better than all the media "experts" have been saying AAPL would do.
HERE is AMAZON. Amazon’s ad business grew 19% in first quarter, topping estimates https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/01/ama...rcent-in-first-quarter-topping-estimates.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Revenue in Amazon’s online ad business rose 19% to $13.92 billion. Amazon has emerged as a force in digital advertising, trailing only Meta and Google in the U.S. Amazon reported a 19% increase in online ad revenue in the first quarter, beating analysts’ estimates. Ad sales climbed to $13.92 billion, while analysts on average were expecting $13.74 billion, according to StreetAccount. The numbers were contained in Amazon’s first-quarter earnings report. The company reported total first-quarter sales of $155.67 billion, compared to Wall Street projections of $155.04 billion. Although Amazon’s online ad business represents a fraction of overall sales, it has emerged in recent years to become the third-biggest platform in the global digital advertising market, behind only Alphabet and Meta. Online advertising is a particular area of focus for investors due to economic uncertainty and increasing tensions between the U.S. and China over trade. While President Donald Trump’s China tariffs will likely affect Amazon’s core retail business, the company’s online ad unit could also feel some pain. So far, tech companies with online ad businesses have reported solid first-quarter earnings, but warned of potentially tougher times later in the year. Meta reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings this week, but said ad sales in the Asia-Pacific region came in at $8.22 billion for the quarter, trailing analysts’ estimates of $8.42 billion. The company’s finance chief Susan Li said during an earnings call that “Asia-based e-commerce exporters” have slowed their online ad spending likely due to the de minimis trade loophole ending this Friday. When Alphabet reported first-quarter earnings last Thursday, it revealed that ad sales grew 8.5% year over year to $66.89 billion and YouTube ad revenue increased 10% to $8.93 billion. But Alphabet executives told analysts that it expects headwinds to its Asia-Pacific-focused advertising business. Snap on Tuesday said it had “experienced headwinds to start the current quarter,” which resulted in the company saying it would not provide guidance. Last week, Microsoft reported its latest quarterly earnings and said search and news advertising sales, minus payments to its affiliates, grew 15% year over year to $449 million. Reddit also reported first-quarter earnings on Thursday that beat on sales and guidance. The company’s first-quarter sales soared 61% year over year to $392 million. Although Reddit’s second-quarter guidance topped analysts’ projections, CEO Steve Huffman said there is some economic shakiness. “Ever-shifting macro environments like these create both challenges and opportunities,” Huffman wrote in a letter to shareholders. “We’ve grown through challenging times before — people need connection and information just as much in uncertain times.”" MY COMMENT This article goes off topic and into a discussion of ad revenue at various companies. I see these numbers as a CLEAR BEAT for Amazon. BUT....I can tell....the nit-pickers will be out in force.
This is what I mean about the nit-pickers. Amazon beats on Q1 earnings, but light Q2 guidance sends stock sliding https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amaz...2-guidance-sends-stock-sliding-200554161.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Amazon (AMZN) reported its first quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday, beating on the top and bottom lines, but offered lighter-than-anticipated guidance for its Q2 operating income. For the quarter, Amazon saw earnings per share (EPS) of $1.59 on revenue of $155.7 billion. Wall Street was anticipating EPS of $1.36 and revenue of $155.1 billion, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates. The company reported EPS of $0.98 and revenue of $143.3 billion in Q1 last year. AWS revenue came in at $29.3 billion inline with expectations. For the second quarter, Amazon said it anticipates operating income of between $13 billion and $17.5 billion. Analysts were expecting $17.8 billion. The company saw operating income of $14.7 billion in Q2 2024. The company also said it anticipates a 10-basis-point impact to its Q2 sales. Amazon stock fell more than 4% following the report. Amazon's announcement comes after a dustup with the Trump White House on Tuesday over a Punchbowl News report that the company was preparing to include the impact of tariffs on product prices. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the move "a hostile and political act," and CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene said President Trump personally called Bezos to complain about the plan. Amazon has since denied that it was going to add tariff pricing to its main e-commerce site. "The team that runs our ultra-low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said in a statement. "This was never approved and is not going to happen.” During a Tuesday afternoon briefing, Trump commented on the matter, saying, "Jeff Bezos is very nice. Terrific. He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. Good guy." The episode highlights the precarious position tech companies face as they work to navigate the reality of Trump's tariffs and the threat of possible reprisals from the White House. With goods imported from China facing a 145% tariff and other countries facing a blanket 10% tariff, UBS analyst Stephen Ju estimated in an investor note that some 50% or more of products sold on Amazon will face some kind of tariff-related price increase. "Consumers therefore might have to make more difficult choices on where to allocate their dollars," Ju wrote. "We also have to think that there could be second order impacts as exporters to the US are likely going to face lower revenue and as a result may have to make adjustments to their business/headcount needs, which may impact employment globally and downstream [gross merchandise value] growth internationally as well," Ju added." MY COMMENT I love how they let an......analyst....take over and dominate this little article in the last portion that I did not bold. TOTAL BS. As i said about AAPL...it is all about the whole and this is a clear BEAT for AMZN.
Pretty much.....you guys are long time trusted posters.....who are not going to go off into CRAZY-TOWN. BUT....I have been on a few investing boards in the past that had some posters that were really off in the OZONE......way beyond CRAZY-TOWN. And they made things interesting.....when they left the board was really BORING.
I had a BIG GAIN today....as did many on here, no doubt. I ended with only two RED stocks.....PLTR and HD. I also beat the SP500 today by 1.28%. MOVING ON UP.
The nice day today reduced my YTD loss to only.....(-6.66%). BUT I just noticed that.......GASP....."666" number. We are probably now pretty much screwed going forward....for a long time. Is the thread now......possessed? IMAGINE.....we now have....what is it.....7 or 8 GREEN days in a row for the SP500. BOOM. Imagine if we had 7-8 days in a row that were RED.....the media would be going ballistic. As it is....I just looked and dont see a peep about this......imagine that.
I dont know what earnings this writer was seeing today....but....this is not what I got out of the AMZN and AAPL earnings reports today. Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures drift lower as Apple, Amazon results signal trouble ahead https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live...n-results-signal-trouble-ahead-230801485.html WTF.
Oh yes.....I hate to tell them but the futures that I am seeing right now are GREEN for the DOW, GREEN for the SP500, and basically flat/zero for the NASDAQ. Not that futures matter.
DAMN!!! The timing is impeccable! I prefer my leaders to be at least able to understand basic fundamentals of global trade. Asking too much, I know.
As has been happening a lot lately...I will miss a good portion of the morning tomorrow. We have a surgery follow-up visit tomorrow morning. And I will be missing at times next week......an art event all afternoon on Monday......cataract surgery on Tuesday......surgery follow-up on Wednesday......the studio on Thursday. The next week is just as bad if not worse. I will finally get a break in about 3-4 weeks and somewhat get back to normal. SO....GET ME OFF TO A GOOD START TOMORROW MORNING.
I see mention of....TDS....above. According to AI and GOOGLE: "TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids, a measurement of the amount of dissolved inorganic and organic materials in a water sample"
Oh don't worry, people who throw that acronym around definitely have some Total Dissolved Solids in their systems. See HERE, HERE, and HERE
ONE....quick post before we head out to the doctor.....the news of the day. U.S. payroll growth totals 177,000 in April, defying expectations https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/02/jobs-report-april-2025.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 177,000 for the month, slightly below the downwardly revised 185,000 in March but above the Dow Jones estimate for 133,000. The unemployment rate, however, held at 4.2%, as expected, indicating that the labor market is holding relatively stable. Average hourly earnings rose just 0.2% for the month, below the 0.3% forecast, while the annual rate of 3.8% also was 0.1 percentage point less than expected Job growth was stronger than expected in April despite worries over the impact of President Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs against U.S. trading partners. Nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 177,000 for the month, slightly below the downwardly revised 185,000 in March but above the Dow Jones estimate for 133,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The unemployment rate, however, held at 4.2%, as expected, indicating that the labor market is holding relatively stable. The survey of households, which is used to calculate the jobless rate, showed an even stronger gain, with an increase of 436,000 in those who reported holding jobs on the month. A broader unemployment gauge that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons, or the underemployed, edged lower to 7.8%. The labor force participation rate edged higher to 62.6%. Stock market futures rose following the release as did Treasury yields. “We can push recession concerns to another month. Job numbers remain very strong, suggesting there was an impressive degree of resilience in the economy in play before the tariff shock,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. “The economy will weaken in the coming months but, with this underlying momentum, the U.S. has a decent chance of averting recession if it can step back from the tariff brink in time.” The report comes amid an uncertain climate in which Trump kicked off April by slapping a “liberation day” 10% across-the-board tariffs on U.S. imports, and threatened a menu of other “reciprocal” duties on dozens of other nations. However, Trump later decided to put a 90-day hold on the reciprocal tariffs pending ongoing negotiations. In recent days, White House officials have indicated that deals with some of the impacted nations are forthcoming, though there have been no official announcements. Health care continued to be a leader in job creation, adding 51,000 jobs. Other sectors posting gains included transportation and warehousing (29,000), financial activities (14,000) and social assistance. The federal government reported a loss of 9,000 jobs on the month amid Trump’s efforts, led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, to trim payrolls in the public sector. Federal government jobs have declined by just 26,000 since January, as employees furloughed but still receiving severance are not counted as unemployed, according to the BLS. “This first jobs report post-Liberation Day is much too soon for the impacts of tariffs to show up,” said Daniel Zhao, lead economist at job review site Glassdoor. “Even May may still be too early as businesses work down inventories. But today’s report does set the benchmark against which we’ll measure the tariff impacts.” On the wage side, average hourly earnings rose just 0.2% for the month, below the 0.3% forecast, while the annual rate of 3.8% also was 0.1 percentage point less than expected and the lowest since July 2024. Revisions brought previous months’ job totals lower than previously reported. For March, the BLS pulled the initial estimate down by 43,000, while the February number came down to 102,000, a decrease of 15,000. The report comes just ahead of next week’s Federal Reserve policy meeting. Central bank officials are currently in their quiet period heading into the two-day session that concludes Wednesday. However, in recent days they’ve expressed greater concern with addressing potential inflation impacts from the tariffs and have indicated a wait-and-see approach before adjusting interest rates. Markets widely expect the Fed to hold its benchmark short-term borrowing rate steady at the meeting, though they are pricing in a quarter percentage point cut in June with two or three more to follow by the end of the year. Following the report, the president again called on the Fed to lower interest rates. “Consumers have been waiting for years to see pricing come down. NO INFLATION, THE FED SHOULD LOWER ITS RATE!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post." MY COMMENT OK.....but this data is totally worthless. This is what I see when I read this: "For March, the BLS pulled the initial estimate down by 43,000, while the February number came down to 102,000, a decrease of 15,000." These numbers are totally worthless.
We are in the middle of a HUGE rally today. In fact over many days. If we can hang in there today I believe it will be either.....NINE or TEN .......days in a row in the GREEN for the SP500. Many of us have now made back MOST of the prior losses. BUT....do I think the correction is over.....probably not....or at least I am not willing to admit it yet. We continue to move further and further away from the market low of April 7. BUT.....even if we do not breach that prior low the correction may not be over yet....time will tell. I have a single stock in the RED so far today.....AAPL. Even though I think they had good earnings and I am happy with their results. They do seem to have a hard time with how they word guidance.....I see it as more of a messaging deficiency that anything else. I am at a significant point right now....having dropped below a YTD loss of 5%. I am at (-4.9%) YTD for my entire portfolio right now. I am also encouraged with where the markets are right now especially since there are some really big positive events that will impact the markets over the next 2-4 months....not the least of which is....making the current tax rates permanent. I see way more positive events lined up for the markets right now than negative. Much of the shorter term negative events are now out of the way. AND....the icing on the cake....big tech and earnings in general...have been outstanding. In addition the economic data....even if I dont trust or care about it.....continues to come in very nicely. SO.....we are looking at more rate cuts later this year.....probably....at least 2 and perhaps even 3-4. That is my.....rose colored glasses.....but very CLINICAL...view of the markets and where we are heading for the year.
SHOCKING NUMBERS....but....they obviously do not apply to most on these boards. What Is the Average Retirement Savings Balance by Age? See how you stack up against your peers when it comes to retirement savings. https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/average-retirement-savings-balance-by-age (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Building your retirement fund is critical for financial security. After all, you don’t want to run short of money when you’re older and no longer earning a paycheck. But how much should you have saved? Although a financial planner can help you determine the amount based on your unique needs and circumstances, it can be helpful to consider how much others have saved at various ages. With employer-funded pensions less common than they once were, most people will save and invest through employer-sponsored plans, such as 401(k)s, or independently by funding individual retirement accounts. According to a 2025 Fidelity Investments survey, 61% of Americans in their planning years say their retirement savings will be coming from these tax-advantaged retirement accounts. “I tell everyone to begin saving as early as possible,” says Laurie Rowley, CEO and co-founder of the San Francisco-based Icon Savings Plan, which offers IRAs through payroll deductions. The Fidelity survey found that 66% of today’s retirees recommend the same: Start saving as soon as you can and in amounts you can afford. Here's how to compare your financial progress to others in your age group and what you can do to increase your contributions. Average Retirement Savings Balance by Age Many employers offer 401(k) plans as part of their employee benefits package, making them a common way for people to save and invest for retirement. For the fourth quarter of 2024, Fidelity Investments tracked the average balances in these tax-preferred plans by age: Age Average 401(k) balance 20-24 $7,300 25–29 $24,000 30–34 $45,700 35–39 $73,200 40–44 $109,100 45–49 $152,100 50–54 $199,900 55–59 $244,900 60-64 $246,500 65-69 $251,400 70 $250,000 Another way to consider your retirement progress is to compare your savings with generational averages. Fidelity broke it down by 401(k) and IRA balances, per fourth-quarter 2024 data: Generation 401(k) IRA Gen Z (born 1997-2012) $13,500 $6,672 Millennials (born 1981-1996) $67,300 $25,109 Gen X (born 1965-1980) $192,300 $103,952 Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) $249,300 $257,002 However, workers should look beyond averages when setting their own savings goals, says Ben Bakkum, senior investment strategist for retirement plan provider Betterment. The amount you’ll need can vary based on factors such as your desired retirement lifestyle, health and the cost of living in your area. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans do not feel financially prepared for retirement. The latest data from the Federal Reserve indicated that most people’s savings fell far short of their goals. By age 60, not even half of non-retirees with a retirement account or pension view their retirement savings plan as being on track: Age Tax-preferred retirement account Defined benefit pension Retirement savings on track 18-29 43% 8% 26% 30-44 63% 19% 34% 45–59 72% 32% 38% 60 75% 36% 45% A Rule of Thumb for Retirement Savings In an ideal world, how much should you have set aside by certain ages? As a general guide, Fidelity suggests people save for retirement using the following rule of thumb based on their annual income: Retirement savings based on your annual income Age 1x 30 3x 40 6x 50 8x 60 10x 67 Using this guide, you can make some goal assumptions. For example, if your income is $45,000 when you’re 30, having that same amount in a retirement account is best. If you’re earning $80,000 when you retire at age 67, your final savings goal should be $800,000. Financial planners often have their own recommendation for how much people may need in their retirement accounts at different life stages. For instance, Rowley suggests the following savings goals: Retirement savings based on your annual income Age 1x 35 5x 50 7x 70 If any of these recommendations feel too ambitious, start with just six months’ worth of salary by age 30, says Lamar Brabham, CEO and founder of the Noel Taylor Agency, a financial services firm in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Then, work up to having four to five times that amount by age 40. Determine How Much to Save for Retirement Before assuming you can’t reach the recommended level of savings, see how your current savings are expected to grow. You may be closer than you think. “That’s one of the biggest struggles for some people,” says Vanessa N. Martinez, CEO of Expressive Wealth, a Chicago-based wealth consulting firm. “When they see a big number, that seems scary.” Younger workers who have decades until retirement may find that even a modest amount of savings can grow significantly due to the compounding effect of interest. For example, if you started contributing to a 401(k) at age 30 with an annual salary of $40,000 – assuming a 3% annual salary rise – and you contribute 10% per month, you will have $1,858,809 by the time you reach age 67, assuming a 7% annual return. However, if you waited until age 45 to start, you would only have $364,660 in your retirement account. “We usually talk to (clients) in terms of a combination of balance sheet and cash flow,” Brabham says. While having significant assets is important, retirees need to be able to access their funds to generate a regular income. Cash flow can come from many income sources, including Social Security benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit in 2025 is approximately $1,976. You may have other investments, rental property or annuities to draw from as well. If you own your home, you may downsize and use the proceeds for additional living expenses. Tips to Boost Your Retirement Savings If you have access to a 401(k) plan, it usually makes sense to max out your contributions. In 2025, contribution limits are $23,500, with an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions if you are 50 or older or $11,250 if you are between 60 and 63. Some employers match employee contributions up to a certain percentage, so if they offer it, take advantage. It’s free money. If you do not have access to a 401(k) or want to increase your contributions, consider opening and funding an IRA. For 2025, the IRA contribution limit is $7,000 if you are under 50, and $8,000 if you are 50 or older. Keep in mind that savings will go further in retirement if taxes don’t erode them. After all, the more tax you have to pay, the less cash you have for living expenses. For this reason, Brabham tends to steer his clients toward Roth accounts when they open IRAs. Traditional IRAs offer a tax deduction upfront, but withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. In contrast, Roth IRAs provide tax-free withdrawals in retirement. If you don’t think you’ll be able to achieve the cash flow needed for a comfortable retirement, there are several ways to boost the balance in your accounts. “One of the best ways is to make more money,” Bakkum says. That could mean seeking a better-paying job, taking on additional hours or starting a side business. Another strategy to boost savings is to cut spending. Martinez suggests using a 50/30/20 budgeting system in which 50% of your income is allocated to essential expenses, 30% can be spent on discretionary items and 20% goes to savings. Many people spend money on things they don’t necessarily want or need, such as subscriptions they forget about, Martinez says. Those on tight budgets should pare down where they can. While knowing the average retirement savings by age is one way to determine whether you are on track, meeting with a financial advisor may be a better way to check your retirement readiness. Either way, make saving consistently a financial priority to ensure you can retire when and how you want." MY COMMENT Some great basic information above. It is all about starting at the youngest age possible and being a long term investor in ETF's, funds, and/or stocks. At that point it becomes all about the POWER of compounding and the quality of your investment picks. PLEASE....if you have not started down this path yet.....start as soon as possible. Even very small amounts of money saved and invested WILL turn into significant money it you have TIME on your side.
I like this little article. Everyone Could Use a Little Rudyard Kipling In Their Financial Planning https://www.realclearmarkets.com/ar...ling_in_their_financial_planning_1107559.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” Perhaps you recognize this opening line from Rudyard Kipling’s poem If. Who doesn’t appreciate some Kipling? Well, I suppose if you’re a delicate Sallyboy, you might not understand him—perhaps Oscar Wilde would be more your cup of tea. About once a year, I write an article reporting on things I experience in my business. At Chartwell Capital Advisers, we take a holistic approach to wealth creation and management. We help folks grow their money, protect their assets, sell real estate, insure lives and property, structure advantageous tax deals, invest in private placements, provide personal and employee benefits, and handle a variety of other matters. Although a practicing lawyer, I generally dislike lawyers and the practice of law. Many will rob you blind while offering little value in return. Lawyers are like dentists—only without the personality. Sure, there are a few Atticus Finches out there, but lately, I’ve encountered far more Dodsons and Foggs (see Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens). When you buy a new fly rod, shotgun, or sports car, it’s because you want what you’re buying. Nobody wants what a lawyer is selling. They bill you for their time, even when their time may not be worth a bag of nickels. They truly suck the fun out of life. However, there are times when legal fees are a great investment, yielding returns many multiples over the cost. Estate planning and advanced planning techniques provide some of the biggest bangs for the buck. It’s entirely possible to spend a few thousand dollars and save a few million. If you die right after signing the paperwork, your return is infinite! However, if you live another 30-40 years, proper estate planning remains one of the best investments available. We handle generational wealth and administer numerous estates and trusts, which integrates well with the rest of our business. So, in a nutshell, we handle both the money and the legal stuff under one roof. It works better that way. Here are some reports, thoughts, and observations from recent months: People can be divided into Kiplings and Wildes. It’s easy to be a financial success: just be a Kipling. Self-discipline and logic. Maintain a stiff upper lip, exhibit courage and good judgment. Then there are the Wildes, where waves of emotion erode logic, and lack of self-discipline leads to ruinous results. These are the people who need calm, cool-headed advice—and sometimes a firm hand to slap some sense into them. In previous reports, I’ve emphasized the importance of forming trusts to protect beneficiaries from their own bad habits: drinking, overspending, laziness, etc. But recently, I encountered something I never expected. A second wife, who was the beneficiary of a huge annuity, cashed out all of it and gave the money away. Ouch—taxes! She now has almost nothing left. Lesson learned: as fiduciaries, we must protect beneficiaries not only from their vices but also from their altruism. Personal property: One client had over $2 million in gold bars and other valuables at home. Guess what? This stuff walks. If you have valuable assets, make a detailed inventory and get a safe deposit box. I hate to sound so cynical, but even the nicest people are capable of stealing—especially in family matters, where many feel entitled to take what they want because "Dad didn’t come to their third-grade ballet recital." Speaking of Dodsons and Foggs: many lawyers draft trusts but fail to fund them properly before the client dies. Then, assets have to go through probate. And let me tell you, having a colonoscopy every day is more fun than probate—but probate is quite lucrative for lawyers! I’m convinced some of these slippery snakes leave trusts unfunded on purpose, knowing they’ll make money handling the probate estate. And, conveniently, the client is dead—so they won’t complain. For heaven’s sake, don’t scatter your money where no one knows where to find it. What's the point of leaving an inheritance for little Johnny and Suzie if nobody can locate it? Do you know how expensive it is for an executor or trustee to go on a treasure hunt with no map? Investments: I’ve never heard so much scaredy-cat caterwauling over a market dip. I bought on the dip and encouraged clients to do the same. "A Kipling keeps his head when all about are losing theirs." It takes patience to convince a Wilde not to panic and act rashly. You listen to their drama, calm them with facts, reason, logic, and historical analysis—they’re grateful. And then, three days later, emotion overtakes them again. Groundhog Day! Just last week, I sent a client Matthew 6:25-34: "Read it, and quit worrying!" A good lawyer must be counselor, fiduciary, psychiatrist, priest, friend, and sometimes bartender. On dying intestate: Do you want your wife to find out at your funeral that you fathered a child with another woman while she thought you were happily married for 50 years? If not, then don’t die intestate! If you do, then Trixie’s son from the diner—who happens to resemble you—automatically inherits a share of your property. You’d be amazed who shows up at funerals. This happened not long ago! Accountants: Oh boy. They’re not all created equal. Many are little more than IRS compliance officers. Ever notice there are no TV dramas or action movies about accountants? There’s a reason: robotic bean counters. Find someone more like Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson. You want your accountant to hate the government like Iago hated Othello. Higher education giving: Never, EVER make outright gifts to universities. Form a foundation that retains control and can cut funding at any time. Always maintain control. I don’t care if I’ve been dead 1,000 years—I don’t want a single nickel going to support woke commie nonsense. You’d be surprised how many elitists at these fancy schools despise their donors and feel entitled to violate the terms of gifts received. I’m a generational wealth guy. Why do we have so many overweight people in this country? Because food is cheap and plentiful. Why do we have so many poor rich people? Because they have too much money and no discipline. Wildes can’t control their spending; they get a dopamine rush buying ostentatious toys. Kiplings get their dopamine hit by resisting temptation and watching their wealth grow. The hardest part of being a trustee is saying no to beneficiaries with their hand out. The old WASP adage, “never touch the principal,” creates enormous future wealth. There’s virtue in waking each day with “hunger in the belly” and earning one’s way. Giving too much, too soon, usually stunts a child’s growth and potential. Women clients: Many spend too much. I bark at them all the time. Yes, they like shiny objects, but often they haven’t had the experience men have in stretching dollars. I’m old school—I believe part of a man’s role is to protect women. I often offer to review stressed lady clients’ bank and brokerage statements. One gal was paying $46,000 in insurance; I cut it to $6,000—just one of many substantial savings. It changed her life and reduced her stress. If you’re an experienced businessman looking for a feel-good cause, there’s plenty of low-hanging fruit in this area. You can make a difference. On divorce lawyers: Slimy divorce attorneys (pardon the redundancy) milk women clients dry. They should be thrown in prison. I have a tip that can save both men and women hundreds of thousands in legal fees. It’s worked several times when coaching clients on managing their lawyers...I’ll save this for another time! "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Atticus Finch. Reminding us that the real world is often ugly and troubling and clashes with our moral responsibility to make it better, but navigate on we must." MY COMMENT Somewhat of a strange article.....but in it are many little nuggets of truth. I do think that the younger women...under about age 40 are exceptional with their money and planing.....much better than men. I am amazed at the competence, education, and habits, of women under age 40 that I have contact with. Extremely impressive.
