I met Hugo and Gert Ehlers in late 1994. I quickly discovered they were hard working people. Hugo worked at a steel factory and Gert taught physical education at a public school. Their two kids were already grown and living in different parts of the country. The Ehlers were always very careful with their money, dedicated savers, and good investors. They went to church each Sunday and were always i...
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Calculate Your Retirement Age Early retirement? Normal retirement age used to be 65. With changes in pension benefits, health care expenses and other factors, there is no normal retirement age. Social Security was created in August 1935. It was intended to supplement other income sources for retirement. What’s changed? Everything. People are living much longer. In 1935, life expectanc...
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SAVE AND INVEST FOR YOUR FUTURE. Today, I saw that the average family in the U.S.A. makes almost $54,000 per year. They have saved an average of $3,800. That is shocking to me. It’s obvious that Americans have greater concerns in front of them. As a direct result of the great recession starting in 2007, many people are worse off today. If people were forced to save money at an early a...
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Retirement is a concept that continues to experience transitions. Becoming financially independent is difficult, but it is also possible. Historically, only 5% of people are able to retire and maintain financial independence. Most have never created a financial plan. A plan is critical for achieving your financial goals. “Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dar...
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Ever wonder if you’re saving enough money for retirement? Even if you’re in your 20’s, most experts say you should be saving 10-15% of your annual income each year! Setting aside a little bit every month can be a hard thing to do, and even when you’re doing all the right things, it’s still hard to feel confident about it. Should it sit in a savings account, 401K, or s...
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