Right Path Investments

The Magnificent Seven becomes the Fabulous Five. Bitcoin goes mainstream. And another investing hero passes on.

1st Quarter Client Note – Nvidia, Bitcoin and the Loss of Another Giant - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. For the most part, 2024’s first quarter markets performed exceptionally well. The S&P 500 (Total Return) Index gained 10.56% — on the heels of 2023’s stellar gain of 26.29% The market continues to be led by high tech growth stocks; contributing further to concentration and overweight in highly...

My grandmother’s idea of diversification was to keep her money in a bunch of different mattresses. Well, maybe it’s not a joke. Not that you should keep your money in a mattress. But the Silicon Valley Bank debacle presents a great opportunity to examine a crucial issue for investors — risk associated with custody, including where you hold your cash.

1st Quarter Client Note - Bank Runs Are Back - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. The markets shook off news of dramatic bank runs and failed banks being taken over by the FDIC and sold off in piece parts. Led by a big rebound in technology stocks, the S& P 500 (Total Return) Index gained 7.57% in the quarter. Large cap growth technology stocks were up 14.3% with large cap […]

I asked a Chatbot if artificial intelligence is going to make human financial advisors obsolete. The answer was interesting -- and reassuring.

Will Artificial Intelligence replace your financial planner? - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. Artificial Intelligence applications — and especially chatbots, which can seemingly research and write like us humans, are becoming increasingly prevalent. Chatbots are by no means perfect in the output they produce. And they are somewhat controversial, particularly in academia, as students begin ...

In some ways, 2022 was a historically bad year in the markets. In other ways, it was perfectly manageable. Read our commentary. And start to learn about the Secure Act 2.0 and its implications for retirement planning.

4th Quarter Client Note – Out with the Old. In with Secure Act 2.0 - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. Well, that was fun. It wasn’t quite the worst ever year for stocks. Thank goodness for that. But bonds had one of (if not) their worst years ever. Consequently, the role that bonds usually play in a portfolio – buffering losses in the occasional bad years for stocks – didn’t happen – and e...

ESG investing has become a political football. After a two-year obstacle, the current Department of Labor (DOL) has restored the opportunity for workers to invest sustainably in their 401(k)s. Read the latest and learn more about ESG investing and whether it might be right for you.

ESG Investing Back in the Arena, Political Hot Potato Gets Tossed Again - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. The political football has been tossed back into the hands of workplace retirement investors who want to take their values into account in managing their portfolios. At the end of 2020, the US Department of Labor, responsible under ERISA for regulating 401Ks, changed the rules for sustainable invest...

Late life planning – for a time when you need help with everyday tasks on account of either physical or cognitive decline – can be a special challenge. One increasingly popular choice is the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), which provides both housing and services throughout the transition from independent living to acute nursing care, all on one campus. In this article, we introduce the various options, then drill down on how to assess the practicality of a CCRC for yourself or a loved one.

Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) – Advantages and Pitfalls - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. Managing life-stage transitions is an essential component of good financial planning. Late life planning – for a time when you need help with everyday tasks on account of either physical or cognitive decline – can be a special challenge. One increasingly popular choice is the Continuing Care Ret...

Retirement means different things to different people. For some, it’s nirvana. For others, it’s a dirty word. In this blog article, we discuss the various nuances, make suggestions on how to navigate this transition on your own terms and provide some valuable resources.

Is Retirement a Dirty Word? - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. I made the mistake of asking a client when she wanted to retire. This is a common inquiry to my clients. Yet unwittingly, I opened a fraught subject for this couple. She loved her job and wanted to work forever. He was ready to retire now and see the world. I learned a valuable lesson. […]

Reviewing the pandemic experience of the past year for RightPath's clients.

1st Quarter Client Note – Still Standing - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. When writing my client note at this time last year, we were in the vortex of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cases were exploding around the world. Hospitals were overwhelmed – or nearly so. And deaths were mounting. Social distancing had been imposed. Businesses were shuttered. There wer...

How would a drawn-out, disputed or contested election affect the markets? The Constitution and history will be our guides.

Preparing for Short-Term Election Volatility - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. What’s better for investors, Republican Presidents or Democrat Presidents? It’s a trick question. First, because in general, over the long run, it doesn’t matter. While some data correlates Democratic administrations with stronger markets since the end of World War II, there is no evidence of ...

Myths about the government deficit may be holding back economic recovery from the pandemic recession and a robust financial future for all Americans.

Book Review: The Deficit Myth, Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People’s Economy, Stephanie Kelton (Public Affairs, 2020) - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. Financial Advisor Steve Smith examines Dr. Kelton's book and discusses if federal deficits are a barrier to utilizing fiscal policy for public programs.

What can regular folks planning for retirement learn from the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement?

Retire Early? Retire Late? Or Retire Right on Time? – Lessons from the Early Retirement Movement - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. Is early retirement for you? The FIRE movement offers lessons leading to financial independence and the ability to retire at any age. Learn more from Colorado Mountain Retirement Advisor Steve Smith, RightPath Investments.

My thoughts on Covid-19 and its impact on the economy, investments and life.

1st Quarter Client Note – Covid-19 Edition - Rightpath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc. There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I have quoted Vladimir Lenin in a client note. And probably the last. A great deal has indeed happened since my first post on the coronavirus pandemic, when the implications wer...