The Eight Roadblocks to Financial Security and Peace

You live in a period of time that’s been financially shaken. Cities like Detroit have gone bankrupt, and states like California and Illinois are teetering on the brink of financial collapse. The United States is buried in $17 trillion of debt! Our country is going backwards financially at the speed of nearly $1.662 trillion per year.

What can you do to avoid the great crash that might happen in the future? Are you able to do something that will help you increase your confidence and peace during these precarious economic times? The following eight roadblocks to financial security and peace are summarized by the acrostic, STOP RUIN. Each letter of STOP RUIN represents a roadblock to avoid, and below is a summary of the acrostic followed by a detailed explanation of each roadblock.

The Eight Roadblocks (STOP RUIN):

Stock market losses – John Bogle, chairman and founder of Vanguard Funds, said that we may have two 50% drops in the stock market over the next ten years. Another brilliant investment manager Bill Gross, founder and chairman of PIMCO Funds, has said, “The stock market was a Ponzi scheme for the last 100 years.”

Taxes – Do you think taxes are going up or down in the future? With federal deficits ballooning, Congress is addicted to more revenue. The Tax Foundation has historical marginal tax rates dating back to 1915. The fact is, your tax rates are now very high and could go even higher. The top marginal federal tax rate from 1913 to 1915 was just 7%. From 1916 to 1917, the top federal tax rate skyrocketed from 15% to 67%! Then, from 1918-1921, it hovered from 73% to 77% then dropped back to 25% by 1925. The fact remains that since 1913, the top marginal rate averaged about 57%. Chances are good that your future may be pummeled with higher taxes.

Old age illnesses – According to The United States Social Security website, the Social Security Administration’s life expectancy calculator says the average 65-year-old man will live about 20 more years. The average life expectancy age is 84, which means half of all men live longer than that and only half die before age 84. With longevity comes the high risk of critical illness expenses and long-term care.

Procrastination – Most Americans spend more time planning their two-week vacation than they do on their 20-year retirement. You need to plan your retirement this year. Take a look at your expenses and your assets today. With the help of a Certified Financial Planner, figure out how those expenses will change in your post-retirement years. Project the size your retirement nest egg will be at retirement and how much you need to save every year to get there. Don’t put it off. Begin your plan today.

Running out of money – Allianz conducted a study of 3,257 people between the ages of 44 to 75 in three major cities: Tampa, Chicago and Los Angeles. What they discovered is that the fear of running out of money during retirement is greater than the fear of death! Do you have a plan for guaranteed income? If not, call your wealth advisor and schedule a meeting to discuss guaranteed income that you can never outlive. We live in a society today with almost no pensions. You may want to consider creating your own private pension type plan, so that your money will last longer than you do.

Unstable economy – If it wasn’t that the rest of the world was in so much debt; America may have lost its economic edge in the world. Debt, inflation, taxes, huge rising costs of health care, and Social Security all weigh on the shoulders of our great country and may break its back. Are you ready for the roadblock of and unstable economy in your portfolio?

Inflation – Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said at a private function at The Waterfront Restaurant in La Crosse, Wisconsin, last year, “Make sure that your clients are ready for the upcoming threat of inflation.” He is on the Senate Budget Committee and sees all the debt this country has amassed. With all the interest due on our debt, we may have a hard time finding enough money to pay all of our obligations. The potential economic slowdown and higher costs of production might cause inflation and higher interest rates for years to come.

No planning - It’s been said that there are two types of plans, plans by design and plans by default. Quite often, plans by default cost much more! Now is not the time to think about what there isn’t, but to think about what you can do with what there is.

Would you like to bypass some of the eight roadblocks to financial security and peace? By splitting your money into eight strategies, you may improve your survival percentages regardless of the disasters that may come upon America. Now’s the time to reduce risk!

Securities offered through Comprehensive Asset Management and Servicing, Inc. (CAMAS), 1-800-637-3211, member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB, Brent Welch Registered Representative. Advisory services offered through Welshire Capital, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser located in Wisconsin. Welshire Capital, LLC and CAMAS are separate and unrelated companies. www.WelshireCapital.com