MannAdvisoryServices 

Thing One   What Would You Do?   Here's a question for you:   If your best friend told you he was making lots of easy money trading options, what would you do?   The answer is, you should do what you want.  But, if you do decide to start trading options, you should get some understanding of what that really means.  And, hopefully, as a part of gaining that understanding, you’d come to the same conclusion that many people, including the ones at clarkfinancial.com , have:   “Th

Thing One     Who Needs A Financial Advisor And Why   Planning for Retirement As retirement approaches, financial decisions become more complex. Questions about when to claim Social Security, how to draw from savings, and how to keep income lasting for life can feel overwhelming. A financial advisor can design a tax-smart withdrawal plan and align investments with your long-term needs.   Managing Wealth or Complex Finances Those with significant assets, multiple income source

Thing One   Where There’s A Will, There’s A Say   Having a will is one of the most important steps anyone with assets can take, regardless of age or wealth. A will ensures that your property, money, and personal belongings are distributed according to your wishes, rather than leaving those decisions up to the courts. Without one, state laws (known as intestacy laws) determine who inherits your estate, which may not align with your preferences. This can also cause unnecessary

Thing One   Just .5%More   The following is an excerpt from a marketwatch.com  article written 12 years ago about the impact that earning .5% more on your investment portfolio over the long term. It is as relevant today as it was then...   "(Let's consider) the lifetime impact of gaining an extra 0.5% of annual investment return. . . .   The key here is to think about the long term. Many investors habitually think in terms of what we gain or lose in a short period: a month, a

Thing One   Vanguard’s Three Questions   The Vanguard Group, a Registered Investment Advisor with over $7 trillion in assets under management asks three questions in determining whether their clients need a financial advisor:   How confident are you in reaching your financial goals? (Retiring, budgeting, withdrawal strategies, reducing debt, etc.)   ·      Highly confident? ·      Somewhat confident? ·      Not very confident?   How would you prefer to receive advice?   ·    

Thing One   Why You Should Buy an Annuity   Annuities can be a compelling option for individuals seeking financial security and predictable income, particularly in retirement. One of the primary benefits of an annuity is its ability to provide a guaranteed income stream for life or a specified period, which can offer peace of mind in an uncertain economic environment. Fixed annuities, for example, deliver consistent payments regardless of market fluctuations, shielding you fr

Thing One   Aged Facts Are Still Facts   Ten years ago, Wharton Professor Mark Siegel wrote an article for the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal about how poor a money manager the federal government is as it relates to producing wealth for us with our Social Security and Medicare contributions. It made mincemeat of the idea that wealthy people don't "pay their fair share" by showing that they weren't getting near the amounts in benefits that their contributions should h

Thing One   How Much Should You Have Invested In Stocks?   While there are many financial practitioners who will answer this precisely after you provide them with a few pieces of information, there really is no one “right” answer to this question. That said, there are some very useful guides that you can use to help you decide on an appropriate number for your situation. For example, the chart below suggests that if your investment horizon, the period of time from now until y

Thing One   For Or Against Investing In Stocks In 2025?   (The following are exerpts from an article on yahoofinance.com  about investing in stocks in today's market enviroment)   “… For: Strong Economic Growth Supports Stocks The U.S. economy is expected to grow steadily in 2025, with forecasts around 2% GDP growth, driven by consumer spending and corporate earnings. Strong earnings, especially in tech (projected to grow 15% for S&P 500 companies), can justify high P/E ratio

Thing One   Good Debt Versus Bad Debt    Not all debt is created equal and understanding the distinction between good debt and bad debt can be a game-changer for financial success. Good debt is borrowing that creates long-term value or generates returns, such as investing in assets that appreciate or produce income. Bad debt, on the other hand, is borrowing for fleeting wants, like luxury purchases or experiences that don’t contribute to wealth-building. Knowing the differenc