MannAdvisoryServices 

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

Thing One   Check Your Subscriptions And Save Some Money   I've mentioned Rocket Money before, but a recent CNET  article by Joe Van Brussel caught my eye, and I thought I’d share a summary of his findings. He explored how subscriptions can quietly drain your budget and tested Rocket Money, a budgeting app designed to track income, expenses, and recurring charges. The app offers a free version and a paid version costing $6 to $12 a month for features like subscription cancell

Thing One   Why People 50 and Older Should Have Life Insurance   Multiple studies show that many Americans have not taken critical steps toward protecting their family’s financial future if the unexpected happens.    If someone (children, grandchildren, etc.) relies on your income for their well-being and you don't have enough money to pass on to them to ensure their continued well-being should you die suddenly, you need life insurance. It's that simple.   And here are some a

Thing One   Beware The Teaser Rates   In a recent conversation with a prospective client, we were asked some questions about life insurance.  After explaining the basic purpose of life insurance – to make sure that the people that depend on his income today would not find themselves in financial trouble if he died and suddenly left them without the benefit of his monthly income – we ran a few quotes for him.  Before doing so, we explained the underwriting tenet that age, heal