MannAdvisoryServices 

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

Thing One   Nobody Knows (But History Tells Us That’s Okay)    From an  article in marketwatch .com  this week three years ago:   “…When it comes to bear markets, investors can take comfort from history which suggests that where there’s a beginning, there’s always an end.  And according to Bank of America, investors have only got a few months left to endure the bear market that the S&P 500  SPX, 0.33%  tumbled into on June 13, at the start of this week. And then will come the

A Letter From Grandma   The following is a letter a grandmother wrote to her grandchild (with the some help from her financial adviser):     "My dearest grandchild, my heart overflows with love and pride as I write to celebrate your high school graduation. You’ve grown into such a remarkable person, your laughter and kindness lighting up every moment we share. I want nothing but the best for you—a life brimming with opportunity, joy, and success. To honor this milestone, I’m

Thing One   A "Trump Account" For Every Newborn   A recent House Republican proposal, part of the ambitious "One Big Beautiful Bill" championed by President Donald Trump, aims to give every newborn in the United States a $1,000 investment account, dubbed a "Trump Account." These tax-deferred accounts, inspired by state-level baby bond programs, would be seeded with federal funds for children born between 2025 and 2028 and invested in a stock market index fund. Parents could f

Thing One   Timing Isn’t Everything, Staying The Course Is   When the stock market goes down it means people and institutions are selling out of their positions. Such has been the case on many days during the last few months. The experts have categorized much of this activity as panic selling, which is generally based on some extraordinary news item. The current headline grabber and selloff instigator is the is the regional banking crisis. Investors have not liked most of wha

Thing One   The Pros and Cons of the 4% Rule   The 4% rule is a widely recognized guideline for retirees to manage withdrawals from their savings, aiming to ensure funds last throughout retirement. Introduced by William Bengen in 1994, it suggests withdrawing 4% of the initial retirement portfolio in the first year, with subsequent withdrawals adjusted for inflation annually. For example, a retiree with a $1 million portfolio would withdraw $40,000 initially, then increase th

Thing One   All Gave Some, Some Gave All   Happy Memorial Day!  And if you’re really knowledgeable about the origins of today’s holiday, Happy Decoration Day!  Admittedly, I wasn’t among the most knowledgeable on the topic but I got curious (and felt grateful) enough to do a little searching.  I thought I’d share with you some of what I found in the form of an excerpt from an article on study.com . I hope you enjoy and share either this newsletter or your knowledge on this su

Thing One   The Three Phases Of Retirement   Retirement can be broadly divided into three phases: the active phase, the transitional phase, and the later phase. Each phase has distinct characteristics and financial needs, so planning for them requires tailored strategies. Below, I’ll outline each phase and provide guidance on financial planning, keeping the explanation concise yet comprehensive.   1. Active Phase (Early Retirement, ~60s to mid-70s) Description: This is the "g