Tag Archives: Insurance

RETIRE Right: Six Keys to a Stronger Financial Plan

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Dear Mr. Market:

This morning I had the pleasure of speaking at the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Beach House … a room full of business owners, community leaders, and friends. For those who don’t know me, I’m Matt Pixa, founder of My Portfolio Guide, LLC, an independent fee-only wealth management firm. I’ve been honored to serve on the Chamber’s Board of Directors in the past, and was named 2021 Businessperson of the Year. While my schedule doesn’t allow me to attend as often as I’d like, it’s always a privilege to come back, reconnect, and hopefully provide a few takeaways that help people make smarter financial decisions.

Instead of giving a 15-minute “commercial” about my firm, I wanted to do something more interactive. So I asked everyone to take one of my business cards, flip it over, and write down the word RETIRE. Each letter became a conversation point for one of the six key areas of financial planning every person should be thinking about — no matter their age or stage of life.

These are the pillars that determine whether your financial plan can withstand market volatility, economic uncertainty, and life’s inevitable curveballs. If you missed the breakfast, here’s a recap of the discussion (and yes, you can watch the full 18-minute video below).

Read more: RETIRE Right: Six Keys to a Stronger Financial Plan Continue reading →

Protecting Your Fiefdom: Issues for First Time Landlords to Consider

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Dear Mr. Market:th-22

Over the past couple of months we’ve had all eyes on you and to state the obvious it’s been a wild ride!  With all the recent volatility, the risks (and rewards) of the stock market were on clear display but today we switch gears to a different asset class and share some insight from our friend and guest author, Mr. Brian Chou, Esq.

Owning investment real estate can be a very rewarding and profitable experience, but it can also be a huge headache and a drain on resources. I remember when I purchased my first investment property several years ago, my head was filled with conflicting images of myself sunbathing on my private island and lying penniless in a gutter.  The possibilities and the liabilities seemed endless. Continue reading →

Top 10 Life Insurance Myths

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life insurance 4

Dear Mr. Market:

We’ve used many quotes in the 91 letters that we have written to you over the last few years. They’ve covered a variety of topics and issues that investors are faced with as they attempt to navigate through the current economic environment. Today we look at a famous quote from one of our country’s founding fathers…

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain,

except death and taxes.”

          – Benjamin Franklin

Imagine if there was a product that addressed both death and taxes? Not to scare you away from this article … but there is. Individuals will typically avoid discussing it, if at all possible. The product is Life Insurance, owned by many but truly understood by few.

The Life Insurance industry has certainly not done itself any favors over the years. Individuals often experience a pushy sales process that is based on fear tactics and playing on emotions. Who really wants to sit down and discuss what will happen when they die? In an effort to serve individual needs, life insurance companies have created a plethora of products with different bells and whistles often leaving the potential client confused and completely overwhelmed. Rather than dig into the various products we will address 10 of the most common myths that are associated with Life Insurance and discuss their validity.

          1. Everyone needs life insurance

The two most basic needs that life insurance assists individuals with are: providing for dependents and covering estate taxes at death.   If you don’t have dependents or an estate valued over $5.43 million (for tax year 2015), you may not need life insurance. Throughout life your financial picture will change and your life insurance coverage needs to be adjusted as well; policies can be revised and cancelled, if needed. Continue reading →