Four Lessons Grandparents and Grandchildren Can Learn Together

If you're a grandparent, maintaining a strong connection with your grandchildren is important, but that may become harder over the years as they leave for college or become busier building their careers and families. While they're just starting out financially, you have a lifetime of experience. Although you're at opposite ends of the spectrum, you have more in common than you think. Focusing on what you can learn together and what you can teach each other about financial matters may help you see that you're not that different after all.

1. Saving toward a financial goal

When your grandchildren were young, you may have encouraged them to save by giving them spare change for their piggy banks or slipping a check into their birthday cards. Now that they're older, they may have trouble saving for the future when they're focused on paying bills.

They may want and need advice, but may not be comfortable asking for it. You're in a good position to share what experience has taught you about balancing priorities, which may include saving for short-term goals such as a home down payment and long-term goals such as retirement. You'll also learn something about what's important to them in the process.

You may even be willing and able to give money to your grandchildren to help them target their goals. While you can generally give up to $14,000 per person per year without being subject to gift tax rules, you may want to explore the idea of offering matching funds instead of making an outright gift. For example, for every dollar your grandchild is able to save toward a specific goal, you match it, up to whatever limit you decide to set. But avoid giving too much. No matter how generous you want to be, you should prioritize your own retirement.

2. Weathering market ups and downs

Your grandchildren are just starting out as investors, while you have likely been in the market for many years and lived through more than one challenging economic climate. When you're constantly barraged by market news, it's easy to become too focused on short-term results; however, the longer-term picture is also important. As the market goes up, novice investors may become overly enthusiastic, but when the market goes down they may become overly discouraged, which can lead to poor decisions about buying and selling. Sharing your perspective on the historical performance of the market and your own portfolio may help them learn to avoid making decisions based on emotion. Focusing on fundamentals such as asset allocation, diversification, and tolerance for risk can remind you both of the wisdom of having a plan in place to help you weather stormy market conditions.

3. Using technology wisely

Some people avoid the newest technology because they think the learning curve will be steep. That's where your grandchildren can help. With their intuitive understanding of technology, they can introduce you to the latest and greatest financial apps and opportunities, including those that may help you manage your financial accounts online, pay your bills, track investments, and stay in touch with professionals.

Unfortunately, as the use of technology has grown, so have scams that target individuals young and old. Your grandchildren might know a lot about using technology, but you have the experience to know that even financially savvy individuals are vulnerable. Consider making a pact with your grandchildren that if you are asked for financial information over the phone, via email, or online (including account or Social Security numbers); asked to invest in something that promises fast profits; or contacted by a person or business asking for money, you will discuss it with each other and with a trusted professional before taking action.

4. Giving back

Another thing you and your grandchildren might have in common is that you want to make the world a better place.

Perhaps you are even passionate about the same special causes. If you live in the same area, you might be able to volunteer together in your community, using your time and talents to improve the lives of others. But if not, there are plenty of ways you can give back together. For example, you might donate to a favorite charity, or even find the time to take a "volunteer vacation." Traveling together can be an enjoyable way for you and your grandchildren to bond while you meet other people across the country or globe who share your enthusiasm. Many vacations don't require experience, just a willingness to help--and learn--something you and your grandchildren can do together.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2015.

Common Financial Wisdom: Theory vs. Practice

In the financial world, there are a lot of rules about what you should be doing. In theory, they sound reasonable. But in practice, it may not be easy, or even possible, to follow them. Let's look at some common financial rules of thumb and why it can be hard to implement them.

Build an emergency fund worth three to six months of living expenses

Wisdom: Set aside at least three to six months worth of living expenses in an emergency savings account so your overall financial health doesn't take a hit when an unexpected need arises.

Problem: While you're trying to save, other needs--both emergencies and non-emergencies--come up that may prevent you from adding to your emergency fund and even cause you to dip into it, resulting in an even greater shortfall. Getting back on track might require many months or years of dedicated contributions, leading you to decrease or possibly stop your contributions to other important goals such as college, retirement, or a down payment on a house.

One solution: Don't put your overall financial life completely on hold trying to hit the high end of the three to six months target. By all means create an emergency fund, but if after a year or two of diligent saving you've amassed only two or three months of reserves, consider that a good base and contribute to your long-term financial health instead, adding small amounts to your emergency fund when possible. Of course, it depends on your own situation. For example, if you're a business owner in a volatile industry, you may need as much as a year's worth of savings to carry you through uncertain times.

Start saving for retirement in your 20s

Wisdom: Start saving for retirement when you're young because time is one of the best advantages when it comes to amassing a nest egg. This is the result of compounding, which is when your retirement contributions earn investment returns, and then those returns produce earnings themselves. Over time, the process can snowball.

Problem: How many 20-somethings have the financial wherewithal to save earnestly for retirement? Student debt is at record levels, and young adults typically need to budget for rent, food, transportation, monthly utilities, and cell phone bills, all while trying to contribute to an emergency fund and a down payment fund.

One solution: Track your monthly income and expenses on a regular basis to see where your money is going. Establish a budget and try to live within your means, or better yet below your means. Then focus on putting money aside in your workplace retirement plan. Start by contributing a small percentage of your pay, say 3%, to get into the retirement savings habit. Once you've adjusted to a lower take-home amount in your paycheck (you may not even notice the difference!), consider upping your contribution little by little, such as once a year or whenever you get a raise.

Start saving for college as soon as your child is born

Wisdom: Benjamin Franklin famously said there is nothing certain in life except death and taxes. To this, parents might add college costs that increase every year without fail, no matter what the overall economy is doing. As a result, new parents are often advised to start saving for college right away.

Problem: New parents often face many other financial burdens that come with having a baby; for example, increased medical expenses, baby-related costs, day-care costs, and a reduction in household income as a result of one parent possibly cutting back on work or leaving the workforce altogether.

One solution: Open a savings account and set up automatic monthly contributions in a small, manageable amount--for example, $25 or $50 per month--and add to it when you can. When grandparents and extended family ask what they can give your child for birthdays and holidays, you'll have a suggestion.

RULE OF 100

Subtract your age from 100 to determine your stock percentage

Wisdom: Subtract your age from 100 to determine the percentage of your portfolio that should be in stocks. For example, a 45-year-old would have 55% of his or her portfolio in stocks, with the remainder in bonds and cash.

Problem: A one-size-fits-all rule may not be appropriate for everyone. On the one hand, today's longer life expediencies make a case for holding even more stocks in your portfolio for their growth potential, and subtracting your age from, say, 120. On the other hand, considering the risks associated with stocks, some investors may not feel comfortable subtracting their age even from 80 to determine the percentage of stocks.

One solution: Focus on your own tolerance for risk while also being mindful of inflation. Consider looking at the historical performance of different asset classes. Can you sleep at night with the investments you've chosen? Your own peace of mind trumps any financial rule.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2015.

The Crisis in Retirement Planning

If you are an employee or an employer, this is something you need to pay specific attention to because they path we are on is leading to retirement destruction, but we can still make a change. It all started with the introduction of Internal Revenue Code 401(a) which introduced us to such retirement plans as 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans. When they were created, they were to be a great supplement to the pension plans where the employees has control over where the money would be invested. As it turns out, pension plans have all but disappeared, and most employees are left with just one of the retirement plans under the IRC 401(a). What we have learned since the 1980's is that the stock and bond market that forms the investment vehicle of these plans, have become unpredictable and unstable. Add to it the lack of education provided to the employees about basic investing, and an increase in trading volume leading to volatility via many inexperienced traders having access to the internet to "day-trade". We live in a different world now and none of us can afford risking our retirement which may result in outliving our money.  The dollar amount of your retirement fund is not a number you can predict and there shouldn't be a number as your retirement goal. What is important is how much you can receive every month for the rest of your life and your spouse's life guaranteed to never run out. That is what a pension is (was). Your employer would guarantee that the employees would receive a specific amount of money upon retirement for the rest of their life.

So, in 2016 can you have the best of both worlds, a 401(k) and a pension even if your company does not offer it?

YES YOU CAN!

Contact us today to find out how you can create your own pension plan and how much money it would guarantee you to receive as long as you live.

To read more about the Crisis in Retirement Planning, click here