Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Looking for Cash Opportunities


Cash is king for now.

There will be lots of attractive opportunities for those with cash:  stocks, real estate, purchases.  I'll be actively looking for good deals.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back  Tuesdays for a new segment.

This is not financial or investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2020 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Monday, March 30, 2020

Be Prepared for the Worst

That was my hard lesson learned from the 08/09 Great Recession.  The stock market was doing great, hitting new highs in October 2007, the month of my early retirement. My company stock had also hit a new high. 

Rather than paying off our mortgage, I stayed mainly invested in equities, assuming the stock market would continue to deliver gains greater than the interest on our mortgage.   It was the "smart" financial decision.

Needless to say, I wasn't prepared for the stock market crash of 08/09.    Our retirement funds were reduced by about 60%.   Fortunately, we had enough cash and CDs to tide us through for a couple years.  That plus some part time work for a few years, and some deferred compensation payments enable us to recover completely by 2017.

However, I never forgot the anxiety and financial challenges of the 08/09 Great Recession.   I was much more prepared for the recent bear market decline, by keeping more funds in cash and cash equivalents, foregoing some of  the gains in the stock market.  If the market should decline further, it will still be painful, but I anticipate the financial challenges to be much less daunting than the ones we had in 08/09.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back Mondays for a new segment.

This is not financial nor invesment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2020 Achievement Catalyst, LLC