With the election behind us, we now know that former President Trump will have another four years in the White House. While that could mean policy shifts in all sorts of areas, we want to focus on how it may impact the economy so Michael will take a deep dive into the data on different economic growth factors, and what the numbers have looked like under both Republican and Democratic administrations over the years.

In part one of this two-part conversation, we’ll break down how the stock market and the economy are not necessarily the same thing, and how they don’t always go hand in hand. We’ll also discuss how the stock market has grown substantially over the last 97 years across many administrations of both parties. Then, we’ll get into specific growth numbers and what exactly they mean.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

• The stock market and the economy are not the same thing, and they’re not always hand in hand.
• The shocking growth of the stock market over the last 97 years.
• The role of risk and how it can impact expected returns.
• How different growth metrics have done across different Presidential administrations.
• Even when the market is a whole is doing well or poorly, there will still be differences in different sectors.

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897

When it comes to planning for retirement, there's no shortage of advice out there. Unfortunately, much of it can be misleading or only half-true. That can be a problem for investors because they end up following guidance that doesn’t apply to their situation. Today we continue our two-part discussion on these potentially misleading statements by shedding light on some of the most common retirement half-truths and explain why they might not tell the whole story.

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

• Half-truth #6: You should withdraw 4% annually from your retirement savings.
• Half-truth #7: Saving just enough to match your employer’s 401(k) contribution is sufficient.
• Half-truth #8: You don’t need a retirement plan if you plan to work throughout retirement.
• Half-truth #9: Medicare will take care of all your healthcare needs after retirement.
• Half-truth #10: Social Security will cover your basic expenses in retirement.

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897

We hear a lot of half-truths in the financial world, not necessarily because people try to make misleading statements, but because sometimes a simple statement just doesn’t quite tell the whole story.

Join us for part one of this discussion as we cover common misconceptions about market losses, portfolio fees, mortgage interest, diversification, and bonds. We’ll provide insights on why these half-truths can be misleading and how to navigate them for better financial planning.

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

• Half-truth #1: The market always goes up in the long run, so don’t worry about individual losses.
• Half-truth #2: The fees in your portfolio are less than 1 percent.
• Half-truth #3: If you have a low interest mortgage, you’re better off investing than paying off the house early.
• Half-truth #4: Diversification is THE key to investing.
• Half-truth #5: Bonds will significantly reduce the risk in your portfolio.

Data referenced in this article:

https://interactfa.com/the-index-matrix-app/

https://www.upmyinterest.com/bloomberg-us-aggregate-bonds/

Learn more: https://caffeinecashflow.com/

Get in touch with Michael-

Web: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/michael-schulte

Email: michael.schulte@westpacwealth.com

Phone: 702-767-4897