Byron Moore, CFP® and Mike Jones

The News Star columns

The most overlooked asset

By Byron Moore, posted June 6, 2016
Originally published in the News Star on Sunday, June 5, 2016.
 
cash stack_0.jpgQuestion: With stocks overvalued and bonds looking riskier than ever, if interest rates go up it’s really hard to know where to put your money. Are there asset classes that are being overlooked?
 

Answer: Yes. A very big one.

In a rut at work

By Byron Moore, posted May 31, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, May 29, 2016.
 
work slump_sm.jpgQuestion: I am in a rut in my job and I’m not sure how to get out of it. I just can’t see myself doing this for 20 or 30 more years. But I have no idea what I would do otherwise. I keep my eye on the jobs websites, but there’s really nothing there. Where do you suggest I look?
 

Answer: Between your ears.

Earl Nightingale was a 20th century writer and radio personality. Dubbed the “Dean of Personal Development,” his often repeated motto was, “Your rewards in life are always in exact proportion to your contribution.”

Facing the future with fear or faith?

By Byron Moore, posted May 23, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, May 22, 2016.
 
MrMoore_sm.jpgQuestion: I am in my 20s and just starting out in my career. I took just enough economics in college to be dangerous. But everything I read about the world financial situation, with debt levels and sluggish economies, has me very worried. Do you think we will be the first American generation to be worse off than our parents?
 

Answer: I wish you could meet Frank.

Retiring with more than enough

By Byron Moore, posted May 16, 2016
Originally published in the News Star on Sunday, May 15, 2016.
 
Travel in retirement_sm.jpgQuestion: We’re looking at retirement within a year or two. I’ve been fortunate enough to work for a company that provides me with a pension. Between the pension and our Social Security, we’re actually going to get a raise in retirement. We’ll have more than enough to live on. Plus we have a lot of money put back in our 401K plans. A lot. I now realize we may never touch that money. What should we do with it now?
 

Answer: First of all, congratulations. It sounds like you’ve done a great job of preparing for your retirement.

Don’t let resentment distort your choices

By Byron Moore, posted May 9, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
 

wing walker_sm.jpgQuestion: I have worked at the same place for over 20 years. I can probably retire in five to ten years. But things have changed so much at work. I feel ignored, overlooked and totally taken for granted. My pay has not gone down, but that’s not all there is to a job. Do I hang on and hate it, find a new job (not easy to do!) or just retire now and keep my sanity?

Answer: There’s a big difference between reacting and responding.

What happens if I outlive one of my heirs?

By Byron Moore, posted May 2, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, May 1, 2016.
 

Outliving heirs_sw.jpgQuestion: I have lived longer than I thought I ever would. I’ve been blessed with several children and grandchildren. Now I am faced with the possibility that I could outlive some of them. What would happen if I live longer than one of my children? Would their children get their portion of my estate? I have one child who never had any children of her own.

Answer: What do you want to happen?

What are negative interest rates and why should I care?

By Byron Moore, posted April 25, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, April 24, 2016.
 

falling interest rates_sm.jpgQuestion: I try to keep up with financial news a little, and I keep hearing about something called negative interest rates. What are they and do they have anything to do with me?

Answer: When my now (almost) 90 year old father opened his first savings account as a young man in a small bank in Mississippi, the banker smiled broadly at him while extending his hand to shake and announced ceremonially, “And the best part about banking with us is that we won’t charge you a dime to keep your money here!”

Retirement choice – lump sum or monthly check?

By Byron Moore, posted April 17, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, April 18, 2016.

retirement ahead_sm.jpeg

Question: My company is going through a downsizing and my job has been eliminated. I’m going to have to find another job, but now my old employer is giving me a choice to take my retirement from them in a big lump sum of money now or as a regular retirement check when I hit 65. Which is better?

Answer: You need to keep going with your question.

Rather than ask, “Which is better?” may I suggest, “Which is better for me?”

Wealth coordination – the key to financial agility

By Byron Moore, posted April 11, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
 
deposit slip small.jpgQuestion: I struggle with follow through. I’ve made several financial promises to myself, but I just don’t keep up with the details. The only thing I can say I’ve ever done consistently is my 401k, and that’s because it happens automatically and I never think about it. What can I do to improve my follow through?
 

Answer: Make it automatic. Like that 401k of yours.

Job insecurity – good reason to delay planning?

By Byron Moore, posted April 4, 2016
Originally published in the News Star and the Shreveport Times on Sunday, April 3, 2016.
 
pinkslip sm.jpgQuestion: I am realizing that the dramatically lower price of oil could affect my job, even though my work is not directly oil field related. All the uncertainty has me wondering how effective long-term planning can be during times like these. What do you think?
 
Answer: “My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened.” 
 

So said French philosopher Michel de Montaigne over 500 years ago…

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