April 27, 2017 7:38 am
Published by Stephen Zelcer
The following is an excerpt from my monthly TSP report that I’ve created to guide Federal Employees in allocating their money in the Thrift Savings Plan. Facts: Of the four broad economic indicators, three were positive this month. Unemployment was improved, down to 4.5% which is 0.2% lower than it was last month. PMI, again, showed solid ground at 57.2%. The 3-month performance has been comfortably over 56%. The last time PMI had a 3-month run over 56% was early 2011! The GDP growth estimate for the 4th quarter 2016 was revised up to 2.1%, from the previous estimate of 1.9% The S&P 500, however, dropped 1.5% in the month of March. The 3-month performance is still a solid 4.47% Assessment: Again, PMI’s numbers display strong expansion, and is a nice indication that U.S. manufacturing is alive and well. Unemployment is going down, meaning more people have jobs, which in turn boosts... View More
January 29, 2017 4:13 am
Published by Stephen Zelcer
I see people do this all the time, especially in the pre-retirement group. Many people are uncomfortable having any debt, including their mortgage, and they are driven to enter retirement “debt free.” To rid themselves of debt they make an additional payments of principle each month, on top of the regular monthly mortgage payment. Is that a good move? Maybe. Let me explain what I mean. When you pay off your debt, you are avoiding the loss of interest. By avoiding this loss, you now have more money in your account. Thus, by avoiding a loss you have gain! Let me illustrate with two similar scenarios: Scenario 1: You invest $100 into a vehicle that grows at a rate of 10% per year. After a year you will have your original $100 PLUS $10. Those $10 are the money you gained by investing your $100. Obviously. Scenario 2: You BORROW... View More
September 21, 2016 3:15 pm
Published by Stephen Zelcer
Life insurance ends up costing people more than they want. Either due to expensive premiums or the lost opportunity to grow these premiums into greater wealth. That is why I am offering a LIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP ON LIFE INSURANCE! Sign up here With FEGLI open season coming to a close on September 30, 2016, now is the time to make smart life insurance decisions that will have a long lasting impact on you & your family’s financial future. In this workshop you will: Compare the FIVE types of Life Insurances available to Federal Employees Learn the benefits to each policy and how they relate to new, mid-level or near retirement career Feds See which policy will help you save money and build wealth Have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers right away! Save me a spot! For only $20.00 this one hour workshop will save you hours of... View More
September 1, 2016 1:55 pm
Published by Stephen Zelcer
It’s finally September 1st, and that means FEGLI open season has begun. There has never been a better time to brush up on all the Life Insurance options available to Federal Employees. The last time this happened was in 2004! There is so much to learn about all the possible Life Insurance options and instead of spending the time to get you to sit down and listen to me rant about all the different programs available, I’ve written it all down. And it’s available for FREE for you, right now! All you have to do is click this link: https://tspplanning.com/fegli-ebook/ Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of information. But it’s all very important if you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your Life Insurance plan. I’ve spent so much time researching and developing a detailed understanding about every program being offered, and I’ve outlined... View More
