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The Independent Investor: Should You Pay Off Mortgage Before Retiring?
By Bill Schmick,
03:21PM / Thursday, June 26, 2014

Many retirees, concerned with no longer having a steady paycheck, have asked me for advice on whether to pay off their mortgage early. There is no definitive answer but here are some variables to consider when making a decision.

Your monthly mortgage payment in retirement may represent a significant portion of your monthly income. If you only have social security as an income stream, then chances are that a mortgage payment will significantly reduce the amount you will need to meet your monthly expenses. If so, then pay off the mortgage. However, be careful you don't significantly reduce the amount of money you have available for emergencies, general expenses and discretionary

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The Independent Investor: Retirement should be a part-time job
By Bill Schmick,
11:14AM / Friday, June 20, 2014

Only 40 percent of those who retire find that their quality of life improved. That’s because the majority of Americans, especially men, fail to understand that retirement can have a sudden and stressful impact on their lives and especially their marriage. Don’t let this happen to you.

Remember that throughout history, most people worked until they died or were physically or mentally unable to hold down a job. It is only recently that people had the luxury of choosing to retire. For many, it comes down to the dollar and cents ability to have saved enough money to live on through their remaining years. But just because you have the money doesn’t mean that you

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The Independent Investor: Unhappily Ever After
By Bill Schmick,
02:44PM / Friday, June 13, 2014

Over the next decade roughly 75 million Americans will retire. While most of us are well-aware of the need to plan, save and invest for that momentous moment, very few of us are actually prepared for the non-financial challenges of retirement itself.

Recently, as a result of one local company’s early retirement incentive plan, as well as the bankruptcy of a local hospital, I have had some firsthand experience in dealing with the expectations of retiring clients in this area. What I have found is that the majority of men are ill-prepared for retirement, more so than women. At the same time, their spouses are extremely worried — with good reason.

Studies show that men

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@theMarket: June Swoon
By Bill Schmick,
02:37PM / Friday, June 13, 2014

This week the stock market was actually down three days in a row. It caught many investors off guard, but by the end of the week, traders were expecting the dip buyers to arrive. They did not disappoint.

As we approach the first days of summer, the stock market appears to be becoming more, rather than less, volatile.  The VIX, the volatility index, actually jumped a bit from its record lows as turmoil in Iraq and a subsequent spike in oil prices spooked the markets.

Earlier in the week, the World Bank also cut their economic forecast for 2014 global growth from 3.2% to 2.8%. And here in America, the election defeat of Eric Cantor in the Virginia Republican Primaries provided

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@theMarket: Europe Is a Good Bet
By Bill Schmick,
12:34AM / Sunday, June 08, 2014

When the allies invaded the coast of Normandy on June 6, 1944, no one knew how much was at stake. It was a risky move that not only put an end to years of bloodshed within Europe but also ushered in a new world order that continues today. European leaders are hoping that their central bank's actions this week will provide an economic D-Day of their own.

The greatest risk to the economies of Europe is deflation. The European Central Bank (ECB) maintains a 2 percent inflation target for the EU, but the inflation rate as of May was a mere 0.05 percent.  While unemployment remains above 12 percent and economic growth continues at a sub-par rate, the EU could face an era of

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