#108 - This is What the Market Thinks About Presidential Elections

Welcome once again to another episode of The Retirement Answer Man with Roger Whitney...me! It’s my goal to help you prepare for your retirement in a way that equips you to be happier, healthier, and more “on purpose” during your retirement years than you ever thought possible. On this episode I’m going to walk you through a number of things that should help you down your retirement path, including a discussion of what the term “index” means, what history has to tell us about investments during election years, and 3 listener questions that hit on very practical issues when it comes to retirement planning.

It’s an election year! How does that impact your investments?

In light of this being a Presidential election year, some polling has been done recently to assess how people are feeling about government overall. It appears that more people than ever are in a place where they mistrust or even hate the government. There may be valid reasons for that sentiment, maybe not. But the point that I want to make in response to those polls is that none of us should allow our hatred or disdain for the government to impact our retirement strategy. It’s not a good investment plan for a lot of reasons and I’m going to tell you why on this episode.

What is an “index” anyway?

There are a variety of financial indexes that you hear mentioned off and on, the main one being the S&P 500 index, but what do they actually mean? On this episode I’m going to explain to you why these indexes are actually imaginary portfolios and how they are designed to help us get a general feeling for what the market is doing in light of the performance of certain companies that may be contained within that imaginary index. Confused yet? You won’t be if you listen to this section of the show.

I just received an inheritance and wonder what I should do with it?

A listener to the show asks the question, today, about an inheritance they received and what they should do with it. There are all kinds of options, paying off debt, investing in IRA or retirement accounts, setting aside money for that rainy day, and even more. What I suggest on this episode is that your first step should not be any of those. Instead, I advise patience. You can hear why I think patience is the greatest first step when it comes to an inheritance or some other financial windfall, on this episode.

Why is it a bad idea to simply invest according to the S&P 500?

Many investment advisors, including me, often point out that the S&P 500 index average is much higher than most investment portfolios out there. On today’s show, a listener asks why it is not a good idea to simply invest along the lines of what the S&P 500 index does. He knows it wouldn't be a perfect investment strategy but it would at least be 80% of the way there. I've got some thoughts about this, and share them with you on this episode, because I don't want you to fall prey to the natural weaknesses of human nature. What does that mean? You'll have to listen to find out.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

[0:27] Welcome to this episode!
[0:56] Why I want you to sign up for Six Shot Saturday!

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

[2:16] Presidential elections and how it impacts the market.
[3:28] Why hating the government is not an investment strategy.
[4:01] What history has to say about investments during the political cycle.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SEGMENT

[8:44] What is an “index?”
[10:29] How indexes work and why it matters to you.
[12:37] How various companies within an index have varying impacts on the index.

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

[15:20] QUESTION: What should I consider when I receive a windfall or inheritance?
[21:29] QUESTION: Should I start increasing cash reserves now in anticipation of retirement?
[25:31] QUESTION: What is wrong with putting all of my investments in the S&P 500?