What is The Best Way to Save for Retirement

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Retirement 2 Comments

Saving Money For Retirement

We’ve all heard how important saving money for retirement is. You hear it from the Dave Ramseys and Clark Howards of the world on their talk shows geared towards the masses. You hear it from your employer who wants you to contribute to your 401K plan. There have been hundreds of books written on saving money for retirement.

What is the best way to save for retirement is still the question many people ask. In this blog post I will address that question in a simple to understand manner that actually makes sense. So stay with me, and you will learn so much.

Most people aren’t really sure if what they are doing is the best strategy for them. I will go over the most common ways most people save for retirement and when should those strategies be used. I will also cover some of the prevailing wisdom in the media. Can you even trust it? Let’s get started.

Retirement Savings Options

What are the typical retirement savings options? Well there’s the 401K at work. Then there is a 403B plan used by teachers, hospital workers, and other non-profit entities. There is the SEP, Simplified Employee Pension plan, that is used by small businesses. If nothing is provided by your employer, you can open an IRA, traditional of Roth. The vast majority of people are using one of these plans. They all have a few things in common….your contributions are tax deductible and your money is usually in mutual funds. And some company manages the plans for you. The Roth IRA contributions are not tax deductible, but the earnings can be drawn out tax free in the future.

Are these plans good for you? They are better than nothing. If you get a matching contribution from an employer, that’s a good thing. But over the years there has been a lot of negative press about 401Ks and mutual funds. I won’t go into all that in this blog. But here is my take on when these can be good and when they can be bad. Continue reading →

Personal Success…It Thrives Within You

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Success 2 Comments

Do You Want Personal Success?

I have an online mentor who became a multi-millionaire after starting with practically nothing. He doesn’t personally know me, but I follow his teachings online where I am learning how to succeed in the internet business world. Looking back at the last 18 months or so of trying to learn this business, I realize that I’ve fallen short even though I’ve learned how to create websites like this and write blogs like this. You know what…I didn’t consistently follow through with the success steps for this business. So I push on with more vigor towards the day more and more income will flow my way from these endeavors. I realized there are no excuses in life.

Oh we can try to make excuses. And sometimes they actually sound pretty good. Heck, we even believe them at times. But deep inside….come on now…you know it’s just an excuse.

How To Become Successful

So I began to think hard on this question…how to become successful. How can I have success in life? What does it take to succeed in everything I set my mind to?

I won’t pretend I have that answer for you. I am not the “Guru of Success”. I’ve had my successes AND my failures. I can only tell you what I will do going forward. Better yet, I will illustrate it for you and for me.

My internet mentor shot this video. It’s powerful and it had quite an impact on me. I wanted you to see it.

I want all of you to know success in 2016…..personal success in all you do. I want you to have success in LIFE.

I want only the very best for you….but that very best is on YOU! Watch the video….and be certain you can succeed. Continue reading →

Cut Your Healthcare Costs

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Education Leave a comment

The Rising Cost of Healthcare

With Obama Care and the poor general health of the American public, healthcare spending is going through the roof. If you have a group plan at work, you have seen your premiums rise, many times quite drastically, over the last three years. If you have private insurance and make a good income, you may no longer be able to afford health insurance. Now what happens? Your health insurance is killing your budget, or you no longer have health insurance. The cost of your healthcare is just too much now. I will discuss with you how to cut healthcare costs for you and your family. Continue reading →

How To Backup Your Computer

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Education Leave a comment

How To Backup Your Computer…An Important Question

You’d think that this would be an easy question to answer. After all, if your computer goes down, or is stolen, what will happen to all that very important data on your computer? Not just important documents, but what about all your family photos and videos? That’s easy Victor…I’ll just buy an online back up service.

That is an easy fix, but why is it then that only about 10% or less of people have online computer backup? Beats me. I got Carbonite a long time ago. Maybe it’s because of the cost involve. I get it. Carbonite makes you pay for a year all at once. But I’ve discovered a better solution for online computer backup. And of course I want to share this with you.

First of all let’s look at the two main players in this market….Carbonite and My PC Backup. Let me make a quick comparison. Carbonite has three plans ranging in price from $59.99 to $149.99. You pay that for a year at a time. And it’s for each computer…no family plan. Each plan offers unlimited online storage. Having to pay for a year all at once, and paying the same full amount for each individual computer, may discourage people from getting it. Continue reading →

How To Read the Stock Market

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Education, Retirement Leave a comment

Has How To Read the Stock Market been on your mind?

Many people are wondering where the stock market is heading. January scared many because it was dropping like a rock. Now all of a sudden the market has recovered and hit new highs. To get a little insight into what that’s all about, read my previous blog, Where Should I Invest My Money.

Just recently I was listening to a lecture given by Morningstar Inc. You know me, I like to listen to this kind of stuff. And then I get to pass it on to you. Anyway, how to read the stock market is always on the mind of Morningstar. They are the leading market analysis company, and issue the famous Morningstar Ratings to mutual funds…one star up to five stars. They weren’t all that optimistic about the future. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, but it wasn’t what most people would want to hear.

I decided to make a short video so you can see for yourself. This video is all of one slide so it won’t take long. But you’ll get a lot out of it. If you don’t watch this video, well then maybe you don’t care enough. Afterward I will explain how to avoid all the uncertainty. Continue reading →

Where Should I Invest My Money?

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Retirement 1 Comment

Safe Investment Options

Many people ask, “Where should I invest my money?” I know the stock market seems to have done well lately, but have you noticed how volatile it is? People are happy one day when the market goes up hundreds of points, then they are worried when the market quickly drops like a rock. Some people decide they will try their hand at investing in the market by opening a brokerage account. They see the market on the rise and decide now is the time to get it. They jump in just to see the market tank. They get scared and sell at a loss.

Sound familiar? I’m not here to tell you how to invest in the market. My website is not geared towards investing in securities. I am all about preserving what you have worked so hard to accumulate. That being said, we must be able to grow our money over time to accomplish our goals, both for the present and for retirement. So where should I invest me money so I don’t lose it? What are the best ways to invest my hard earned money? Continue reading →

Personal Income Tax Shortfall Hits States

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Victor Cuevas Posted in News 1 Comment

How Can Income Tax Returns Hurt Your Retirement?

I recently read a Wall Street Journal article titled Income Tax Yo-Yo Hits States. After reading it, I wanted you to know what I learned. Let me tell you folks…it’s a mess out there. Technically we’re out of the recession, but in a real practical sense, we’re not. And you can lay the majority of the blame at the feet of governments.

Last year was the last year for the Bush Tax cuts. Those tax cuts included cuts on long term capital gains. Ok, before you get bored and tune out, listen to what I’m saying. If you buy a stock and keep it for at least a year before selling it, you pay 15%, maybe less, on the gain instead of what your regular tax bracket is. Since most high income earners are in a much higher tax bracket, the long term capital gains tax is a real benefit.

Last year that benefit came to an end and this year the long term capital gains tax went way up. So there was an incentive to liquidate holdings in 2013 to keep from paying a higher tax this year. This was further enhanced by the fact that the stock market did very well last year. Thus, when all the selling took place to liquidate these assets, a whole lot of personal income tax came flowing into the state governments. So being the irresponsible politicians that most of them are, they didn’t readjust their projections enough for this year. Tax revenues have fallen drastically for many states and now they’re in trouble. Continue reading →

Is My 401K Plan In Trouble

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Retirement Leave a comment

My 401K Plan

I wanted to share a report that came out from Bloomberg February 14. It was titled, Companies from Facebook to JP Morgan squeeze 401K contributions. You can read the article HERE if you want. It was written by Carol Hymowitz and Margaret Collins.

I’ve been reading over the years about how the government has had its eyes on 401K plans and IRAs as a way to rescue social security and acquire (steal) more of our money. But it turns out that employers are the ones that are trying to increase profitability on the backs of 401K plans.

The article starts out like this: “Employers are squeezing their workers’ retirement savings, holding back on both the amount and the timing of 401(k) matching funds and dragging out vesting schedules. Taken together, these measures are making it more difficult to save for old age.

Major companies that have engaged in such practices in recent years include Whole Foods Market Inc., Facebook Inc., Oracle Corp., Caesars Entertainment Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.”

These aren’t just the little companies that are doing this. These are the big guys, the famous companies you wouldn’t think would do these kinds of things. Now…we can understand, in some ways, why this is happening. Obamacare is a major factor that has cut into profitability over the years. Corporate taxes, second highest in the world, have something to do with it. Onerous federal rules and regulations, especially since the financial meltdown, have also contributed to companies and corporations looking at cutting back on employee goodies, like 401K benefits. Continue reading →

My Easter Wish For You

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Holidays 4 Comments

We Celebrate the Most Important Moment in History

I was searching for an Easter image on Google images. Probably 95% of them were bunnies and Easter eggs. Wow….that’s sad. For many people, that’s the meaning of Easter…that’s their Easter holiday event.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His resurrection on the third day are the most important moments in the history of the world. All we know will pass away some day….and then eternity. What we do with Jesus Christ dictates what will happen for our eternity. What could be more important than that? The Bible ask us what good is it if we gain the whole world, but lose our soul.

I don’t mean to preach, and I won’t. I know what I believe and I’m confident in my decision to follow Jesus Christ now and for all eternity. There are others far more gifted than I who can share the passion of this season. So I will leave you with a treat. Take a few moments to listen to this incredible song. It’s awesome!

Now you’ve heard the message. He paid it all. What will you do with it? Have an absolutely wonderful Easter.

God is good all the time…and all the time God is good!

If you enjoyed this, please comment below, like, and share this page with others who can benefit.

Victor Cuevas

Skype: victorcue

Work With Me Personally –Click here

P.S. If you enjoyed this post about My Easter Wish For You, please comment below.

Be Determined To Succeed

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Victor Cuevas Posted in Success Leave a comment

Are You Determined To Succeed?

Success in business or in your personal life should be at the top of your list….always! That’s right, always. I’m not saying you should be obsessed with it. Nothing should be an obsession because then it’s unhealthy. But if you are not determined to succeed in all that you do, you will not accomplish much in life. So the question becomes, how can I be, and remain, determined to succeed?

I look back at my life. There were times I was doing well and didn’t have a care in the world. At other times I really had it rough. We’ve all been there. Some of my biggest successes were when I was really determined to succeed. Really focused for success.

I remember when I attended the Seattle Police Academy. I was 28 years old. Man I was focused and determined to succeed at the highest level possible. I graduated first in my class. I was in a zone functioning at a high level in every area…weapons, physical training, academics, high speed pursuit training, etc. It was intense for those four months or so that I was there. But I made it happen.

I realized what is possible when one becomes determined. That’s just one example in my life. Unfortunately, like so many other people, I wasn’t focused and determined consistently in my life to accomplish the things I wanted to in life. How about you? Continue reading →