Timely Emails

The Federal Reserve recently voted to cut interest rates, shaving 0.5% off the benchmark.1 Markets rallied exuberantly at the news, reaching new highs.2 But before we get to why rates were lowered and what it might mean, let’s take time for a Creel family update. Our youngest, Eva, is now a big city girl! After graduation, she moved to New York City and is teaching at a prestigious private school on the “Upper East Side”. She loves her new apartment and commuting to work on the subway. Here’s a picture from our recent visit. Now back to the regularly scheduled…

Picture this: You’re 120 years old. You’ve been retired for…not 20, not 30, but 60 years. You’ve had a lot of time, but now––not a lot of money. This may sound like the setup for an unfortunate sci-fi movie, but these days, longevity is an extremely important issue when planning for retirement. Life expectancies keep rising with advancements in modern medicine, which could potentially give you multiple decades of post-work life. To enjoy those years to the fullest, it’s time to start thinking about longevity in retirement now. That’s the focus of this month’s Visual Insights Newsletter. Click here to…

Clouds may be gathering. Should investors be worried about a storm? Before we answer this scary question (spoiler alert…nobody knows the answer), let’s talk about food! Heather has become a fantastic sourdough bread chef! She has always been an excellent cook, but tackling sourdough was very challenging. I am happy she stuck it out…good for me! Beyond wonderful fresh loaves of bread every week, we also get the best pizza crust ever! Following is a picture of our Sunday dinner: Now back to the financial message: Let’s look at some factors that could trigger a market selloff in the weeks…

New research has found a new “magic” retirement savings number. (I explain how inflation factors in below) I say “magic” because if you put 10 people in a room, you’ll get 10 different opinions about how much you should save for retirement. And this estimate is no different. More on retirement later. For now I want to be a proud Dad and brag a little… Here is a picture of the family celebrating Eva’s recent graduation from the University of Georgia. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Psychology! And best of all, she has a teaching job…

As you may have noticed, the S&P 500 broke the 5,000 level recently for the first time in history as investors embraced euphoria.1 And then tumbled as investors got jittery.2 Then yo-yo’d a bit more. These types of abrupt moves can make owning stocks feel like a roller coaster ride! Speaking of rollercoasters…, I’ve attached a picture of Heather and me riding Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom a few weeks ago. By the look on our faces you probably can’t tell we really loved the ride! So What’s going on with the stock market? Let’s talk about investor psychology….

I hope you are starting the new year off on a positive note! There is nothing like January 1 to motivate us to re-set our thoughts and actions toward new ambitious goals. Oftentimes, our annual list of “to-dos” includes some financial goals. We at Carmichael Creel Investments are here to help if you need us. Before we get to the market update, here are a few pics from Heather and me ringing in the new year from the beach in Destin, Florida. As we kick off 2024, the latest data is raising some concerns about inflation. Let’s dive into some…

Just a quick note to offer some perspective on the many headlines floating around. There are plenty of things to be worried about right now, so I’d like to pause for a second to remember the abundance in our lives. Especially when so many folks are suffering. When the world stresses me out, I remind myself to be grateful for what I have. I’m grateful for my family and friends. I’m grateful for my health. I’m grateful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I’m grateful to have work that gives me purpose. What are…

September means it’s football season again and fall is in the air.  That’s the good news…if you like football and cooler weather.  However, for those of us who pay attention to the financial markets, September has historically been one of the most volatile months of the year for stock returns.  This year seems to be no different. So, what’s going on with the markets? Why does the federal government keep getting into fiscal fights? A lot is going on, so let’s discuss. (Want a break from financial stuff? Scroll to the bottom. I’ve got a fascinating visual treat for you.)…

The “Tar Pit”…that’s what I call the trap that the web and social media sets for me every second of the day. You know what I’m talking about, like when your phone buzzes with a new text message and you pick it up to read, then you see a breaking news story, which leads you to a Facebook post, that leads you to Reels because you see a funny dog video, scroll, scroll, scroll… then one hour later you realize what you’ve done. Besides just wasting a lot of time, the add-on negative effect is a terrible reduction in attention…

Have you noticed Mom or Dad showing signs of decline? Are you worried about your elderly uncle (or other relative or friend) living at home by himself? You’re not alone. Many of us will find ourselves making care decisions for our parents or other beloved elders. It’s not an easy place to be because it’s hard to see them struggle to live independently. While I can’t make the process any easier for you, I hope I can offer some guidance on your journey. Like many of you, Heather and I are working members of the “sandwich generation.” This group consists…

A new deal finally put the debt ceiling issue to rest (for now, anyway), and stocks are rallying. Are we on the brink of a new bull market? Before we attempt to answer this question let’s pause for announcements. If you are looking for a sign: In other headlines…..Carmichael Creel Investments (originally Carmichael Capital, Inc.) is celebrating our 30th business anniversary! Click the link HERE to read an article (with great photos of young Art and Claude!) written by the Downtown Franklin Association. Now back to the original question: Are we on the brink of a new bull market? We…

Markets are doing their thing again, so let’s discuss. Markets tumbled, heading into negative territory, and then bounced back. And then promptly fell again.1 We’re witnessing a whipsaw pattern of uncertainty. Is this weird? Not really. These things happen pretty regularly when investors get jittery. Let’s talk about what’s going on. But before we do, how about a dog picture: This is Pepper. He was our first bulldog. Pepper lived a long and happy life and never worried about inflation or markets. He was too busy laying in someone’s lap, napping the day away. When awake, he loved to drool…

I have spent my entire career in the financial services industry. Along the way, I have interacted with many financial advisors and clients. One thing I have learned is that our industry tends to make financial products and concepts too complicated. Often times, this leads to a lack of direction and poor decisions made by savers and investors. So in an effort to follow Albert Einstein’s advice, “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler,” let’s discuss language and the impact the words we use might impact our financial futures. But before we get to the serious stuff, here’s…

Here is a important message with information concerning your retirement savings accounts. Exciting right?! I know reading about laws and regulations is last on your “to do” list, right below getting a root canal… but if you are saving for, transitioning to, or living in retirement, these changes can be beneficial. So I’m going make it quick and easy for you. But first let’s pause for a dog picture. This is Ham. He is our four year old English Bulldog. He doesn’t care about retirement. He only thinks about food, playing tug-a-war, and napping. Now back to the serious part…….