What should you do  with your 401(k) and retirement money now? 

“I will tell you 5 things that high income achievers overlook. And I don’t think there is a good excuse for any of them.” “5 Oversights of High Income Earners: 1. Maxing out your 401(k) & Stopping There 2. Neglecting Savvy Tax Planning ... 4. You Forget about College Planning”

*NEW! Listen to this post here >> What difference can a year make? " Consumers' confidence takes dive " - Associated Press (JANUARY 1982) "Inflation Roars Back To 1981 Levels on Record Gas Prices" - The Street (2022) " Still Inflated " -New York Times (June 1981) " Panic sweeps financial markets smashing records of 1929 crash " - The Globe and Mail (Black Moday 1987) " DOW soars to record ... despite vulnerable economy " -NY Times (December 1991) Are today's headlines different? No. They are not. And fortunately, I do not think you will need to live another decade to see this vexatious 2022 environment improve. So we may see a very reasonable ten-year period ahead in terms of an average portfolio return. I said boldly in May that this would be a policy reversion recession, and I think that is correct. When the June low and August lows arrived, investors may have found me adding a measured amount of risk in the form of quality blue chip stocks to portfolios. This can help the coiled (and rusty?) spring bounce back. And next year? When we have gone so low, history favors an above- average bounce. But what about today? Yes, September has brought us to those June lows again. Does it change our destination? No. It's a frustrating traffic jam. So policy reversion means that there's tightening. You see that impact in places like the critical mortgage rates, probably headed to seven percent soon. But I would still isolate the "mild" recession to policy goals. The goal: Get prices down. I am also listening to how much cash is on the sideline. How much money is on the sideline? Good question. Consumers and investors are still holding onto trillions of dollars of cash. This likely makes the cost of a recession to consumers hurt less. However, this is likely also an economic class recession – meaning not all people are treated equally during this recession. Certainly, low-income individuals have already been feeling the pain of shopping. I cannot believe my eyes when I continue to see a box of cereal for sale for five dollars at Target. I do not know about you, but I am passing up on many of the pantry snack items we might buy because the price is just absurd. Once again, I think the frustrating thing to any consumer is gas prices. It is still 20% higher than last year, and yet the price of gas lately has jumped lower, supposedly pricing in a recession. So why is gas not below three dollars a gallon already? And then you have folks doing just fine. People are buying $1000 iPhones. Costco has more members than ever (Wall Street Journal). People are buying $120 yoga pants and $50,000 cars. They are, however, trying to bring inflation down for those who cannot afford to choose between food and heating this winter. The government is not crying in their tea for the middle-class. So maybe the middle-class millionaire and retirees portfolio is on its own for a while longer. Mr. Warren Buffett tells us a varation of Will Rogers quote, "The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging." So clients, lets just wait a little while longer. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. References to markets, asset classes, and sectors are generally regarding the corresponding market index. Indexes are unmanaged statistical composites and cannot be invested into directly. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment and do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. Mullin Wealth Management http://www.mullinwealth.com Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC. The LPL Financial representatives associated with this website may discuss and/or transact securities business only with residents of the following states: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, ID, IL, IA, MN, MO, NM, TX, WA, WI.