by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Retirement, Running Money ®, Videos
What’s in a name? Mine is simple, one syllable, “Ralph”. It supposedly means wolf or hero. In my line of work I’d prefer hero, because the way I work is nothing at all like the “Wolf of Wall Street.” Call me the hero of main street. Our clients know they need...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Market Volatility
It was a little guy, about a foot long, just stretched out across the main trail. I was two steps beyond him before stopping, realizing it’s the first I’ve seen this season. Experienced runners develop a “sixth sense” about their footfalls. As this summer winds down,...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Market Volatility
When I woke up this morning, I saw the hot air balloons above the horizon to the east. I heard the rat-a-tat-tat of the neighbors’ sprinkler on the west side of the yard. Migrating downstairs, I brewed a cup of drip coffee after downing my obligatory wake-up mug of...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Featured – Blog
If you think that everyone but you is on track with their retirement plan investments, you need to stay with me on this piece. Because those people are rare. Most people don’t start saving for retirement soon enough, or investing aggressively enough, or controlling...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Enduring Principles, Retirement, Videos
Hot air balloons rise in the east, launching from Lake Skinner in Southern California’s Temecula wine country. On many weekday morning runs I’ll see a handful of them on the horizon. Small black spots, backlit by the rising sun. They rarely drift into the more densely...