Year: 2016

“The Silver Tsunami” Costs of Long Term Care Services in Denver

sharkeyhowesandjaver Tips , , ,

Processed with VSCO with a7 presetHelping a loved one navigate through the long term care puzzle can be emotionally draining, time consuming, and downright frustrating. In addition, learning about the associated costs can be like throwing salt on a very open wound. Unless a money tree is growing in the backyard, finding a way to pay for long term care costs can be a major struggle for families.

Thankfully, companies like Genworth do the research for us and provide Cost of Care Surveys to help us set appropriate expectations. Here are the annual median costs for the Denver* area for 2015: Continue reading →

Inside the Economy with SH&J: August 1, 2016

sharkeyhowesandjaver Economic Discussion Series, Economy, Larry Howes, Videos , , , , ,

July wrapped up with a nice rally in the U.S. markets, proving that summer can be a productive season in your investment portfolio. Today’s discussion brings our attention to U.S. GDP, the bond markets, and the emerging markets. Listen in to find out which two emerging market countries are projected to be the fastest growing in 2016!

8 Creative Ways to Win Your Dream Home Without Making a Poor Investment

sharkeyhowesandjaver Uncategorized

SHJ080116_Win_a_Bidding_War_Blog_ImageIn a hot real estate market it’s easy to let your emotions get involved possibly resulting in making a poor real estate investment. It’s not uncommon in today’s market for buyers to waive inspections or pay an amount over the listed value in order to get the home of their dreams. Instead of risking your investment with emotional decisions, we’ve put together some more creative ideas to help your offer stand out.

Here are 8 tips for standing out in a bidding war: Continue reading →

Mortgage Payoff: Is it a Priority?

sharkeyhowesandjaver Investing, Tips , , ,

Calendar Mortgage Payoff Is It A Priority?The peace of mind in owning a debt-free home can be very attractive. Tear up the mortgage statements, let go of the burden, and never worry about missing a payment again.

However, before you put your financial focus on paying off your mortgage, you may want to see what kind of trade-off you are making. Here are a couple questions to ask yourself first: Continue reading →

Inside the Economy with SH&J: July 18, 2016

sharkeyhowesandjaver Economy, Investing, Larry Howes, SH&J Team, Videos , , , ,

As the frenzy surrounding the Brexit vote calms down, we shift our focus to the U.S. economy where we are rapidly approaching full employment and continue to be perceived as an attractive investment. While a third of the world has negative sovereign debt rates, the U.S. offers better yields, a sense of security and liquidity to domestic and foreign investors. Inflation remains low and we are starting to see real estate slow down to historical trends in many regions. This week, we also touch on the progress of Abenomics along with a possible constitutional change in Japan – listen in to hear what that change may be!

Thinking of Relocating When You Retire? Remember to Talk to Your Financial Planner

sharkeyhowesandjaver Tips , , , ,

Rocky Mountains mountain home moving to the mointains.

Recently some of our clients came in for an annual review with Stephen Weatherby, CFP®. During their meeting they casually mentioned they were thinking of moving to a small mountain town in Colorado when they retire next year.

Little did they know, Stephen is well connected in the town they are considering moving to and immediately went to work researching on their behalf. Through his personal network he connected them with a trusted realtor, an attorney, and insurance agents. He even found short term storage facilities and an agent who specializes in short term rentals. Continue reading →

Will Millennials Ever Retire?

sharkeyhowesandjaver Tips , , ,

“60% of Millennials think it is harder to plan for retirement than to stick with a diet and exercise plan.”

Will Millennials Ever Retire?

One word sums up how Millennials tend to view planning for retirement: overwhelming. This is a very clear conclusion from this 2015 survey, which reveals attitudes about retirement in the U.S. You can easily guess why Millennials feel this way: soaring student debt, increased cost of living, stagnant wages for college graduates, and a lack of confidence in Social Security and the stock markets.

Continue reading →

Happy Fourth of July from Sharkey, Howes & Javer

sharkeyhowesandjaver Holidays , , ,

SH&J Wishes America a Happy 240th Birthday

SHJ070416_4th_of_July_Blog_Image

The team at Sharkey, Howes and Javer wish you a happy Fourth of July. We hope you enjoy the ball games, cook-outs and fireworks often associated with celebrating our independence. Please, take a moment to remember those who have fought for our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

In observance of the holiday, our office will be closed on Monday, July 4th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, July 5th. Continue reading →

Ramifications of Unfunded Trusts

sharkeyhowesandjaver Tips , , , ,

SHJ062816_Unfunded_Trusts_Blog_ImageFor many, a Revocable Living Trust is created as part of an estate plan to determine who will inherit assets and property, rather than relying on a will or owning assets jointly with either a spouse or heirs. It is a type of trust that is established during the trust maker’s lifetime and can be amended as long as the trust maker is alive and well. Assets within the trust can be managed, invested and spent for the trust maker’s benefit during his/her lifetime. At death, a trustee steps in to manage and distribute the property within the trust as outlined in the trust agreement created by the trust maker. Continue reading →

The Brexit: Independence Day for England or a Big Mistake?

sharkeyhowesandjaver Economic Discussion Series, Economy, Investing, Larry Howes, Videos , , , ,

Today we bring you a special edition of Inside the Economy with SH&J. As many are now aware, last Friday, 52% of voters elected for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union after a 43 year partnership. While it is not a legally binding referendum, the UK will begin a 2 year clock negotiating the terms of their exit. As a result of the vote, the global markets fell approximately 12% and the U.S. markets fell around 5%.

The jury will be deliberating this unprecedented event for several months or longer but one thing is for sure, markets hate uncertainty and increased volatility is expected over the short term. Although we have been assessing the investment ramifications of a Brexit for some time (knowing that the polls showed the vote would be very close), we don’t necessarily feel it will have any significant impact on the U.S. economy. The correction of the U.S. markets in particular over the past two days, in our opinion, is primarily based on fear of change and has little to do with U.S. economic reality. The same cannot be said for England. Continue reading →