“My golf game has improved dramatically. I now lose balls much farther down the fairway.”
-Anonymous Golfer
Welcome to the August Edition of Ryan’s Retirement Ramblings – The monthly newsletter that will bring you the latest developments from the qualified plan space & provide updates for the retirement team at Wheeler Retirement Plans.
On A Personal Note…
Can’t believe how fast Summer has flown by at Wheeler Retirement Plans. Our group had a blast playing in wonderful Charity Scramble prior to the America’s Tour in Brainerd, MN. Now before our inbox is flooded with putting tips, the above is not my normal putting stroke. Not easy to get up when you are stomach to green looking to make a putt with a cane; but some athletes push through. HAHA. YES we made but NO we did not win. Have a great rest of Summer.
85% of Participants Remained Fully Invested Over a Decade
Target date funds (TDFs) are the most common qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) in 401(k) plans. At year-end 2022, more than two-thirds of participants in the Employee Benefit Research Institute/Investment Company Institute (EBRI/ICI) 401(k) database held TDFs in their account. A recent ICI study suggests most participants appear to buying and holding these funds to or through retirement – consistent with their design – while also shedding light on the investment decisions of those who don’t…
Research Explores Link Between Guaranteed Income and Retirement Assets
Recent research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) examines how retirees’ assets change over time depending on whether or not they have access to guaranteed income streams. The report, “Asset Decumulation Over Retirement and the Role of Guaranteed Income Streams,” analyzes longitudinal data from the 1992–2022 Health and Retirement Study to assess how households’ net non-housing assets change throughout retirement…
Participant Data Faces Increased Regulatory Scrutiny
Retirement plan sponsors are well accustomed to fiduciary obligations around investment selection, fee reasonableness, and plan administration. Increasingly, however, another consideration has been drawing regulatory attention: how participants’ personal and financial data is collected, used, and shared by the service providers that help run the plan…
For many Americans, working to or through “traditional” retirement age may be the right choice based on their goals, personality, passions, and priorities. But for others, early retirement may be the preferred path.
Whatever your timeline, retirement requires thoughtful planning. If you’re hoping to retire early or just preparing for the possibility that retirement may come sooner than expected, asking yourself questions like these can help you make more informed decisions…
Mr. C’s Movie (Show) Review
The Backrooms
Revenge Has No Expiration Date
Cape Fear made a return to the screen through Apple TV’s reimagining of the classic psychological thriller. Javier Bardem as Max Cady steps into the role that Robert DeNiro made famous in the excellent Martin Scorsese 1991 remake. Max, a convicted killer whose release from prison sets off a relentless campaign of terror against the players assigned to his case; Defense Attorney Anna (Amy Adams) and Prosecuting Attorney Tom Bowden (Insidious’s Patrick Wilson). What begins as a revenge story quickly evolves into something far more disturbing: a diabolical plot to rip a family’s apart.
Bardem (No Country for Old Men) is the engine that drives the series. His Max Cady isn’t simply a monster lurking in the shadows. He’s a true mad man and frighteningly familiar. Every conversation feels like a threat disguised as a smile. The series unfolds as Max peels back the motive of his incarceration. Differing from the movie storyline, the sexual conflict of interest between a defense and prosecutor is the blinding rage setting Max down a road of destruction.
The series thrives on tension rather than outright violence. Rather than relying on jump scares or graphic brutality, Cape Fear weaponizes paranoia. Anonymous messages, distorted truths, the eerie music score, and lingering dread where no one feels safe. Every episode pushes the viewer closer to the edge of the plank, ready to fall off the ship.
For fans of Scorsese’s 1991 remake, there is plenty of familiar storylines, most notably the return of the uber talented Juliette Lewis. Her introduction was pivotal to the story and brought back the nostalgia of the Nolte/DeNiro film from my childhood.
On a scale of: “Like It,” “Love It,” or “Gotta Have It,” Cape Fear is a “Love It.”
This isn’t a horror movie with monsters and ghouls or gore and jump scares; but slow burning trip into insanity. The fear and horror stems from the believability of Bardem’s portrayal as Max Cady. Its not hard to imagine why Max’s vengeance is solely focused on the Bowdens. We can imagine ourselves in his shoes. Kudos to Apple TV for taking the chance and modernizing a classic.