Fourteen years ago, when I was a regular columnist at MoneyShow.com, a producer at CNBC found my work and invited me to audition for a new trading show the network was producing. 

I flew to New Jersey, they picked me up from my hotel in a limo, and brought me over to their studio. 

The audition consisted of a group of columnists and investors doing some quick analysis of charts that CNBC host Brian Sullivan put up on some kind of digital display. At one point, Sullivan was looking specifically for predictions of where the S&P 500 would go. 

My view of market predictions was the same back then as it is today.

They’re better at filling TV airtime than they are at helping individuals invest for retirement. 

Not long ago, I wrote this column for TheStreetPro about portfolio rebalancing. That’s one of those topics that sounds arcane, but is actually a pretty basic tenet of investment management. 

After getting your investments organized, you might have assumed the hard part is over. Or the fun part, depending on how much you enjoy spreadsheets and tracking prformance. 

But in reality, this is where the real challenge starts: Resisting the urge to tinker.

Maybe you really want to add a little more of what’s been working. A little less of what hasn’t.

As we approach retirement, many of us find ourselves facing a wave of uncertainty. Questions about financial stability, healthcare costs, and the changing economic landscape often crowd our thoughts. For those of us between 50 and 70, planning for retirement doesn’t just mean envisioning leisure time—it means confronting the reality of an unpredictable world.

Recent years have shown how quickly market conditions can shift. Inflation, changes to Social Security policies, and fluctuating investment returns create a complex environment that requires more than a “set it and forget it” approach. Instead, we need to be proactive and adaptable in our planning, ensuring our strategies stay resilient no matter what comes our way.

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