Latest news with #Feig
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 cheat codes for retiring in a volatile market
You've saved for decades. You've planned. Now the market tanks right as you're preparing to retire and leave your 9-5 job behind for good. That kind of timing can throw even the best-laid plans into chaos. The danger here is taking money out of your retirement accounts when their value is down. It's called sequence of returns risk, and it can drain your portfolio faster than expected. You can think of it like playing Connect Four, the classic board game, says Kevin Feig, a certified financial planner and owner of Walk You To Wealth. 'There's a sequence of gameplay that will win every time if you have the opportunity to go first,' he says. But since most people flip a coin to decide who goes first, your entire strategy is left to fate. 'That's what retiring in a down market is like,' says Feig. 'It's out of your control and it can quickly skew the game against you.' Retiring in a down market isn't the end of the world — but it is a high-stakes moment. The moves you make early on will set the tone for the rest of your retirement. So how can you level the playing field? Here are seven practical strategies to help protect your nest egg and stretch your money through a market downturn. Learn more: How to build a financial plan for you and your family The bucket strategy is a simple way to manage your retirement savings so you're not forced to sell investments when the market is down. It works by dividing your savings into three buckets based on when you'll need the money: Short-term bucket (0-2 years): Cash or cash equivalents like money market funds or high-yield savings accounts. Mid-term bucket (2-8 years): Bonds or conservative investments that generate steady income. Long-term bucket (8+ years): Stocks and growth-oriented investments. 'An investor will often have perhaps one to three years of living expenses in cash or very short-term bonds which are unlikely to lose any money, and perhaps another two to three years in medium-term bonds,' says Erik Goodge, a certified financial planner and founder of uVest Advisory Group. Then, the rest of the portfolio is kept in a mix of stocks and longer-term bonds, says Goodge. 'This way, they could fund several years of living expenses without resorting to selling any equities or long-term bonds at a loss,' he says. This gives your long-term investments time to bounce back, which is crucial. Markets don't stay down forever — but if you start selling low, your portfolio may not recover, leaving you with fewer resources for the rest of retirement. Most experts recommend keeping at least one to two years' worth of living expenses in cash as you enter retirement. If your monthly expenses are $4,000, that's $48,000 to $96,000 in a liquid account. Why is it important to have so much cash on hand? Because when markets tank, this cash cushion buys you time. You'll have breathing room to wait for the rebound. Cash doesn't grow much, but it isn't exposed to market volatility either. Keep in mind: This isn't an emergency fund — you generally still want three-to-six months worth of living expenses tucked away for a rainy day. Instead, think of this cash reserve as your first line of defense against a bear market. However, Feig says how much you should keep in cash depends on how diversified your income sources are. 'If you're collecting Social Security, rental income and a pension, along with retirement assets, then your cash reserve can likely be similar to a traditional emergency fund of three to six months,' he says. But if you're primarily relying on investment income, then 'ideally 24 to 36 months is recommended,' says Feig. Unfortunately, if your cash reserve isn't large enough, you might need to sell investments in a down market. If you find yourself in that situation, do so strategically. First, avoid panic-selling a big chunk of your portfolio. Easier said than done if you're actively watching your retirement account balance plummet day after day, but experts like Justin Pritchard, a certified financial planner at Approach Financial Planning, say it's crucial to keep a cool head. 'When your investments are down, selling locks in losses, and you can potentially run out of money sooner,' he says. 'Every withdrawal takes a bigger bite out of your portfolio than it would take if the market was rising.' For example, you might need to sell 25 shares to generate $1,000 instead of selling 15 or 20 shares. 'You deplete your holdings faster, making it less likely that your money will last for your life,' says Pritchard. Instead, tap your most conservative holdings first — typically bonds or bond funds. These usually lose less value during downturns. If you're forced to sell stocks, consider harvesting tax losses at the same time to offset capital gains elsewhere. A down market isn't optimal, but some experts consider it an ideal time to do a Roth conversion — moving money from a traditional IRA or 401(k) into a Roth IRA. You'll be subject to income taxes on the amount converted now, but future withdrawals will be tax-free. If you convert when the market is down and values are low, you'll pay taxes on a smaller amount, and when the market recovers, all that growth happens inside your tax-free Roth. A Roth conversion isn't for everyone, and it can potentially bump you into a higher tax bracket. But for people in a lower-income year (like early retirement), it can be a beneficial long-term strategy. Talk to a financial advisor or a tax professional to make sure it fits your situation. Get matched: Find a financial advisor who can help you maximize your investments During the accumulation phase of your career, reinvesting dividends makes sense because you're building your portfolio. But once you're retired and drawing income, take your dividends in cash — especially in a down market. This gives you a built-in income stream without having to sell anything. If your portfolio pays out 2 to 4 percent annually in dividends, that could cover some of your living expenses. It's not a full-income strategy, but it reduces how much you need to withdraw from other assets during a market slump. Most of these cheat codes deal with investing, but the truth is, if you can hold off on large, optional purchases during a market downturn, you can reduce how much money you need to withdraw in the first place. 'If you adjust your spending to market movements, you can make your money last longer,' says Pritchard. It might sound like common sense, but it works. Big expenses early in retirement can compound sequence risk, especially if you're funding them by selling investments at a loss. Some retirees even take a temporary 'pay cut' from their portfolios during downturns — living on less until things recover. 'Of course, you need to be able to live comfortably, so if things are already tight, there might not be much room for adjustment,' says Pritchard. A market downturn isn't the time to DIY with your retirement plan based on headlines or hot takes. When markets are volatile and your income is no longer coming from a steady paycheck, speaking with a trustworthy financial advisor is a smart move. A fiduciary financial advisor can help you: Set up or refine your bucket strategy. Analyze your withdrawal rates. Minimize taxes by strategically selling assets. Keep your emotions in check. Financial advisors aren't just for the wealthy, either. Many work on a flat fee or hourly basis. So for $200-$400, you can meet to review your portfolio, assess your game plan and ensure you're on track. The right advisor can help you avoid costly mistakes — and that's usually worth more than their fee. Get started: Match with an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals Retiring during a down market isn't ideal, but it's not a disaster either. With the right strategies — like using a bucket system, keeping plenty of cash and carefully managing withdrawals — you can protect your retirement savings. Combine that with expert guidance and smart timing on big expenses, and you can still enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation. 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Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Another Simple Favor' director dispels 'frustrating' Blake Lively rumors: 'Outrage is the most boring emotion'
Paul Feig has once again come to Blake Lively's defense. The Another Simple Favor director was quick to shut down rumors of a feud between Lively and her costar Anna Kendrick, during a recent chat with Esquire. "Blake is an amazing collaborator, so when I read people's misconceptions about how movies are made, it's just frustrating for me,' the filmmaker said. "Every star I've worked with works this way. The idea that a star just shows up and you go 'Here's the script' — please point me to one movie star who works that way." "When the gang on the internet get [up in arms] about something, it's just like, 'Guys, you don't know what you're talking about.' I love working with Blake — she's just the best," he continued, In addition to the feud rumors, Lively continues to make headlines amid her ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni. Feig made his support of Lively clear in the early days of the conflict, and remains weary of the heated reaction to Lively on social media. "Outrage is the most boring emotion humans have these days," Feig said. "When it's towards something meaningful, that's great. But people get outraged at everything? It's like, this is what you're angry about?" "There's other things to be outraged about — please, go and help make the world a better place," he concluded. Last year, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his film studio Wayfarer (after first filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department), accusing him of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a smear campaign against her in the aftermath. Baldoni then filed his own lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and breach of contract. Feig was among many celebrities who defended Lively in the immediate wake of the complaint, speaking highly of his time working with her on 2018's A Simple Favor and its newly released sequel. "I've now made two movies with Blake, and all I can say is she's one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented, and kind people I've ever worked with," Feig wrote last year on X. "She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it's awful she was put through this."Another Simple Favor reunited Lively, Kendrick and Feig for a twisty black comedy about a mommy blogger turned amateur detective and the murderous con-artist whose life she gets drawn back into. Although directing the film meant breaking his no-sequel rule, Feig has already indicated that he's ready for round 3. "It's all sitting right there to be picked off the tree," he told Entertainment Weekly of a potential third movie. "Look, as much as I don't like to do sequels and have avoided them, I have no rule against three-quels. There's much more fun to be had with these characters and to see what they can get into and how they can get out of it." Another Simple Favor is now streaming on Prime Video. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
I definitely know where I want it to go: Paul Feig on 'Simple Favor' 3
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Director Paul Feig says he is up for making the third "Simple Favor" film and knows where he wants to go with the story. Feig recently directed " Another Simple Favor ", starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively . The film is a sequel to 2018's "A Simple Favor". "I definitely know where I want it to go. We'll see if everybody wants to do a third one. It was too much fun, I would love to get back together with this group and these characters and send them on an even weirder, international adventure, if possible," he told entertainment magazine People in an interview. The story of the first film took place in small-town Connecticut, whereas the sequel took the characters to the island of Capri. Feig said if the third film is made, the characters are needed to be taken out in "the world even more". "I think we need to take them out into the world even more." "Another Simple Favor" began streaming on Prime Video on May 1. It also stars Michele Morrone.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Feig Says He 'Would Love' To Do A Follow-Up To ‘Another Simple Favor': 'I Definitely Know Where I Want It To Go'
Paul Feig is open to yet another Simple Favor. The director of the twisty, campy crime dramedy and its recently debuted follow-up, Another Simple Favor, said he 'would love' to explore a threequel following Anna Kendrick's mommy vlogger Stephanie and Blake Lively's conniving con-woman Emily Nelson. More from Deadline 'The Chosen' Unveils Intense 'Last Supper' Trailer Depicting Jesus' Final Days; Sets Prime Video Streaming Date Amazon Launches 2025 Prime Experience Emmy FYC Event; 'The Boys', 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Étoile' & 'Cross' Among Featured Shows Jessica Biel And Elizabeth Banks Outrun A Murder, A Killer And The Truth In 'The Better Sister' Trailer 'I definitely know where I want it to go,' he told People in a new interview. 'We'll see if everybody wants to do a third one. It was too much fun — I would love to get back together with this group and these characters and send them on an even weirder, international adventure, if possible.' While 2018's original takes place in small-town Connecticut, this year's sequel takes its rivaling mothers to the breathtaking island of Capri, where Emily is getting married after having been released from prison. Though she goads Stephanie into being her maid of honor, the amateur sleuth is soon convinced that it's all part of an elaborate revenge plot. In terms of the setting for a potential third film, Feig said, 'I think we need to take them out into the world even more.' Speaking to Deadline earlier this month, Feig admitted that making Another Simple Favor required him to throw his personal filmmaking rulebook out the window. 'I don't do sequels,' Feig explained at the Contenders Television panel for the film, noting that he's long resisted helming a sequel to megahit Bridesmaids. 'Sequels are hard … Audiences, I think, got burned by a lot of sequels. And so the big question for an audience is always, 'Why do I need to see this?' And so you've really got to be able to answer that question.' He continued, 'This one just felt like, 'Oh, there is a way into this.' Everybody was like, 'How are you going to get her out of prison?' I'm like, 'Come on – Marvel brings people back from the dead. We can get somebody out of prison!'' Another Simple Favor is currently streaming on Prime Video. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Brad Pitt's Apple 'F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively's latest crime against humanity? Having the most fun of her career
The moment Blake Lively's Savile Row-by-way-of-Forever 21-clad homicidal schemer Emily beckons Anna Kendrick's Stephanie to a cliffside in 'Another Simple Favor,' the sequel to Paul Feig's 2018 camp caper, the movie might as well broadcast a flashing sign in the corner of the screen that says, 'REMEMBER THIS.' The scene's staging makes it so obvious that this picturesque sight will reappear later that it's almost comical. Successful foreshadowing should be subtle; viewers shouldn't know where the story will go, but be able to appreciate how the tool was used when considering the film as a whole. But hoping for nuance in this franchise is a fool's errand. Nothing about 'Another Simple Favor' or its equally cuckoo bananas predecessor, 'A Simple Favor,' is subtle. These are movies designed to be a good time at the expense of the audience's sanity. The more outrageous and soapy they are, the better. It's just ironic that, by the time that blustery seaside bluff comes back into play later in the film, "Another Simple Favor' has already hurled itself off a cliff. As if the movie weren't strange enough as it is, Feig takes a sharp left turn in the final act that's both jaw-dropping and head-scratching. The writer-director yanks a new tone out of oblivion to join the other 26 he's already established throughout the first 90 minutes of this two-hour adventure, one so truly shocking that I was surprised no one at my screening leapt to their feet. In retrospect, I would've cheered, but I feel that might've interrupted the uncomfortable silence that fell upon the auditorium, maybe even sparked a citizen's arrest, considering the scene's subject matter. The headline writes itself: 'Critic detained by influencers at screening of perverse Prime Video film.' But you'll have to hear me out first. 'Another Simple Favor' pushes the limits of mainstream filmmaking every chance it gets, in ways so cringeworthy and stupefying that it's difficult not to, at the very least, respect Feig's chutzpah. We are, after all, in an era of movie maximalism, and Feig's film fits right in with the six different endings and two post-credits scenes in 'Sinners' and the manic jump cuts in 'Drop.' And just like those cases, such an overstuffed film would not work without the right star to reduce the cinematic clutter. Here, Lively capably wears each piece of Feig's loony story as elegantly as she does Emily's increasingly absurd outfits. Though 'Another Simple Favor' was shot before Lively's legal battle with 'It Ends with Us' costar Justin Baldoni, she arrives here with an almost knowing wink. Stepping into Emily's bespoke suits for the second time lets Lively play the bad guy that Baldoni's narrative paints her as. Even if the film is horrendous, its timing couldn't be better; a real-life soap opera blown up to catastrophic, delectable results. I hope it's the second film of 40. To explain why production needs to begin on another sequel — tentatively titled 'Pleeeeeaasse, Just One More Simple Favor, Last Time I Promise,' a title I will sell to Prime Video and Paul Feig for a paltry $1 million — you'll first need a bit of context for what makes this one so 'great.' (Read: Truly terrible.) In the first film, Stephanie, a mommy vlogger, meets the high-powered, high-fashion Emily, a mom whose son goes to the same school as Stephanie's. Before long, the two become friends, which leads Emily to request the titular uncomplicated courtesy. Emily's got business out of town, and she needs Stephanie to watch her son for a few days. Long story short: Emily goes missing, her body is found and Stephanie embarks on a search for answers. After some impressive amateur sleuthing, Stephanie learns that Emily didn't die after all; she drowned her twin sister, Faith, and intended to collect the insurance money. Naturally, things go awry and Emily almost succeeds in offing Stephanie to keep her secret, only to be foiled at the last minute and hauled off to the clink. The first 'Simple Favor' was already a dishy delight — and if that summary intrigues you, it's worth a watch to take in all of the preposterous twists and turns I've left out for expediency. But instead of worrying about giving the audience too much of a good thing with a sequel, Feig plops another heaping scoop of melodrama onto the viewer's plate. In 'Another Simple Favor,' Stephanie has parlayed her detective work into a career as a true crime novelist. But with her most famous story already losing steam, books are not exactly flying off the shelves. That is until Emily reappears at one of Stephanie's readings, appropriately clad in a terrycloth suit patterned with jail stripes. She's got new lawyers, a new life and a new fiancé, and Stephanie's invited to the lavish Italian nuptials. Stephanie, of course, assumes this is all a ruse for Emily to exact her revenge in international waters. But Emily assures her she hasn't been studiously researching criminal extradition laws, she's simply fallen head over heels for an old beau named Dante (Michele Morrone). Stephanie's suspicions aren't helped by the fact that Dante is part of an Italian crime family, but hey, the publishing market is in dire straits, and this story could make a terrific follow-up to her flagging first effort. Anything to sell a few books!By now, Feig, Lively and Kendrick have all reaffirmed their expertise at this game. Kendrick and Lively toss barbs like volleyballs, occasionally landing a good spike that makes the other one speechless. Their chemistry is as natural as ever, and Feig's script is at its best when he's writing for these two women. However, things get a little shaky when it comes to plotting and tertiary characters. 'Another Simple Favor' has difficulty settling into a rhythm; any film balancing this many plot lines would. The movie trips over its own narrative threads so often that it might as well star Buster Keaton. But Feig has always been better at crafting characters and comedy than he has mysteries. In 'The Heat' and 'Spy,' he kept things trucking with a steady stream of punchlines to distract from thinly written central mysteries. Throw the audience off with a whole lot of silliness and nonsense, and there's a good chance they'll forget that a whodunit like this should be building intrigue as it goes. But that's tough to do when the body count rises as quickly as it does in 'Another Simple Favor.' When we're constantly reminded there's supposed to be trouble afoot, not even a healthy dose of folly can make dead air feel more energetic, and it often seems like Feig is biding his time until the finale. But oh, what a splendid finale it is. Know that, despite the spoilers you're about to read, I encourage you to fire up this movie on the biggest screen you can find the moment you've finished this piece. You will not regret it, just as I have not regretted paying $2.90 for a 50-minute subway ride to and from my screening. Amid the deluge of dead bodies popping up around Emily's wedding ceremony, Stephanie is caught in police crosshairs. She's the perfect suspect, but it's a clear frame job. The only question is: Was this Emily's doing? It initially seems that way, given Emily has been skulking around Italy with her weird Aunt Linda (Allison Janney), who shows up to the party uninvited. But when Emily visits Stephanie, who's locked away in her hotel room on house arrest like a twee Rapunzel, it becomes clear that the players have been miscounted. The woman who's appeared in her room is acting strange — weirder and hornier than Emily usually is, and that's a high bar. It's not Emily at all, but a third sister: the assumed-to-be-dead-at-birth triplet, Charity. But one measly little triplet reveal? That's small-time for Feig, who has built a career on taking a gag as far as it can go. Charity isn't just a long-lost sister, she was taken by Aunt Linda at birth and raised as a con artist, one who's got an obsession with Emily that's more than just sibling affection. Charity has felt a connection to Emily her whole life, pulling her from afar. And she'll do anything to make sure the two of them end up together. And I do not mean platonically. For someone who was weaned on afternoon soap operas at his daycare provider's house and later raised on the scandals of 'Gossip Girl,' a triplet twist followed by an incest subplot feels like manna from heaven. Lively has made some interesting strides into legitimate dramatic territory in recent years; 'The Age of Adaline' and 'The Shallows' remain underrated — something I can't attribute to most of her filmography. But this is proper Serena van der Woodsen stuff, the kind of pulpy insanity that Lively cut her teeth on. So it should be no surprise to anyone that she's stellar at grounding this twist with enough performing weight to keep 'Another Simple Favor' from flying away into the sky. In 2025 alone, there has already been a surprising number of mainstream actors tackling double roles. 'The Monkey,' 'Sinners' and 'Alto Knights' all boast two characters played by the same person. But none of those films feature someone who has been dogged in the press for six months. And while I don't think playing two roles says anything about Lively's character, I do think playing these roles in this film continues to speak to an admirable level of fearlessness, which Lively had to have to enter into a huge, public legal battle knowing that the court of public opinion rarely, if ever, favors a woman. Lively's career and life have been packed with bold choices — many of which are either not great or flat-out terrible — but this one is particularly inspired. If this subplot weren't wacky enough, Feig shoehorns in some light, suggested sexual assault. (For those keeping track, that's the film's 28th tonal shift.) Charity drugs Emily and sidles up to her sister in bed, talking about how they can be together and 'make each other feel good' forever. It's nauseating, but nothing compared to the far more graphic and intentionally titillating incest we watched in the third season of 'The White Lotus.' Feig cuts the scene before things get too gnarly, eventually landing on a far more tame climax on the seaside escarpment after the movie has made a swan dive off the cliff with some twisted sister surprises. But does a film like 'Another Simple Favor' need the peak of its action to be the best part when so many zany, outrageous things have left us gawking and in awe? Like a cream cheese frosting slathered onto a tasty but conventional chocolate cake, the unexpected flourishes are the best part of this delicious treat. The irony of the 'Simple Favor' movies is that nothing that makes life exciting is ever truly simple. Sometimes, we need to drive over the speed limit or consume some empty calories to feel alive. Whether these things are 'good,' or 'lawful,' or 'right in the eyes of God or your mother' doesn't really matter. They make for an exhilarating time at the movies. So what if 'Another Simple Favor' is ultimately a lousy film? Watching it is unforgettable, and that's a good enough reason to keep churning them out like candy on a factory line.
