The COVID-19 crisis has sent the stock market on a wild ride, so much so that it plunged into bear market territory. More recently, we saw some recovery, but it's certainly too soon to declare that the bear market is over and a bull market is under way.

All of this volatility is enough to drive even the most seasoned investors crazy. But it can be especially tough on near-retirees, who may, at this very moment, find themselves wondering whether leaving the workforce in the near term is possible given what's going on.

Of course, anyone planning to retire in the next month or so would be wise to consider postponing that milestone to let the stock market make a full recovery. But is retiring in a year from now still on the table?

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Bear markets can easily last a year or longer, but that doesn't always happen. The shortest bear market on record for the S&P 500, for example, lasted less than three months back in 1990.

Whether the stock market recovers quickly or not from its COVID-19-related losses will likely hinge on the course the greater crisis takes and the extent to which the U.S. economy remains largely shut down. Investors who don't need their money for many years really shouldn't sweat the current situation eventual recovery is likely based on the stock market's history, and anyone who avoids liquidating investments when they're down avoids losses.

Retirees, on the other hand, don't necessarily have the luxury to sit back and wait, nor do those who intend to leave their jobs very soon. If your portfolio is invested heavily in stocks, and you're hoping to leave the workforce in the very near future, cashing out some investments and locking in losses is a real possibility unless you have a large chunk of your savings in cash (which is a smart move when you're very close to retirement). As such, it might really pay to postpone retirement if your goal is to end your career anytime within the next few months.

Retiring in a year from now, on the other hand, may still be on the table. The stock market could very well recover fully by then, and even if it doesn't completely recoup its recent losses, if you have enough of your portfolio in cash, or enough of an income stream to avoid tapping your 401(k) or IRA early on in retirement (say, you can get by between Social Security and some money from a pension), you can protect your portfolio while also paying your living expenses.

As such, you don't need to write off the idea of retiring in about a year -- but don't get your heart set on it, either. Rather, be flexible. A lot can happen in a year's time when it comes to market movement, so if you're hoping to retire around 12 months from now, keep performing well at your job, maintaining your professional skills, and making smart financial choices. In other words, hope for the best, but also, prepare for the possibility that you may need to tweak your plans to protect your long-term financial interests.

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Is Retiring in a Year From Now Still Possible? - The Motley Fool

04/05/2020 5:08 p.m.

A popular retirement living community on Long Island said another resident has died in connection to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, bringing the total number of deaths there to nine.

Peconic Landing, in Greenport, says the most recent death, the first reported in the month of April,was a 98-year-old woman who was at the Shores for Skilled Nursing in the village.

The woman tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, March 19, and died on Saturday, April 4 while receiving care at Peconic Landing. She had known pre-existing conditions.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to those she leaves behind,"said Robert J. Syron, president and CEO. "The Peconic Landing family is thinking of you during this time of sadness."

Currently, there are seven residents and seven employees who have tested positive for the virus, officials said.

The first diagnosis at the retirement community was on Tuesday, March 10 in a per-diem employee who had unknowingly been exposed to the virus, the center said.

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COVID-19: Ninth Death Reported At Long Island Retirement Facility - Rutherford Daily Voice

Longtime Boothbay Harbor Police Department administrative assistant Maureen Smith has retired and Chief Bob Hasch thanked her and posted best wishes on your next adventure on the departments Facebook page this past week.

Smith, who worked the past 19 years at the BHPD, has in the law enforcement and public safety field for a total of 33 years. She was a communications officer for Lincoln County and was an administrative assistant at another police department.

She has also been a stout volunteer for various charities, namely Special Olympics Maine and Camp Postcard, a camp that provides a chance for children to interact with law enforcement at a summer camp.

According to the BHPD Facebook page, In 2018 Maureen was awarded the prestigious Bob Bell award. This is the highest award given to Maine Law Enforcement personnel who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for Special Olympics Maine. Her work organizing our Midcoast section of the Special Olympics torch run is well known and she is always present to find volunteer officers, and to keep them on schedule.

Hasch wrote in the post: Maureen we will always be your people. Our enduring thanks for your many years of service and steadfast loyalty to the people of our region, and to your chosen profession. You served proudly with honor and dignity, and with a little sense of humor thrown in there, too.

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BHPD wishes administrative assistant Mauren Smith well in retirement - Boothbay Register

I couldnt stand by and watch. The coronavirus is an ugly beast. People are really sick. Its all very demanding, we must try to stay close to them until the epidemic passes. Facing so much pain, a doctor cannot be insensitive to the wave of need emerging from hospitals. . . . And so, after three months of retirement, after a life of curing patients, I decided to go back to the beds of the wards and the emergency rooms clogged with people with the virus.

These words, from a physician in Perugia, are echoed by numerous other medical figures in Italy, where many have come out of retirement during the crisis to embrace theteaching of Hippocrates to help the sick according to my ability and judgment. Last month, over 7,000 doctorsincluding the retiredresponded en masse to the Italian governments call for help. Their voluntarism embodies the idea of a doctor as a Hippocratic servant and guardian of life, from the first to the last moment. Theyre at the service of the person, so that life is taken care of in every situation and in its harmonious totality, even when a patient faces little hope of a cure, as is true of too many nowespecially the old and those with underlying health problems.

By early April, more than 70 Italian doctors, many of them retirees who returned to service, had died battling Covid-19. Their sacrifice calls to mind not only Hippocratesbut also the Gospel of Lukes Good Samaritan, who acts with compassion when in direct contact with the stricken.

The physician Alberto Malliani once beautifully observed: Medicine is not only a science, but a complex discipline with scientific bases which has as its object both man as biology and man as expressive of the human condition. . . . A doctor can ignore neither the differences that exist between the effects of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, nor the thousand faces of human suffering. That is, the doctor should think vertically.

This truth reflects the deepest meaning of the medical profession. Italys medical warriors have exemplified this devotion to patients.

Flavio Felice is full professor, history of political doctrines, at Umanistic, Social and Training Sciences Department (SUSeF) of the University of Molise. He is chief editor of the scientific journal Prospettiva Persona, president of the Tocqueville-Acton Centre for Studies and Research in Milan, and author of The Limits of People: Democracy and Political Authority in Luigi Sturzos Thought (2020) and Poisoned Democracy (2018). Mario Timio is a former professor of cardiology at a teaching hospital in Foligno, Italy.

Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

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Italy's Retired Doctors Are Risking Their Lives To Battle Covid-19 - City Journal

Boeing Co. BA, +19.47% is offering buyout and early retirement packages to employees as it works to combat the impact on its business of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 that has grounded airlines around the world and decreased demand for new planes, according to media reports Thursday. The aerospace giant announced the plan in a memo to employees from Chief Executive Dave Calhoun, according to CNBC. "It's important we start adjusting to our new reality now," he wrote, said the CNBC report. Boeing has about 151,000 employees, roughly half of whom are based around Seattle's Puget Sound region. The company has called on the federal government to bail it out with a $60 billion package. The company was struggling before the virus outbreak with the fallout from the grounding of its 737 Max fleet, following two fatal crashes. Job cuts may complicate the company's efforts to get bailout money, however. Boeing shares were up 2.6% premarket but have fallen 60% in 2020 to date, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +7.73% has fallen 27% and the S&P 500 SPX, +7.03% has fallen 24%.

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Boeing is offering buyout and early retirement packages as it works to combat COVID-19 impact: reports - MarketWatch

Manu may have retired from basketball, but his name is still making sports headlines. While many sports are shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, horse racing is still taking place in Arkansas.

And believe it or not, there is a racing horse that has been named in honor of the Argentinian basketball star. He, the horse, made a trip from his California home to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a race last night. Interestingly, a horse named for Rafael Nadal is also making the rounds on the tracks.

Unfortunately. Ginobili came in fifth for his race.

So, for now, Manu is still the winningest of Ginobili named athletes.

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Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

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The Ginobili name still winning after the retirement of the Spurs legendary guard - Pounding The Rock

THE UNDERTAKER hinted it could be all over with a cryptic social media post after Wrestlemania 36 suggesting he could be set to retire.

After his victory over AJ Styles at the weekend, many thought the American could call time on his wrestling career.

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And now it looks increasingly likely that will be the end of The Undertaker.

The 55-year-old took to social media to share a photo of him in deep thought at the scene of his latest fight.

He wrote: "It was a hell of a ride! #BoneyardMatch #WrestleMania #30years"

And many were convinced that was the sign it was all over.

One commented: "Thank you for everything."

Another said: "Oh c*** I think he's done."

A third added: "What a way to go out. Congratulations."

One went with: "Wait... is this the end? If so, thank you for everything - you are the Greatest of All Time. No one comes close to you."

Another typed: "55 YEARS OLD AND STILL PUTTING ON CLASSICS. That was an amazing match and if its your last, I thank you for all the memories!! But Id love to see you end it all next year with the crowd at Mania."

And a final user replied: "Im so proud of you even if this is your last match ever you will always be my favorite whether it would be the American bad a** or the dead man you are number one in my opinion #ThankyouTaker."

In scenes not dissimilar to a horror movie, Taker took on Styles in the BoneYard.

And he sealed the Mania win by climbing into a digger and pouring dirt all over Styles before mounting his motorbike and riding off.

The Undertaker - actually called Mark William Calaway - joined WWE in 1990, hence the "#30years" in his tweet.

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He has hinted at retiring many times since the late 90s but each time has convinced himself to step back in to the show.

Calaway has had his fair share of injuries over his career and required surgery on plenty of occasions.

There was even a rumour that he had died in 2014 but that proved to be a hoax.

Originally posted here:
The Undertaker hints at retirement aged 55 with cryptic hell of a ride tweet after Wrestlemania 36 - The Sun

Nurse Shelly McHugh has come out of retirement to return to the IWK Health Centre to help fight the COVID-19 crisis.

Two weeks ago Shelly McHugh was anxious, as any nurse would be, coming out of retirement in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

So, on her first day, she took the long way, around the Bedford Basin, from her home into the IWK Health Centre, as she always did when reflection was required.

I didnt know what I was going to be doing, the 61-year-old told me Sunday.

All this woman, who graduated from nursing school in 1980, knew was that she would be contributing and helping, which was enough.

Thats why, two years after her retirement, she applied for and received a four-month conditional nursing licence.

Thats why, four days a week, she now leaves her Bedford home and heads back to the IWK, where her last full-time job was clinical director of the Perinatal Follow-up Centre.

Signing on, McHugh said yes when asked if she would be willing to go into the assessment unit and take swabs testing for the virus.

Instead, on the first day of first duty, she was deployed to the IWKs occupational health arm, which oversees employee wellness at the regions biggest pediatric hospital.

Its not the front lines, she stresses.

McHugh emphasizes that shes not doing the heavy-lifting like the nurses, doctors, cleaners, respiratory therapists and other staffers at the IWK, long-term care facilities and throughout the health-care system, along with everyone else going head-to-head with COVID-19.

Theyre the heroes, she said.

But what she and three other retired nurses in the IWKs occupational health department do dealing with the health concerns of the hospitals employees is critical.

Experts tell us over and over again that if our health-care providers get ill, our ability to flatten the curve diminishes, and chances of our whole health-care system being overwhelmed by this plague increase.

Its like a great big puzzle, said McHugh whose hobby is actually putting together huge, 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles. And were all a piece in it.

She seemed predestined for this moment.

Growing up in northern New Brunswick, she heeded the words of her miner father who said that he always wanted a nurse in the family.

Outside of a short stint in London, Ont., when her husband Ed was studying at the University of Western Ontario, shes been a nurse in the Halifax area, almost all of it at the IWK, including nearly two decades in the neonatal intensive care unit.

When she retired two years ago it wasnt to put her feet up.

McHughs nursing training came in handy during a grim run of family-related illness that included the death of her father-in-law, her own dads dementia and a sister-in-laws cancer treatment.

Coming out of the other end of that she thought that maybe shed take another nursing job, or perhaps try something new altogether.

Then this came along, she said.

All those years in the neonatal unit taught McHugh a thing or two about hand washing and wiping down high-risk surfaces.

Their workplace is cut off from the working part of the hospital. Social-distancing is practised in her office, which is down the hall from her occupational health managers. She and her colleagues, who are known as the seasoned nurses deals with health-related questions over the phone, rather than in person.

Nevertheless, entering in the door at home after work, McHugh takes off all her clothes and throws them in a laundry basket. Then she immediately heads for the shower.

Last Friday she had a bit of a scare, a sore throat that turned out to be nothing.

But shes not going to lie: its tiring. Shes 61 and doing something shes never done before.

The calls never seem to stop hundreds, in seems, during every eight-hour shift even if the tone of most of them is downright inspirational.

They just want to know when they can get back to work, she said.

McHugh will go where they need her.

Her area of expertise, neonatal, is limited. But to fight COVID-19. team nursing units are being struck which she could be a part of.

The likelihood of her joining the IWKs assessment unit is probably pretty slim. But you can learn pretty quickly how to take a swab, she said.

By which she means that if sheis needed there, well McHugh is fine with that too.

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JOHN DeMONT: Nurse comes out of retirement to join the war on COVID-19 - TheChronicleHerald.ca

Everything about Netflixs new documentary series Tiger King is out of the ordinary. Its not only the crazy plot or the animals in captivity but also the larger than life characters that make it a compelling watch. So whats this most-watched show on Netflix all about? Tiger King captures the life of private zoo owner Joe Exotic as he takes you into the wilderness of Oklahoma where he lives. With a murder-for-hire charge against him, things only start to spiral downwards. You also get to see his story unfold with his three husbands and a constant sense of hatred he shares foranimal rights activist and sanctuary owner, Carole Baskin.

The seriesalso tackles topics like suicide and drug abuse and make them look trivial in comparison to the other aspects of the show. And for all the above reasons, we believe this show should be the one you should watch, especially if true crime documentaries are your thing. But if you are done watching the series and are on a lookout for more, allow us to present shows that will promise a crazy ride like Tiger King. Scroll through for a list of shows on Netflix that will help you get over the Tiger King hangover.

Wild Wild Country is the first series that struck my mind after watching Tiger King, for its wild plot and wildest characters. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh a.k.a Osho sets out to establish Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon, for his cult. Things start to go haywire when Ma Anand Sheela along with Osho gets involved in a national scandal with the local community. Theres plenty of sex, scandal and money in this series to keep you hooked.

If Tiger King has unleashed your longing for watching true crime docu-series, let this be your pick. The series revolves around a video circulated on the internet showing the ruthless murder of two cats by an anonymous person. Deanna Thompson from Las Vegas and John Green from Los Angeles start an online manhunt to find the killer. Theres also the common reference of dont fuck with the cats in both the shows.

Making A Murderer is the most popular among the true-crime docu-series for many reasons. The plot is based on Steven Avery who is wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and murder of Penny Beerntsen. The show is two seasons long and can take up your entire weekend if you have no other plans in place.

Season one of this true-crime series revolves around the murder trial of O.J Simpson giving you an up-close into what went behind the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. A gripping tale with many twists and turns, this one is followed by a season two where the anthology takes on the murder of famous personality Gianni Versace.

Another true crime docu-series to complete this list is Evil Genius, a story of Americas most diabolical bank heist in 2018. With four episodes, this series in its short span talks about the murder of Brian Wells. No shortage of crime and thrill on this one for sure.

Featuring:Ma Anand Sheela,Osho,Philip Toelkes

Release date: March 16, 2018

Platform: Netflix

Featuring:Ann Smith

Release date: May 10, 2018

Platform: Netflix

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Loved Tiger King? Watch these 5 similar shows on Netflix to keep the momentum going - GQ India

Apr 2, 2020 at 08:00 UTCUpdated Apr 6, 2020 at 06:07 UTC

Lime image via Shutterstock

Osho Jha is an investor, data scientist and tech company executive who enjoys finding and analyzing unique data sets for investing in both public and private markets.

Many bullish investment theses for bitcoin are grounded in expectations that the upcoming halving of block rewards will cause the bitcoin (BTC) price to increase. Previous supply constrictions, from 50 BTC to 25 BTC and 25 BTC to, where we currently stand, at 12.5 BTC, have had that effect. Still, given the rare nature of these events, our data points are limited and increase the anticipation and speculation around upcoming halving some time in May 2020.

There are many great pieces on the mechanics of a BTC halving and how they were described in the original white paper and subsequently coded into the structure of bitcoin. So I will assume familiarity with these concepts going forward as we try to understand the supply constriction narrative of the halving thesis.

Unfortunately, many investors are pointing to the halving as a catalyst for a price increase in the face of a difficult bitcoin market, which has had three straight quarters of negative returns, and have set sky high expectations for what sort of price action we may see after. I certainly believe that the halving will have a positive impact on price, but I am concerned by investors expecting parabolic gains in the fashion of 2017.

As it currently stands, the bullish thesis around the halving is that as block rewards get cut in half, the number of miners able to sustain their operations will decline. Since fewer BTC are being brought into circulation, there should also be some reduced sell pressure as miners often sell BTC to fund operations in their local currency. One could then conclude that the supply constriction will allow the price to appreciate.

While I generally believe this thesis to be sound, I think it hinges on the assumption that a drop in block rewards will force miners offline, and that demand for bitcoin will not decline and this merits further analysis.

Mining is a difficult game of balancing BTC inflows with fixed cost outflows of hard dollars. Their most prevalent cost is electricity. In order to cover this cost, miners sell BTC, creating a consistent sell pressure in the market.

Next-gen miners are more efficient on a hashes-to-electricity-consumption basis helping alleviate some of concerns around electricity cost. According to recent research piece by BlockWare Solutions, a large distributor of mining rigs in North America, roughly 62 percent of miners are using new-gen miners (the Bitmain S17 and up) and 38 percent are using old-gen miners (the Bitmain S9 and below). The table below, from BlockWare Solutions, shows a breakdown of the mining landscape based on their internal data, which has insight into 20 percent of the total hash rate on the network.

I believe the recent downward price action has already caused a miner capitulation, which is reflected in the recent drop in hash rate and the compensating downward adjustment of difficulty. At current bitcoin prices (roughly $6200), 19 percent of bitcoin miners are operating at a loss. With the halving being a doubling of break-even price, we can see that roughly an additional 38 percent of miners will join them. Thats roughly 57 percent of the market in. And while that constitutes a majority of the hash power, the reality is that miners can and often do operate below break-even prices. To sustain themselves, they sell bitcoin from their own treasury, adding to the selling pressure.

While the halving will certainly take miners offline, I believe this will be a gradual change as opposed to an instantaneous change. It will likely be preceded by additional selling pressure from miners operating below break-even costs, unless there is a substantial spike in price or consistent decline in difficulty allowing these miners to stay online.

Isnt it priced in? is the most common question I hear from both short term traders and long term investors. I find this question to be shallow because it is nearly impossible to answer for any asset, let alone one as nascent as bitcoin. Despite the steady press coverage, I feel that the true impact of the halving is not priced in certainly not outside the core long term BTC holders.

Investing is a matter of patience. The halving will bring a positive impact to price but we should be measured in our expectations.

Current futures price would suggest market participants are unaware of a halving or do not expect it to have a big impact on price with post halving expiry contracts trading in line with pre halving expiry contracts.

Historically, bitcoin has had large run-ups in the year leading into the halving followed by parabolic gains in the year after.

While this narrative was certainly compelling in the summer of 2019 with bitcoin peaking around $13k, bitcoin is currently up 20 percent on a year over year (Y/Y) basis. This is still a phenomenal return, especially compared to the -13 percent Y/Y return in SPY the exchange-traded fund tracking the S&P 500. Since the returns leading into the 2020 halving are compressed compared to the parabolic returns leading into the past two halvings, the returns after the 2020 halving should be positive but more constrained.

A measured response is in no way a condemnation of the halving thesis. It is the natural evolution of an asset class that is becoming understood by a broader market. Recent price action has been encouraging as the market has been able to absorb the selling pressure created by miners in the face of a large price decline due to a global flight to USD. While the price decline was substantial and primarily driven by short-term holders, the ensuing stability in the $6,000 range is positive and shows that demand for bitcoin has remained strong. With stablecoin capitalizations at an all time high, there is plenty of capital on the sidelines, but as markets mature, a singular, well broadcast event rarely causes outsized impact on price after the fact certainly not one as talked about as BTCs halving.

Early in its life BTC traded like a venture investment. Even in 2017, the crypto boom was fueled by a belief that distributed ledger technology would revolutionize all industries and that adoption of digital cash was close. But bitcoin is unique in being both a technology and a representation of strong money principles digital gold.Its strong money principles are encompassed in a self correcting system incentivizing miners while slowing the rate at which this fixed supply asset is trickled out. I believe we will look back at bitcoins third halving and instead of parabolic gains see bitcoin come into its own during a period of global macro distress.

Quick gains usually turn into quick losses. Investing is a matter of patience. The halving will bring a positive impact to price but we should be measured in our expectations. Current actions by central banks around the world have given more positive catalysts to bitcoin than a singular event. Macro trends (such as the debasement of the U.S. dollar by the Federal Reserve) occur slowly and we have yet to see the impact of these events in traditional markets, let alone bitcoin. Patience and measured expectations are key in this market. After all, no asset has rewarded those two principles as handsomely as bitcoin.

NOTE: This article has been changed to reflect that currently post-halving futures are trading in line with pre-halving expiries.

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

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Looking for a Bitcoin Halving Payday? Tamp Expectations - CoinDesk