The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic led to dramatic economic changes. It helped start the boom of the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression that followed. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic will be as profound. Four trillion dollars in stimulus money has been injected into the economy, with another $2 trillion proposed. Millennials now compete with Baby Boomers for resources. Investment opportunities are vast in sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence and alternative energies. Strategies and tools such as ETFs, structured products, and cryptocurrency represent the new planning and investment future. Risks from inflation and higher taxes will require new retirement and investment planning. National debt needs have put IRAs and other tax strategies in the cross hairs. Rising interest rates could make bond and stock markets more unpredictable. These next decades could upend outdated financial strategies leaving the ill-prepared with much dimmer retirement prospects. However, for the astute investors and planners, these Roaring 2020s could be the ultimate Golden Years.

Registration deadline: Sept. 26