Partly to mostly sunny and hotter, the first of many 90° days this week, but not as humid as the previous few days. .

Mostly clear, warm, and muggy.

Whether you’re in the last years of contributing to your 401(k) or you’re about to start withdrawing from it, today’s economic climate is likely making you second guess your retirement plans. Several factors ring alarm bells — high inflation means that it costs more to live every day, and, over time, higher inflation eats away at your savings. The combination of greater expenses and less money to pay for them makes people feel like too many things are out of their direct control.

Finding a financial advisor can be challenging. Wealthramp puts you in control of meeting the right advisor. If you’re ready to work with an advisor you can trust, click here.

While you can’t do much about the economy or the markets, there are things you can do to help make your situation better. Whether you're managing your investments on your own or working with a financial advisor, here are 4 ways to maintain control of your retirement plan.

It’s normal human behavior to ignore problems and hope they’ll go away. Your 401(k) balance has been mostly going up for the past ten years. It’s been a pleasure to glance at your statement each quarter and see your investments growing.

However, these last two quarterly statements probably show losses. The stock market has dropped more than 20% from its highest point in January 2022. A diversified target date fund typically found in many 401(k) plans has also lost about the same in value. That’s unsettling. For those who are early in their career, it’s uncomfortable, but for people on the brink of retirement, it can be terrifying.

Keep in mind, until you actually sell your investments you haven’t actually lost money because it’s only when you sell that you realize a loss. Otherwise, you still own the same number of shares in that exchange-traded fund (ETF), mutual fund, or individual stock today that you owned when the stock market was making record highs, but today the market price per share is lower. History shows that overall stock prices return to then surpass those low prices, and it’s that long-term investing perspective that helps people stay invested through the turbulent times and grow their wealth.

If you’ve built up a retirement fund designed to last for decades of retirement, you’re not going to need to withdraw all the money at once. Even if you had to sell stock to withdraw 4% of your retirement portfolio right now, you’d still have 96% left that will likely recover and grow over the years of your retirement. The balance you have today is not the amount you will have forever, and history is on your side for those share prices to rise over time.

Gaining control: Even though it’s sometimes hard to do, review your portfolio two to four times a year. Once you assess the situation, you might find that it’s time to rebalance. When the market changes, as it has in 2022, it might be time for the composition of your retirement portfolio to be adjusted, too. If you don’t want to rebalance on your own, find a fee-only fiduciary who specializes in retirement income strategies and cash flow analysis. Finally, pull up a historical stock market chart and reassure yourself that market levels rise and fall over time — but ultimately rise. Call or text your investment advisor to talk about your worries. If your advisor isn’t able to reassure you, it might be time to find a new one.

Know where you stand financially, then use that data as a starting point to help you figure out when to retire. Timing is everything. When you have a full-time job paying a salary that appears in your bank account every two weeks, it’s hard to imagine that money going away. But when you fully retire, that’s precisely what will happen. Your retirement years can stretch into decades, and the more money you’ve saved, the better protected you are. The longer you can bring in outside income, the longer you can leave your own savings alone to grow. Deciding to work an extra two or three years can add as much as 30% to your total retirement income, and that decision is entirely in your control.

One consideration in making employment decisions is your health. You want to weigh the mental and physical health costs of continuing to work longer. If you have a job that negatively affects your health, putting off retirement might not be wise. In that case, changing to a less-stressful job could be a way to keep some income flowing without making yourself miserable.

Gaining control: Work out the math yourself or consult a fiduciary financial advisor who specializes in retirement income planning to determine when or if you can stop working. Consider switching roles at your current job, changing jobs completely, or working part-time.

Just because you can draw Social Security payments at age 62 doesn’t mean you should. When you let the Social Security Administration (SSA) know to start monthly payments at age 62, you lock in a lower amount for the rest of your life. For example, take a person who is eligible for about $1,000 per month if they initiate benefits at age 62. If they wait until the SSA’s Full Retirement Age of around 67, depending on birthdate, they’d get about $1,500 per month for life; if they wait until 70, that amount pops up to about $1,900 a month for life. That is almost $1,000 more month for the 70-year-old.

If you knew you weren’t going to live long, starting as soon as possible would be best. But more Americans than ever are living into their 90s, and if you make it that long, starting at 62 means you’ll end up losing out on thousands of dollars of benefits — during years when you might have outlived your retirement savings and really need higher cash flow.

The SSA's website explains how retirement-age-based payments work, but if you have complicated financial family relationships — or you’ve lost a spouse or have remarried — it can be worthwhile to get the advice of an expert. A qualified fee-based fiduciary advisor can run "what if" scenarios using sophisticated software that can pinpoint the optimal time to start taking your benefits.

Gaining control: After you work out your post-retirement budget, run the numbers using the SSA’s handy calculator and figure out how much your Social Security monthly check will be depending on the age you start drawing.

A common problem retirees face is the appeal from relatives, friends, and charities for financial help. The request can be direct or more insidious, but the upshot is that someone you care about or are related to wants you to give them some of your retirement money. If you have enough to live on now and for the potential decades of your retirement, then you could choose to help them. Conversely, just because you have enough doesn’t mean you should feel compelled to help. If you’re being pressured, a financial advisor or trusted contact could be a good resource to help you find the right words to say no.

If you’re certain you’ll have more than enough money to cover your own lifestyle and healthcare costs, then consider giving some of it to your future heirs right now. In the U.S., the IRS allows you to give away up to $16,000 per year per person (in 2022) before you would need to file a special form with your tax return. But unless you are a multi-millionaire giving away tens of millions of dollars, you still won’t pay tax on your gifts, even if you do have to file IRS form 709. Married couples can double their gifts, which means they can give up to $32,000 to each person per year before the form is required.

Gaining control: Your money is yours to do what you want with, now and after you die. You don’t have to help relatives, nor is it wrong for you to choose to help them — it’s your decision, and because it’s your money, it’s the right decision. Be aware of the pleas for money that come your way and make deliberate, financially reasonable, and well-thought-out decisions before you provide financial assistance to loved ones.

As you take defensive action to maintain control over your retirement, decide whether to do it yourself using digital tools or collaborate with a rigorously vetted, fee-only fiduciary financial advisor who works only for you, not as an agent for a brokerage firm or insurance company. If you’re getting close to retirement, choose a fiduciary who has the expertise and specializes in retirement income planning. They can help you:

Finding the right financial advisor can be challenging. Let Wealthramp help you find the right advisor who will help you with your personal financial needs and situation.

Pam Krueger is a recognized investor advocate, award-winning personal finance journalist, and founder and CEO of Wealthramp, a free advisor matching platform that connects people with rigorously vetted fee-only financial advisors. She is also the creator and co-host of MoneyTrack, which aired on PBS from 2005-2019, and Friends Talk Money podcast for PBS Next Avenue, currently in its 7th season.

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· Jimmy’s Barbershop in Allentown has moved to 822 N. 19th Street

· Air Products and Chemicals Inc.'s chosen warehouse developer, Prologis Inc., will have to wait until July 13 for a final decision by Upper Macungie Township's zoning hearing board on 2.61 million square feet of warehouses. 

· Chubby's of Southside Easton has added Krispy Krunchy Chicken to its offerings and name.

· Curaleaf Holdings Inc., which operates in the U.S. and Europe, will open a medical-marijuana dispensary at 1801 Airport Road, Hanover Township.

· Habitat for Humanity, which has "ReStores" that sell new and lightly used furniture, has leased 30,000 square feet at the South Mall.

· Nat Hyman's bid to convert an old warehouse at 938 Washington St. in Allentown into 48 apartments did not win zoning hearing board approval this week after neighbors said more housing would make an on-street parking shortage worse.

· Members 1st Federal Credit Union opened a new branch this week at 5605 Hamilton Blvd, Trexlertown. It's one of five planned for the Lehigh Valley. 

· A Turkish restaurant has relocated from one downtown to another, taking its fresh ingredients and cozy atmosphere from Nazareth to 200 Main St., Tatamy.

· The Tennessee Titans have chosen Allentown-based Shift4 Payments to handle payments at Nissan Stadium.

· Wells Fargo Bank held ribbon-cutting at its downtown Allentown branch at 740 Hamilton St.

· The Wiz Kidz outlet at the Madison Farms residential/retail development in Bethlehem Township will hold a grand reopening and ribbon-cutting at noon on July 15.

· Bad Biscuit Company, which offered breakfast with scratch-made biscuits, freshly baked pastry and local, small-batch artisan coffee, said it will cease operations at 16 Columbia Ave. in Reading after its July 1 hours.

· FastBridge Fiber has announced it will build an all-fiber cable network that will offer ultra-fast internet in the Reading area.

· Hamid Chaudhry has said he no longer plans to move forward with pursuing a food truck park he previously proposed on the site of the former Sheetz convenience store and gas station in Exeter Township at 6600 Perkiomen Ave. (Route 422 East). 

· The Maxatawny Township Planning Commission has OK'd a proposal for a Mavis Discount Tire store in the Kutztown Road shopping center that features a Giant supermarket.

· Valentino's Italian restaurant has gotten Maxatawny Township's approval to remain open when the state transportation department takes one-third of its parking lot to build a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Route 222 and Long Lane.

· Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson, under new ownership, will hold a "Grand Re-Opening Bash" July 9 and July 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

· Sauce West End plans to open in a former Rita's Italian Ice, just off Route 209 across from the Tractor Supply store in Brodheadsville.

· The Surgery Center of Pottsville, which offered medical procedure services for 16 years in Cressona Mall. will close June 28.

· Wells Fargo has closed its branch office in Langhorne, near the intersection with Maple Avenue.

· The latest PrimoHoagies location in New Jersey held a grand opening at 1930 State Route 57, Hackettstown.

· A new Tractor Supply Co. store in Warren County will have its grand opening in the former Toys 'R' Us store in Pohatcong Plaza on July 9.

· Hunter Pocono Peterbilt plans to move Pocono Township operations to Stroudsburg.

· Coal Winery and Kitchen at 81 Broad St., Bethlehem, has closed as its owner searches for a new location for the business, according to its Facebook page. 

· Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.

· The Mint Gastropub at 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, announced that it has temporarily closed to undergo a merger with a "well-known restaurant group" from Bethlehem.

· The Slatington Farmers Market opened its 28,000-square-foot showroom, which includes space for 53 vendors, as well as a 4,000-square-foot event space.

· St. Luke's University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke's University Hospital – Bethlehem.

· 25th Asian House opened at the location of the former Tin Tin Chinese restaurant in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.

· The Chick-Fil-A in Broadcasting Square shopping center in Spring Township was razed to make way for a new, expanded facility for the popular chicken sandwich restaurant.

· Plans for drive-thru locations of a Chipotle and a Starbucks at the intersection of Ivy League Drive and Kutztown Road were rejected by Maxatawny Township planners.

· Cumru Township plannes reviewed preliminary plans for NorthPoint-Morgantown Commerce Center, a 738,720-square-foot warehouse to be built on 75.2 acres at Morgantown Road (State Route 10) and Freemansville Road.

· Kutztown University has plans to expand its historic Poplar House to 13,161 square feet with an addition around its side and back, but keep the 129-year-old structure intact.

· A wine store and beverage outlet could be coming to a new two-unit building along the commercial strip of Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Lehighton, Carbon County.

· ChristianaCare, a Delaware health care organization, has announced it will buy the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Chester County.

· Garden of Health Inc. celebrated the opening of the food bank's new warehouse at 201 Church Road, North Wales, in Montgomery County.

· Silverline Trailers Inc. opened its first location in Pennsylvania and in the Northeast at 223 Porter Road, Pottstown, where it sells utility, cargo, dump, equipment and car hauler trailers. 

· A new smoothie and bowl restaurant, Sips & Berries, opened at 285 Maple Ave., Harleysville, in Montgomery County.

· Terrain on the Parkway offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown. 

· Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.

· While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office at 740 Hamilton St. on June 30.

· If you're in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, C& I Minerals is now operating at the South Mall at 3300 Lehigh St. in Allentown.

· The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.

· Ownership at Martellucci's Pizzeria in Bethlehem has changed, but Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place at 1419 Easton Ave., just as it has been operated for 49 years. 

· Dr. Jacob Kasprenski's new Kasprenski Family Eye Care opened at 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua.

· Josie's New York Deli in downtown Easton closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting approved a request for a new sign at its building at 14 Centre Square. 

· Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants' menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients. 

· Manta Massage at 319 Main St., Emmaus, will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m. 

· The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will operate at 3625 Shankweiler Road in North Whitehall Township under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes. 

· Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, will own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township at the former Air Products headquarters campus at 7201 Hamilton Blvd. 

· Lehigh Valley Health Network ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital — a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility at 2128 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Mahoning Township.

· Pocono Township commissioners voted to accept Swiftwater Solar's preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

· Firetree Ltd. wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

· A Dunkin' in Schuylkill County located at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital. 

· The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.

· A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby's will be built on the site of the former Ahart's Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

· Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank Center for Business & Entrepreneurship will be located at 119 Main St., Flemington. 

· Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

· Dunkin' reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

· Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township  will hold a grand opening June 4.

· Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

· Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer. 

· Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

· Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

· Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

· Easton's new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday's through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

· Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

· Ma's Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m. 

· Bethlehem's Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city's historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and "go back to its origins as a wholesale business."

·The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

· The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

· St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

· Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

· Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

· The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation. 

· The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

· The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location. 

· Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

· Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading. 

· Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon. 

· Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County. 

· Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

· The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

· Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris's new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

· First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

· Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

· Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

· SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

· Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. 

· Elpedio’s Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

· Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option. 

· Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine. 

· Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton. 

· King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.  

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