Medical Identity Theft Rising Fast

My Comments: If ever there was a 21st century crime, this is it. We’ve all read about what happened to Target Stores and others where customer information was stolen. What we don’t often think about in this context are our own medical records, scattered across the health care landscape which we inhabit. I’ve been aware …

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QLACs Change the Game in Social Security Timing

My Comments: If you know about Social Security plannning, as I claim to do, the prevailing wisdom is to delay taking your benefits for as long as possible. The argument is that each year you wait, you increase the size of your payments by 8%, even before the expected annual increase due to inflation. What …

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When Underperforming the S&P 500 Is a Good Thing

My Comments: I’ve spent time recently with clients talking about our mutual frustration with the performance of their investment portfolios over the past 18 months. They want their accounts to grow aggressively and I want them to grow aggressively, if for no other reason than it makes me look smart. We can argue that the …

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7 Social Security Mistakes to Avoid

My Comments: Social Security payments are a critical financial component of many lives these days. When it began in 1935, there was much gnashing of teeth among the political parties since it represented a recognition by the government that some people needed help. This was in a world recovering from the Great Depression and watching …

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Border Security Is Not An Immigration Cure-All

My Comments: Many of you know that I am a documented alien who in 1959 was granted US citizenship. Hopefully, this gives me some right to comment on the immigration issues facing us today. While I’m not an admirer of the Mexican political system, I do accept that if you achieve the status of President, …

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The First Sign of an Impending Crash

My Comments: Another in a littany of warnings about pending doom. It gets a little tiresome,doesn’t it? Especially when there are others who swear the signs are there for continued gains. My gut tells me this guy is probably right. By Jeff Clark Thursday, February 12, 2015 Investors have plenty of reasons to be afraid …

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Put Your Retirement Plan on Steroids

My Comments: First, this assumes you have a retirement plan and that you have tried to answer the question “How Much Is Enough?”. Second, your answer to this question is still open to debate. And three, you actually have earned income that needs to be reported. In a perfect world, we would have a way …

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5 Key QLAC Rules to Help You Defer Taxable Income

My Comments: Yesterday, President’s Day, was all about memories and things past. Today, we’re back with a somewhat esoteric idea to help you grow and keep your money. Much of the talk in Washington these days is about income inequality and how much the 1% make each year. For some of us in the 99%, …

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Why Don’t Kids Walk to School Anymore?

My Comments: Given the nature of how we live our lives these days, this is probably a very naive question. But it sure reminds me of my younger days. How about you? Click on the picture of me, taken in Peoria, Illinois where I walked to school every day for two years from our house …

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Which Trust to Use?

My Comments: First, a DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an attorney and it would be best if no one accuses me of practicing law without a license. There’s an ongoing issue about this in Florida right now. But I do get asked questions about trusts and it helps to have a little basic knowledge. I also …

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