Court Rules in Favor of IRS on Obamacare Tax Credits

My Comments: The plainfiff in this case at least acknowleges that Congress passed the PPACA. This is at least a small victory for those of us who believe the PPACA is a good thing. If you are an American, you should be able to participate in the bounty offered by this country, one feature of …

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Free Polarised Politics From its Intellectual Vacuum

My Comments: Here lies my total frustration with politicians as they exist today. At least at the national level. For over three years we’ve had politicians on the right trying to rid the country of a framework of rules about the healthcare delivery system in the US. Never mind that it was passed by Congress …

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4 Myths Surrounding ObamaCare

My Comments: The roll out of the national web site to get people enrolled in a health insurance plan has been a enormous pain in the you know what, to put it mildly. Best as I can determine, the task was given to folks who fully understood the complexities of the PPACA but didn’t have …

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The Danger Overlooked By Most Long-Term Investors

My Comments: I often tell my clients that if I did have a crystal ball, we’d not be having this conversation as I would probably be vacationing in the south of France. Or somewhere warm. So going into 2014, there are lots of the usual questions including the memorable one in the media these days, …

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Push Is On To Increase Social Security Retirement Age

My Comments: In an attempt to be positive on this wet and gloomy Tuesday, I will say with some certainty that the Social Security System will NEVER go bankrupt. It’s too easy to make the necessary changes to assure this will not happen. My children and grandchildren will receive a benefit based on their age …

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Chained CPI Could Cut Social Security Benefits

My Comments: The following is an arcane topic that will bore some of you and cause you to find something else to read. That’s OK. But for those of you interested in what might happen to your Social Security income, you might find it interesting. Economic fundamentals tells you that, over time, a balance has …

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These Retirement Stats Paint A Troubling Picture

January 3, 2014 • Robert Laura One of the many things I appreciate about this profession is the constant and ongoing challenge associated with traditional retirement planning statistics and percentages. Whether it’s the 4 percent rule being argued, new research on the pros and cons of active versus passive investing, or a new study on …

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5 Predictions for the Long Term Care Insurance Industry in 2014

My Comments: This is again one of the most difficult topics facing any of us who hold ourselves out as financial professional. But with the baby boomers aging, and medical science keeping us alive longer and longer, it’s a topic that will not go away. There is a statistical reality that is impossible to ignore. …

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Solving the Shortage in Primary Care Doctors

My Comments: I have a number of physicians among my clients and friends. Virtually all are uncertain about how the PPACA is going to impact their profession. Those not retired are concerned, but understand that if their commitment to their patients stays as strong as it is now, they will be OK. But that doesn't …

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10 Estate Planning Tax Facts You Need to Know

My Comments: For many advisors, estate planning will take a back seat as the combined exemption (husband and wife) now exceeds $10.5M. That eliminates a lot of folks who nevertheless have substantial wealth. But there are still questions that should not be ignored. Here’s a quick summary that will put all this in perspective for …

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