My Comments: If you believe, as I do, that some of your money needs to be working harder than, say a Certificate of Deposit, then your likely solution is some kind of mutual fund or brokerage account. Most of us are not sufficiently sophisticated financially to explore other options, so for new, let’s assume you …
Category: Financial Advice
What John Oliver Got Right (and Wrong) About the DOL Fiduciary Rule
My Comments: The financial services industry is starting to come to terms with what is known as the DOL Fiduciary Rule. Some of us embrace this new standard and others think the world is about to end. In short, it institutionalizes the idea that if you are providing financial advice to the consuming public, you …
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How to Trump-proof Your Portfolio
My Comments: This is not intended as a political statement. However, clients are asking me whether there are likely to be economic consequences, and therefore an impact on their investment portfolios, if Donald Trump wins the Presidency. These comments appeared in The Financial Times and may or may not apply to you. Gillian Tett – …
How Retirement Advice Is About to Change
My Comments: Retirement planning is one of the principal tasks of my practice. In fact, I will soon start teaching a new course sponsored by the American Financial Education Alliance (AFEA) to promote financial literacy. I’ve created a Chapter of AFEA here in Alachua County with my target audience people between the age of 55 …
The Biggest Force Powering The Stock Market Is Starting To Disappear
My Comments: This is important if your financial future depends to some degree on retirement accounts that include investments in the stock and bond markets. If you think the turmoil is going to end soon, you should perhaps think again. Bob Bryan March 11, 2016 Since the beginning of the post-crisis bull-market run (2009), the …
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And Now Trucking Is Suddenly Slowing Down
My Comments: Keep in mind the economy and stock and bond markets performance are not necessarily correlated. But there are sure indications the economy, and therefore employment numbers, are going to change. Income inequality will likely get worse. All of this is to help you prepare so your head does not explode. Oct. 28, 2015 …
How To Weather The Next Economic Downturn
My Comments: It’s again a question of WHEN and not IF. Despite the fact that most clients understand intellectually that markets go up and down, whenever there is a drawdown, emotion tends to overwhelm intellect. And it happens to me too. For the past few months the markets have trended down. All the while, volatility, …
WHEN You Retire Makes a Difference
My Comments: If you accept that life is finite, then luck and a roll of the dice has a lot to do with how your life will play out financially. Saving and investing for retirement over many years is a prudent strategy. Time is mostly on your side and the compounding of returns can help …
5 Reasons the Fed Shouldn’t Raise Rates
My Comments: You've already read my comments about the significance of interest rates. They are going to start going up; when is the big unknown. By Akin Oyedele, September 9, 2015 Larry Summers is convinced the Federal Reserve will make a huge mistake if it raises interest rates next week. Two weeks ago, Summers wrote …
TAX ESSENTIALS
My Comments: I think I found this article published in Medical Economics some months ago. I apologize for my inability to provide accurate sourcing. That aside, all of us have a ZERO obligation to pay more in taxes than absolutely necessary. Just remember, the IRS has a responsibility to collect taxes. It’s up to us …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 