My Comments: My hope for the future about this is that I will be wrong. But I’m also aware that hope is not a very effective investment strategy. So, apart from my hope that you and yours have a spectacular 2015, it’s tempered by my expectations of reality. This writer is well known to those …
Category: Financial Planning
4 Ways Social Security Could Be Healthy Again
My Comments: As someone who paid into the SSA system for over 50 years, it’s hard to describe the satisfaction my wife and I experience from the deposits made to our checking account every month. As an economist, I’ve watched how the system has been modified over the years to remain the safety net it …
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Will There Really Be a Doctor Shortage?
My Comments: There is one already. An unintended consequence of ObamaCare ( the PPACA ) is that millions of people who have until now waited until the last minute and then went to an Emergency Care Center are now trying to get appointments with MDs who were already busy people. Not enough people are yet …
… the Future of Medicine
My Comments: I claim no authority on this topic. However, because I work with physicians all the time, I’m very aware of the pressures that apply to the profession. There is much going on over which no individual has any control, one of which is the apparent erosion of the profession in terms on college …
Big Bank Problems: A Culture Ratio is More Important Than a Capital One
My Comments: The financial crisis in 2008-09 could have been much worse. The Federal Reserve intervened and limited the damage. After the fact, the regulators created a major remedy, one intended to “make sure” a similar crisis wouldn’t happen again. The idea was to impose new standards regarding the amount of capital, or reserves, on …
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13 Reasons Why a QLAC Belongs in Your IRA
My Comments: Some people made good decisions along the way and now have significantly large IRA accounts. Some people I know have little need for the money to maintain their existing standard of living. If this is you and would like to find a way to NOT take money every year and pay the IRS …
The Myths of Buying Term and Investing the Difference
My Comments: Life insurance is a financial tool used to solve certain financial problems and offset the risk presented when someone dies and economic pain is the result. That’s a cold way to talk about the death of a loved one, but from an objective point of view, that’s how it must be seen. Because …
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5 Answers Every Investor Needs to Know About Annuities
My Comments: Giving answers implies there are questions that need answers. And anyone asking about personal money these days needs to know more about annuities. Not because you should necessarily put money into them, but because they are uniquely qualified to provide solutions that can can be found no where else. It turns on whether …
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Markets Up or Down Next Five Years?
My Comments: Here’s another cautionary tale to put somewhere in a mental box to look at when you start thinking again about your financial reserves. That another crash will happen is almost certain. What is not certain is when it will happen, so all you can do is decide whether you want help to figure …
The 3 Stages of Retirement
My Comments: I recently wrote about where we are now in the overall market cycle and the likely chance of a major disruption that will effect your financial future. My post was titled “Are We There Yet?” Most of us have visions of a successful retirement. Of course, “success” is dependent on your life today, …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 