Obama, the Real Driller-in-Chief

Ha! I bet you didn’t know this when you heard Mr. Romney recently say he was going to solve our energy dependence problems. I didn’t either. He said we just had to drill more wells, which would solve not only our energy dependence, but add jobs as well. Uuhh, OK! By Javier Blas, Commodities Editor …

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Parents Struggling To Cover College Costs, Survey Says

My Comments: I have a solution to this problem. But try as I will, very few parents of high school age children have expressed a willingness to talk with me about it. As a financial planner, I’ve very aware of the financial pressure that comes from wanting your children to go to college and earn …

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Romney’s Dodd-Frank Kill Pledge Collides With Wall Street Agenda

My Comments: For the past 3 and 1/2 years, I've been listening to negatives from the right. Some of them have been justified. But many of them simply appeal to the inability of voters to understand the most basic facts of life. For example, after about 40 years as a financial advisor and insurance agent, …

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Hey, CEO! You Hate Fiscal Stimulus. So Tell Me: What Would You Do Instead?

My Comments: On the one hand, I hear candidates on the right say how opposed they are to fiscal stimulus, and on the other hand, I hear them say we need to reinvigorate the military and spend more money there. From an economic perspective, that’s just another form of stimulus. Personally, I’d rather have the …

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Exploring Mitt Romney’s Taxes and Tax Plan

My Comments: There’s really nothing I can add to this. Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul. He is the author of “The Benefit and the Burden: Tax Reform – Why We Need It and What …

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IRS Exams: What They Mean for Taxpayers

My Comments: Right now is a relatively quiet time for those individuals and firms who make a living doing tax returns. Everyone I know, and I know many of them, have a lump in their throat when they think about January and the coming year. That's when the rubber hits the road and most, if …

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Americans’ Sense of Security Rises

My Comments: There are six questions asked here and the responses to these questions lead the author to conclude that we as Americans are experiencing more comfort as the economy slowly improves. At least that's my conclusion. This is not easy to follow but on a rainy Monday, this might give you a measure of …

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J.P. Morgan Weekly Market Recap – August 27, 2012

For those of you who pay attention and want to time the market, here’s this weeks best summary:

Listening to Complainers Is Bad for Your Brain

My Comments: Complain? Who, me? You must have me confused with someone else! By Minda Zetlin | Aug 20, 2012 Do you hate it when people complain? It turns out there's a good reason: Listening to too much complaining is bad for your brain in multiple ways, according to Trevor Blake, a serial entrepreneur and …

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Another Overview of Trusts, Part 2

Trusts, Pt. 2: When should they be used? My Comments: This comes from Hale Stewart, an attorney in Houston, Texas. He and I have spoken as a result of his interest in captive insurance companies and asset protection. He is the author of the book U.S. Captive Insurance Law and is currently working on his …

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