The bond market indicator that has predicted every U.S. recession since 1970 shows that the economy has about a 60 percent chance of contracting within 12 months. The so-called Treasury yield curve, adjusted for distortions caused by the Federal Reserve’s record low zero to 0.25 percent target interest rate for overnight loans between banks, shows …
Tag: Alachua County
“When Should I File for Social Security Benefits?”
It's the question every Boomer needs to answer. Rich or poor. Whether you'll need Social Security to make ends meet or whether you intend to use it to fund an investment program for yourself or, say, your grandkids' education. Or anything else in between. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is complicated. The accumulation phase …
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Women Live Longer, But Aren’t Planning Longer
By Glenn Ruffenach When it comes to retirement planning, women need to “out-plan” men. That’s the lesson at the heart of a new report from the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. The study asserts that women – given the unique financial risks they face during their working years …
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Rules for Required IRA Distributions
After you reach age 70½, you must start withdrawing money from your account. Here's what you need to know. It’s the time of year when I start receiving questions about required minimum distributions from IRAs and other retirement-savings plans. Generally, you must take distributions every year after you reach age 70½. Here are some of …
Yes, There Is Such Thing As A Free Lunch: It’s Called Immigration
(As an immigrant myself, having come to this country in 1950 and gained citizenship in 1959, I think I have some standing in this discussion. TK ) Nick Schulz, writing for Forbes Magazine The pathetic American economy could use a boost right now. But everything being considered in Washington comes with a high price tag. …
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Bracing for the College Tuition Storm
With the economy in the doldrums and the long-term outlook for the US stock market looking more restrained than it has in the recent past, parents and grandparents are asking my advice about the problems associated with paying for their children’s college education. Fueled by a sense of desperation brought on by skyrocketing college costs, …
The Estate of Steve Jobs
Yesterday I found article on the web version of Financial Planning magazine. In it the authors extolled the steps they thought Steve Jobs had taken regarding his estate to minimize the estate tax bills that will eventually come due. They never said what his estimated estate might have been but did suggest that the tax …
Is Iraq Siding With Iran in Helping Syria?
You might easily wonder why I give a damn. Well, what goes on in the Middle East influences the price of gasoline, influences how much money we spend on the military, which in turn influences our ability to balance our economy and move out of the economic doldrums. Tom Barnet cites an article from the …
Florida’s New Web-Based Health Marketplace Soon to Go Live
I have issues with much of the criticism about ObamaCare (or however you spell it). I've been involved with health insurance, how its designed, how its priced, how it has changed, how it has become abused, etc., for almost 40 years now. Yes, there will be some problems and unexpected consequences, but by and large, …
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Fed Governor Urges More Help for Homeowners
From the Financial Times, by Shahien Nasiripour in New York Homeowners across the country struggle to be responsible citizens and make timely payments on their home mortgages. For millions, this is a priority and as a result, other discretionary uses of their money get set set aside. The vacation trip, the weekly visit to a …
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Helping Define Your Financial Future 