Is Bernie Sanders A Democratic Capitalist?

My Comments: This is more about economics than politics. Even if economics is boring for you, you should read it. It gave me a very different insight into the dynamics of today’s political arena. Please, just hold your nose, jump in and wade through the jargon until you see the real meat. (If you miss …

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Is Your House A Good Investment?

My Comments: My first house was in 1967 (I think). Since then I've had five more, all in the same town, with the current one a significant “downsizing” from #5. Of the first 5, only #2 was a good investment from a financial perspective. If your definition of “good” is wider, then all of them …

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Prepare For A ‘Rockier Road Ahead’

My Comments: Investing money for the faint of heart is at best, a guessing game. Too much in ‘safe’ bonds and you get hammered when interest rates rise. Too little in ‘risky’ stocks at the bottom of a market trough and you get hammered when the next upturn happens. As explained here, the ups and …

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Why You’ll Need to Own More Stocks After You Retire

My Comments: For many of us, retirement once seemed like a glorious goal to achieve. Now that many of us are here, the light isn’t so bright. As a financial planner, both for myself and others, the landscape is very different from what it was as little as twenty-five years ago. The fundamentals are the …

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How To Retire Despite Low Interest Rates

My Comments: Don’t expect interest rates to increase anytime soon. Decisions by the Fed will influence the prevailing level of interest rates but in the background is the everpresent supply and demand curve. This simply states that the price being paid (interest rate) is a function of how much there is available compared to the …

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Here’s The Big Economic Risk The Federal Reserve Is Willing To Take

My Comments: In the world of finance, especially here in the US, what the Fed does is a huge determinant of how our lives play out when it comes to our money and purchasing power. People have made and lost fortunes on their expectations of what the Fed will do next. Here is ‘projection’ about …

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Keeping America Great (Again)

My Comments: Despite what some so called "leaders" are exclaiming, America is still a great place to live, work and dream. Sure, there are some troubling issues to deal with, but tell me, was there any point in time when there was perfection. I don't believe you can. Personally, I’m far more interested in what …

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Bernie and Hillary re Black America; A Study in Contrasts

My Comments: By know you know I’m a registered Democrat who is unlikely to vote for Donald Trump. But I still have reservations about my support for the Democratic Party nominee. Among the writers I follow is Joel Klein. He writes about American politics and our role in the world. In the column that appears …

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You Can’t Keep Your Money Safe And Grow It At The Same Time

My Comments: The market continues it’s turmoil and there is no end in sight. Yet. Clients and people with whom I talk have two major fears. The first fear is outliving their money and the second is, with interest rates at historic lows, how do they earn enough for it to be meaningful. Life has …

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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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