My Comments: As is true in all life, evolution happens. This includes investing your money for the future. A major evolutionary step was the introduction of ETFs. They are as significant a step as was the introduction of mutual funds in the early years of the 20th Century. It’s in your best interest to understand …
Tag: financial advice
Secondary Market Annuities (SMA)
My Thoughts: Last month I posted about having stock positions in your retirement portfolio and how much was appropriate. This post is about another option where there are no stocks at all, only a promise by an insurance company to return all your money to you, over time, at a guaranteed rate of interest. Typically, …
A 34-Year Tailwind For Stock Market Returns Has Run Out Of Steam
My Comments: Many in my profession have been waiting for a market correction of significance for at least the past 18 months. Obviously it hasn’t happened yet, but unless you expect the sun to rise in the west, it will happen, and probably sooner rather than later. More and more commentary surfaces every day that …
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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 Talk to Your Family About Your Estate Plan
My Comments: In days past, estate planning was associated with having lots of money. This was because the IRS had their fingers in your financial pie if you died owning what is today considered a modest estate, anything more than $550,000. Since that existential threat has largely diminished for almost all of us, estate planning …
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The Next Bear Market Will Be Ruthless
My Comments: This might put you to sleep. Or the next bear market might cause you to leap from a tall building. You choose. If you have money invested in the markets, and your time horizon for a full recovery is limited, you should read this to the end. by Eric Parnell, CFA, June …
How Much Stock Should You Have in Your Retirement Accounts?
My Comments: This question has been asked every years for the almost 30 years that I’ve called myself a financial professional. Unfortunately, there is no best answer. Human nature, in the form of doubts, confidence, expectations, past experience, impatience, timing and fear, all conspire to force our hand when attempting to make intelligent decisions. Good …
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Top 10 Phrases from Bank Lobbyists and their Translation
My Comments: On April 6, 2016, rules were introduced into the US financial system that will cause more of us to treat our clients better. At least that’s the plan. Wall Street firms have been resisting this change for years, and while the following Top 10 Reasons Why are tongue in cheek, there’s a whole …
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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 …
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 …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 