US Economy: Blame Misaligned Policies, Not Structural Flaws

My Comments: I recently engaged in what turned out to be a mindless discussion on LinkedIn that started with the question “Who Creates Inflation?” My comments and those of several others offered our thoughts that it was a “what” that creates inflation and not a “who”. It was soon apparent that the leader and some …

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Perspective

From time to time my natural balance, especially my mental balance, gets out of whack. Some in my family argue this is increasingly frequent. To solve this, I sometimes turn to images and thoughts about the vast emptiness of the universe. Thinking about this and looking at images like this one leads me to conclude …

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7 Retirement Planning Risks You May Not Have Considered

My Comments: We wonder sometimes why the media is so consumed with bad news; it’s hard to find items that make you feel good. Unfortunately, I herewith add another element of negativity to the days actvity. On the other hand, knowing about these seven may help you avoid them which is a good thing. Does …

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Why the IRS Wants You to Watch Your IRA Rollovers

My Comments: Can you say esoteric? Can you say huh? Can you say obscure? The IRS recently issued a ruling, or perhaps more accurately a tax court decision made it for them that limits a persons ability to make an IRA rollover more than once in any calendar year. Used to be if you had …

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The SWIFT way to get Putin to scale back his ambitions

My Comments: How many of you have heard of SWIFT? Do you recall it was used in 2012 with Iran? I’ve commented earlier about the events in Ukraine and how they may effect us and our investments. Not to mention the bad feelings they generate in my head given my personal history. While the talking …

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Coastal Dwellers Should Take Their Own Chances

My Comments: When I graduated from college, I decided to stay where I had lived the past four years. I’ve never once regretted that choice. Living in Florida and NOT on the coast might be a good thing, now that global warming is in our collective thoughts. But most of my life is now behind …

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Scorpions, Chiggers & Sand Fleas

My Comments: I wish I knew who wrote this and who sent it to me so I could give them proper credit. The closest I’ve come to “war” was my early years in England when the Germans were dropping bombs on the surrounding countryside near London. Intellectually I know that from time to time it’s …

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10 Bear Market Catalysts To Watch For

My Comments: I guess it's human nature to abhor a vacuum. If there isn't a crisis, we invent one. We’ve had 5 years of mostly good times in the markets, since about the first of April in 2009. The second chart below kinda proves that. From a timing standpoint, we’ve had people predicting the end …

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Spring Check-Up: 5 Investment Ideas For Your Portfolio

My Comments: OK, we’re a long way into Spring, but the dramatic push to finish taxes by April 15th is behind us. Time now to review and reflect before the heat of summer is here. These five ideas make sense to me. And yes, the approach I take with clients is a little different, ( …

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Fiduciaries: Steer Clear of T. Rowe, Fidelity and Vanguard TDFs

My Comments: This article was meant for me as a financial professional with fiduciary responsibilities. However, I think it’s important information for everyone. TDF stands for Target Date Funds. This is a Wall Street invention that attempts to create a special, presumably safe investment portfolio for you, Mr. and Mrs. American Investor. The investment allocation …

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