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:

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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Top 10 Biggest College Savings Plans

The 10 biggest 529 plans for the fourth quarter of 2011 are ranked by asset size My Comments: A 529 Plan is an IRS approved idea that allows you to set aside after-tax money in a special account where it will hopefully grow. Then, when you withdraw the money to pay for college education approved …

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Top 10 Dangers of Alternative Investments

My Comments: I think we can agree that one objective when designing an investment portfolio is to have diversity. For those of you who remember a company and a scandal called Enron, apart from the fact that Enron fell off the face of the earth, the retirement plan investments for most of their employees was …

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Hong Kong is Bringing Democracy to China

My Comments: The proper mangement of clients money is something I take very seriously. Not only because I’ve been entrusted with a critical component of someone’s financial future, but also because my livelihood is at stake as well. If I screw up your trust in me, my ability to buy groceries and gas for my …

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The Big Retirement Lie

My Comments: The ideas behind this article have filtered through my mind for decades. Everyone and their brother talks about the value of socking away money in an IRA or other tax advantaged retirement plan. And there is an advantage to this, only it has nothing to do with taxes. The advantage is the perceived …

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2 in 3 Women Are Uncomfortable With Their Financial Situation

My Comments: I saw this headline on an email from a source that see people like me as their target audience. It's from a company that creats insurance products such as life insurance and annuities for prospective clients. None of this is bad; I rely on such sources to keep me aware of changes going …

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Women to Benefit Most from Health Reform

My Comment: This article appeared in a recent edition of a newsletter addressed to those of us who focus on employee benefits for corporate America. In spite of high unemployment numbers, many successful businesses cannot find enough people with the necessary skills to help them grow. Keeping the ones they do have is critical. Across …

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Realistic Planning: There’s More to Life Than Retirement

My Comments: This article is about someone who put all three of his children through college and saw them graduate with no debt. As he says, "Woo-Hoo!" Many of you with children in high school, or perhaps already in college, are doing your best to help your kids get into or through college with money …

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J.P. Morgan Weekly Market Recap – August 6, 2012

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