My Comments: Today is Tuesday so today I talk about Social Security. These comments by Dan Caplinger may be old news, but for those of you just starting to think about retirement, know that Social Security is a fundamental income component for millions of people. Chances are, you'll be in that group. The sooner you …
Continue reading Are You Ready to Take Social Security Benefits?
My Comments: Demographics and interest rates are things over which few people have any control. It used to be DEATH AND TAXES, but not anymore. Before DEATH these days is an insidious threat called Long Term Care, or LTC. We can agree it’s not OK to just take old people out into the woods and …
Continue reading The Cost of Long-term Care is Going to Bankrupt Us
My Comments: No, I am not trying to sell you a reverse mortgage. I AM saying you should NOT dismiss them out of hand. Under the right circumstances, they are a valuable tool. As a disclaimer, you should know that I arranged one for myself a year ago. As a financial planner, I’ve encouraged clients …
Continue reading Could a Reverse Mortgage Save Your Retirement?
My Comments: I’m increasingly asked about signing up for Medicare at 65 or not. This happens as more and more of us are still working at age 65 and expect to keep working for several years to come. This article by Matthew Frankel will give you the background necessary to help your decision. by Matthew …
Continue reading Why Sign Up for Medicare If I Have Insurance Already?
Friday = Random Thoughts Some of my Facebook friends may not realize I too want Donald Trump to be successful as President. Yes, I disagree with many of his positions on issues, but that alone isn’t enough for me to oppose him at every turn. For many years I played golf regularly with a group …
Continue reading The New World Order Is Leaving the U.S. Behind
My Comments: Value is in the eye of the beholder. When we need something, and it may be financial advice, pork chops or a car to drive, we typically spend money. If it's financial advice, it's sometime difficult to measure it's benefits, so be prepared to pay for it. As a self-styled expert on retirement …
Continue reading This is how much fees are hurting your retirement
My Comments: Remember the context. Racial tension has been a hallmark of our society since the beginning. Think pilgrims vs indigenous peoples in the 1620’s. Think black vs white in the 1860’s. Right now the tension is elevated, and coupled with Trump’s inability or unwillingness to quash the tension, overreaction is going to surface. Reaction, …
Continue reading Trump Can’t Reverse the Decline of White Christian America
My Comments: Readers of my posts know I usually talk about money or some aspect of it. My challenge over the years has been to assess the financial literacy of whomever I’m talking with. And that challenge increases with age; both mine and that of my friends and clients. This article might start a useful …
My Comments: I’ve you’ve not yet signed up to receive your monthly Social Security benefit, this is worth a read. I encourage everyone to try and wait until Full Retirement Age (FRA). The outcomes are likely to be much better. If you claim Social Security early, your checks will be permanently reduced. Consider looking for …
Continue reading Retiring Early? Here’s How to Delay Taking Social Security Anyway
My Comments: As an economist, I’ve talked consistently about the threat to society posed by income inequality. My rantings make zero difference at the national level, where if this issue is not addressed, there will be rioting in the streets. A friend and I talked this morning about the apparent collapse of societal norms he …
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