My Comments: I’ve never been a gold bug. My mother collected silver but that had nothing to do with silver, or gold, as an investment. But it should be included in the category most of us call “alternative investments”, along with real estate, precious metals and other commodities. I make sure my clients include alternative …
Continue reading Where Does Gold Go From Here? Let’s Use 40 Years Of History As Our Guide
My Comments: Don’t be fooled by this headline from the U.S. News & World Report. There is nothing “simple” about it. In relative terms, maybe, but in absolute terms, not a chance. If it was easy, few people would be entering their retirement years with not enough money. That being said, a sixth step would …
Continue reading 5 Simple Ways to Achieve Your Financial Goals
My Comments: Last week I attempted a definition of the word FIDUCIARY. My goal was to somehow increase the chances that financial professionals who use the term “advisors” are in fact fiduciaries, and as such, bound by law, by tradition, by ethics, to act and behave in their clients best interests. As a reminder, there …
Continue reading What the Dept. of Labor Might Do With the Fiduciary Rule
My Comments: I offer great thanks to the author of the following article, Michael Kitces. You’ll find his credits at the end of this post. This will take a little time to read and understand. But if you are getting ready to file for Social Security benefits, or are just now starting to think about …
Continue reading Social Security Tips: How to Use File & Suspend
My Comments: A quick check using your smart phone will reveal that this word, used as a noun, means “... a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another.” In addition, it can be used as an adjective, an example of which is fiduciary capacity or fiduciary duty or fiduciary …
My Comments: As someone who has been enrolled in Medicare for 7 plus years now, I can attest to its value for both my wife and I. At our age, things start to go wrong, and having the ability to seek medical advice and remedies without breaking the bank is critical to our peace of …
My Comments: Many, if not most of us, are sick and tired of the arguments about ObamaCare, the nickname for the PPACA, passed by Congress and essentially OK’d by the Supreme Court. Between you and me it's here to stay, and yet needs a lot of adjustments to make it realistic and meaningful over time. …
My Comments: As a financial planner and insurance agent for almost 40 years, I’ve sold my share of life insurance policies. Many of them are still in force, though I have had my share of clients who pass away. The IRS is sensitive to those of us who promote the tax benefits of life insurance. …
Continue reading How to Get Tax-free Retirement Income With Life Insurance
My Comments: The people at Kiplinger have created another great blog post for me to borrow. And if you insist, you have "my permission" to click on their links and get more good information from them. At the end of the day, however, you may need someone local, a dedicated, knowledgable professional whose experience over …
My Comments: Followers of this blog may remember my frequent mention of Thomas P.M. Barnett, a prolific writer and thought leader on global economics and political forces. Years ago he said that within a couple of decades, the US would become a net exporter of energy. He asserted this transformation would re-write a lot of …
Continue reading Energy Price Spread: Natural Gas Vs. Crude Oil In The U.S.
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