My Comments: With 2013 now in the rear view mirror, the compelling question is what is likely to happen in 2014. Every projection, mine, yours, experts of every stripe, have only the past available to offer insights for predicting the future. Here is someone who has created tables based on five and ten year results …
Continue reading The 88-Year History Of U.S. Capital Markets From 1926-2013: What Happened When?
My Comments: Am not really sure what this means but anytime I see a positive outcome that may be the result of the PPACA, I pay attention. That’s because I want the PPACA to work, and work well. It’s past time to really identify its flaws and get people to fix them to the benefit …
January 3, 2014 • Robert Laura One of the many things I appreciate about this profession is the constant and ongoing challenge associated with traditional retirement planning statistics and percentages. Whether it’s the 4 percent rule being argued, new research on the pros and cons of active versus passive investing, or a new study on …
Continue reading These Retirement Stats Paint A Troubling Picture
My Comments: This is again one of the most difficult topics facing any of us who hold ourselves out as financial professional. But with the baby boomers aging, and medical science keeping us alive longer and longer, it’s a topic that will not go away. There is a statistical reality that is impossible to ignore. …
Continue reading 5 Predictions for the Long Term Care Insurance Industry in 2014
My Comments: For many advisors, estate planning will take a back seat as the combined exemption (husband and wife) now exceeds $10.5M. That eliminates a lot of folks who nevertheless have substantial wealth. But there are still questions that should not be ignored. Here’s a quick summary that will put all this in perspective for …
Continue reading 10 Estate Planning Tax Facts You Need to Know
My Thoughts: If this were my original work, the ttle would more likely be “My Best Guess for the Markets in 2014.” The emphasis is on guess and it only exists because as a so called expert, I’m supposed to know. Only I don’t. I think I know what I’m having for supper tonight because …
Continue reading Forecasting the Year Ahead, and Preparing to Be Wrong
My Comments: Years ago, it was simply a matter of waiting to reach 65, showing up at the Social Security office and then waiting for a check to appear in the mail. Today, that idea is quaint and naive. As the baby boomers reach age 62 and beyond, it’s become a chore to figure out …
Continue reading Restricted Application for Social Security Benefits
My Comments: Who knew? If I'd known this before, would I have planned any differently? Maybe. By Dan Kadlec Dec. 12, 2013 With a savings crisis so deep that more than half of American adults are unsure they could scrape together $2,000 within a month for an emergency, it may seem tone deaf to worry …
My Comments: In part this is a follow up to the posts about the US-Iran deal recently completed. What is often not seen or talked about is our increasing lack of dependance on Middle East oil. That dependency has been the reason for our friendship with Saudi Arabia. This despite where most of the 9/11 …
I’m sure you agree that we live in a world of political correctness. Sometimes that’s a good thing and many times it just gets in the way of common sense. Right now, I have to tell you I am NOT licensed or qualified to dispense tax advice. But as a financial planner, for which I …
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