My Comments: The default decision for many is to simply sign up for benefits when they reach age 62. The argument is they’ve put money in the system for years, the system might go broke, and it’s time to get rather than give before it's too late. But the demographics suggest this may not be …
Continue reading Social Security Recipients May Regret This Decision
My Comments: The financial services industry is starting to come to terms with what is known as the DOL Fiduciary Rule. Some of us embrace this new standard and others think the world is about to end. In short, it institutionalizes the idea that if you are providing financial advice to the consuming public, you …
Continue reading What John Oliver Got Right (and Wrong) About the DOL Fiduciary Rule
My Comments: Many ordinary investors, people who one way or another have retirement money invested in the markets, are worried. And they should be. I’m worried about my money. The tide is going to turn, and it’s probably not going to be a pretty sight. There are things you can do to protect yourself, but …
Continue reading Earnings Don’t Support A Continued Rally In U.S. Stocks
My Comments: In days past, estate planning was associated with having lots of money. This was because the IRS had their fingers in your financial pie if you died owning what is today considered a modest estate, anything more than $550,000. Since that existential threat has largely diminished for almost all of us, estate planning …
Continue reading How To Talk to Your Family About Your Estate Plan
My Comments: This might put you to sleep. Or the next bear market might cause you to leap from a tall building. You choose. If you have money invested in the markets, and your time horizon for a full recovery is limited, you should read this to the end. by Eric Parnell, CFA, June …
My Comments: I’m not fond of debt. But over the years, I’ve certainly had my share. But that is personal debt which is very different from institutional debt. My dynamics are finite ( I will die some day ) and defined by micro-economic rules; institutional debt is not necessarily finite and if you are speaking …
My Comments: There is a significant difference between avoiding taxes and evading taxes. Not less an authority figure than a former Supreme Court justice expressed that “…there is no obligation to pay more in taxes than absolutely necessary”. But evading taxes will perhaps land you in jail. That being said, the IRS is NOT going …
My Comments: The more things change, the more they stay the same. You’ve heard that before. Is it also true that the more things stay the same, the more things change? It’s said that the world you live in as a teenager largely determines who you will be throughout your life. And since the world …
My Comments: Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? That’s a classic question, to help determine if someone who answers is optimistic or pessimistic. Personally, my natural response is to suggest the glass is half full. For me the past is past; the only criteria becomes the present and the future. To …
My Comments: I try to not post anything with political implications. And while this post looks like one, there are larger issues with implications for Republicans, for Democrats, and Libertarians. I’ve argued for years that the current chasm between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in this country must be bridged. This article from the …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 