Carriers Push for PPACA Changes

My Comments: I probably sound more like a broken record than someone interested in how life plays out over time. For longer than I care to remember, I’ve talked about flaws in the PPACA and yet how something like this had to appear on the scene to keep us from falling off a socio-economic cliff …

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Reverse Mortgages: What You Need to Know That’s Under the Hood

My Comments: There is both good information and there is bad information out there about reverse mortgages. My understanding of them makes them very useful financial tools under the right circumstances. But they can be complicated and they can be expensive if not used properly. I’ve had several clients over the years who have put …

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Generation Z, the world’s saviour?

My Comments: 1)  call me slow, but I’ve not heard of Generation Z. 2)  does the world need a saviour? 3) never mind the spelling; this comes from the Financial Times, which comes from London. 4) I was once in the 16-25 age group and look at me now. 5) without Eric Cantor, who is …

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The Return of the Inflation Chupacabra

My Comments: A few weeks ago I wasted several hours exchanging replies with someone who asked “who is responsible for inflation?” My initial response was to the effect it is a “what” question and not a “who” question. But that soon devolved into discussion about irrelevant issues that I decided meant the writer had never …

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There Isn’t Going To Be A Crash Anytime Soon

My Comments: Last week I posted an article that suggested you be very cautious with your investments going forward. This article says “never mind”, all is well, keep going. Unfortunately, from my perspective, both are completely rational, plausible, and probably accurate. Which means that I have no earthly idea how this is going to play …

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How Will The Federal Reserve Raise Interest Rates?

My Comments: There is little argument that sooner or later the Fed will start to push interest rates up. And when they do, there is going to be confusion about how fast and how far they push. This in turn will cause some volatility and timing issues on Wall Street. But all this is part …

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Could Obamacare Prompt You to Retire Early?

My Comments: Retiring early is a desired goal for many people. For one thing, they really don’t like what they do, and two, they think they have either enough money or time to fill their lives. I planned to retire at 65, which seemed sort of normal. But then came the crash of 2008. It …

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Obama: Prevaricating On Foreign Policy

My Comments: It’s hard not to be tired and uninterested in the speeches of a President now well into his second and last term as President. Never mind that I voted for him twice and have a generally favorable opinion of his efforts on our behalf. Foreign policy is not something that does much for …

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Be Flexible On 4% Rule

My Comments: Increasingly, I find myself working with older clients. After all, I’m an older advisor. From time to time there is a question of how fast you should decumulate your nest egg(s). (I’m not sure if “decumulate” is an approved word, but the intent is to convey the opposite of accumulate.) The rule of …

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Every Day Should Be a Good Day to Die

My Comments: If this headline caught your attention like it did mine, then what is the message? As a life insurance salesman for lo these past 40 years, talking about death is not something new to me, though always somewhat uncomfortable. You and I both know it’s inevitable, but not something to dwell on. The …

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