My Comments: I’ve talked about Social Security from time to time in this blog. I’ve expressed my opinion which contradicts that of my son (age 41). He thinks it’s unlikely he’ll ever see any benefits from what all of us know as Social Security. Some 30 years ago, there was widespread perception that it could …
Continue reading Social Security: A Windfall For the U.S. Government?
DOW DIPS - Familiar story behind a fall in stocks: fears that the Fed is about to begin a taper off of its bond-buying program. The indexes moved lower as St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said there could be risk of excessive inflation in the future. Yesterday, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart lifted …
My Comments: You may ask yourself why, as a financial advisor to individuals and small business owners, would I care about what happens in Egypt. Your are right in that whatever happens in Egypt is not going to greatly influence how you and I live our lives here in north central Florida. But it matters …
Continue reading Barack Obama Declines to Correct His Egyptian Mistake
My Comments: You will note to the right of my image as you look at this page a comment about my professional objectives as a financial planner and consultant. None of us live in a vacuum where we avoid the influence by what we hear on TV, what we read in the papers and somehow …
Continue reading Prospect of Financial Crisis Tops Fears of Pre-retirees
Nothing sets friends and family at each others’ throats more than a fight over money. Make it a dispute over a will and the fun really begins. As a insurance agent and financial planner for many years, I can attest to the change in attitude that typically accompanies those in the next generation when someone …
Continue reading 8 Big Estate Battles of the Rich and Famous
My Appologies for no post yesterday. I had the pleasure of having a kidney stone surgically remove. Those of you who have had kidney stones know how much fun I had. When I entered the workforce many, many years ago, I think the minimum wage was $1.75 per hour. Everyone screamed that it would put …
For those of us in the financial advice business, there is a never ending circulation of ideas that question the future outcome of our recommendations. It’s less so when the markets go up every day, but there are always uncertainties that surface. Recently, the questions have been much louder than usual. There are a number …
My Comments: Readers of this blog know that while I support PPACA, I know there are flaws and that over the next ten years or so, it will morph into something different than what it is today. But that DOES NOT mean it should be repealed. It was absolutely critical that an alternative to what …
DOW HIGH - The Dow swung in and out of negative territory July 31st, but was up more than 100 at its session high, setting a fresh intraday record of 15,634.32. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq held their modest gains. Earlier, the Nasdaq hit its best level since October 2000. All three major averages …
My Comments: See, it's still possible to find some good news! August 1, 2013 • Bloomberg News The municipal market’s biggest July decline in a decade is leading investors such as Vanguard Group Inc. to bet history is on their side as they buy with yields close to a two-year high. Tax-exempt debt fell about …
Continue reading Worst July For Munis Since 2003 Seen Paving Way For Rebound
Helping Define Your Financial Future 