My Comments: For over a year now, I’ve been warning my clients that a reversal is coming in the stock market. As a result, we’ve slowly moved into investments that have reacted positively and made money during downturns. Only it hasn’t happened yet. Consequently, some of them are frustrated and angry with me because while …
Continue reading Being a Stock-Market Bull Just Got a Lot Harder
My Comments: This comes courtesy of a local friend and attorney who includes me among those with whom he shares insights. I'm unsure who should get credit for writing the actual text. Over these many years I've had many clients with trusts of one kind or another and clients who needed trusts but didn't have …
Continue reading Seven Trust-Based Asset Protections Strategies for Clients
My Comments: With so many of us getting older, there is an increasing focus on what happens to our money when we die. If we don’t pay attention, large pieces of it may flow to the IRS and into the hands of others simply because we couldn’t be bothered to get it right the first …
Continue reading Common Mistakes When Designating a Beneficiary
My Comments: We’ve been living in a low interest rate environment for some years now. The general consensus has been that they can’t get any lower and that the Fed will push them up if and when the US economy starts to see any inflationary pressure. I know that clients, who for years depended on …
My Comments: Helping potential clients with an analysis of coming Social Security benefits is big business across the country these days. And I’m doing my share of it. Thank you very much. But in spite of my being closely aligned with this process for the past 15 months, I’m still confused by the myriad of …
Continue reading Social Security: Boost Benefits for Both Spouses
My Comments: Football season is about to start, Ukraine is still bothered by the Russians, and Ferguson, Missouri is still a mess. So here I am talking about the stock market and an index I have never heard of before. I suspect you haven’t either. But there is reference here to the Misery Index, which …
Continue reading Gauging The Stock Market With The Tocalino Index
My Comments: This is a self-serving blog post. While I should apologize for this, there are millions of Americans who will find themselves looking for financial freedom in the years to come and unless they have developed the necessary skill sets, they will find themselves behind the curve in a big way. Somebody has to …
Continue reading 9 Reasons Consumers Need Advisors More Than Ever
My Comments: If you have an IRA today, there is a chance there will still be money in it when the inevitable happens and you permanently leave the building. What then with this money? If you have a spouse, and they are the named beneficiary, that money now belongs to them and it becomes their …
Continue reading How to Protect Inherited IRAs After the Clark v. Rameker Decision
My Comments: Some of you are aware of my continued interest in the welfare of the magnet programs across Alachua County. I’ve been a member of the advisory board to the two programs at Buchholz High School since the mid 90’s. They are, respectively, the Academy of Finance and the Academy of Entrepreneurship. The original …
Continue reading Vocational Training Is No Substitute For High School
My Comments: One thing I’ve learned over the years is that people in my profession have a profound bias when it comes to trying to explain the dynamics of money. We include a lot of self promotion. I’ve also learned that I’m not immune to this bias. Some of this is justified since probably 95% …
Continue reading 3 Essentials Missing From Many Retirement Plans
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