7 Retirement Planning Risks You May Not Have Considered

My Comments: We wonder sometimes why the media is so consumed with bad news; it’s hard to find items that make you feel good. Unfortunately, I herewith add another element of negativity to the days actvity. On the other hand, knowing about these seven may help you avoid them which is a good thing. Does …

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Uncertainty, Not China, is Replacing US Power

My Comments: Do you lay awake at night, worrying about this? Me either. But global political dynamics will influence our lives, and the lives of those we love, in ways that cannot be predicted. I’ve been part of the world of financial planning and investments for almost four decades and over that span, the extent …

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Guide to Tracking Down Old 401k Accounts

My Comments: From time to time someone will ask me about an old account they had when they worked somewhere else. They have no paperwork they can find and no memory of whether they transferred the money, how much it was, etc. This guide came from a source I use from tme to time where …

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10 Bear Market Catalysts To Watch For

My Comments: I guess it's human nature to abhor a vacuum. If there isn't a crisis, we invent one. We’ve had 5 years of mostly good times in the markets, since about the first of April in 2009. The second chart below kinda proves that. From a timing standpoint, we’ve had people predicting the end …

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The Largest Supply Side Shock Since The OPEC Crisis Of The 1970s

My Comments: I realize that many of you have no idea what happened in the 1970s. I’d like to forget some of it so you’re ahead of me. The OPEC Crisis was a move by oil producing nations in the middle east to cut supply drastically, which caused gas prices to jump dramatically and leave …

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Spring Check-Up: 5 Investment Ideas For Your Portfolio

My Comments: OK, we’re a long way into Spring, but the dramatic push to finish taxes by April 15th is behind us. Time now to review and reflect before the heat of summer is here. These five ideas make sense to me. And yes, the approach I take with clients is a little different, ( …

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Fiduciaries: Steer Clear of T. Rowe, Fidelity and Vanguard TDFs

My Comments: This article was meant for me as a financial professional with fiduciary responsibilities. However, I think it’s important information for everyone. TDF stands for Target Date Funds. This is a Wall Street invention that attempts to create a special, presumably safe investment portfolio for you, Mr. and Mrs. American Investor. The investment allocation …

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The Real Health Care Spending Problem

My Comments: When do you think Congress will adopt any intelligent process to fix ObamaCare so we can all get on with our lives? Anytime soon? Doubtful. As someone who has sold health insurance policies of one kind or another since 1976, I think of myself as fairly knowledgeable about the issue. In those many …

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Global Markets: At A Turning Point?

My Comments: This article was published two months ago, so it is interesting to see how the ideas expressed were validated or not over February and March. At the time, the focus was a just ended and very dismal January. Everyone was asking me about the rest of the year. And I didn’t have a …

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Where Does Gold Go From Here? Let’s Use 40 Years Of History As Our Guide

My Comments: I’ve never been a gold bug. My mother collected silver but that had nothing to do with silver, or gold, as an investment. But it should be included in the category most of us call “alternative investments”, along with real estate, precious metals and other commodities. I make sure my clients include alternative …

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