US Expects First Cut in Debt Since 2007

My Comments: There is good news here and there if you look beyond the crisis de jour. By: Michael Mackenzie / Published: Tuesday, 30 Apr 2013 / The Financial Times, London The U.S. Treasury expects to pay down debt in the second quarter of 2013 as the budget deficit that has dominated national politics starts …

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Austerity Exposes the Global Threat from Tax Havens

My Comments: Unless you have been to the Cayman Islands, or happen to make far more money than you actually need to live your life, the idea of an offshore tax haven is pretty remote. You’ve heard about them, but since they are so far removed from your reality, they seem to stay under the …

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Investor Optimism Rose in March

My Comments: I have no idea what I’m having for supper tonight, much less how the markets are going to perform over the next several months and years. However, assuming I haven’t left the building, I expect to eat something, and in like manner, I expect the markets to move up and down with a …

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Tactical Strategies Gain, as Buy and Hold Fades

There appears to be a significant disconnect between those of us who have advocated a tactical approach to investing money for years from those who learned their trade during the 18 years that ran from 1982 thru 2000. The study referenced below in the article, as it appeared in the print edition, headlined “45% of …

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3 Actions for Worried Investors

‘Is the stock market a bubble ready to burst? No,’ say BlackRock’s investment strategists in a spring update My Comments: All of us are looking for an edge, an insight, a clue to help us make what we hope are smart decisions about our money. These comments from someone clearly ahead of the curve that …

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15 Best Investing Quotes of All Time

My Comments: There are successful investors, and there are unsuccessful investors. Some of them are the same people. I ran across this list and realized there are nuggets here that my clients and prospective clients might find helpful. We live in an increasingly complex world so finding short, sweet comments from time to time that …

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Thought for the Week

My Comments: I have a relationship with a company in San Diego that is my source for new ideaa and products that fall into the category of Long Term Care and other insurance products that are appropriate for many of my clients. Each week I get an email from them with a Thought of the …

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The Disclosure Paradox: How Much Information Is Too Much?

Too much information can be as harmful to retirement plan decisions as too little. My Comments: Somewhere along the way during my last 40 years in the world of financial services, I read or was told that at some point you have to make a decision. You cannot simply attempt to absorb more and more …

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Record U.S. Stocks at Lowest Valuation Since 1980

My Comments: Many of my clients are elderly clients. For many, their investment horizon going forward is not 20 years or more. They have little need to take what many of them think of as aggressive steps to grow their money. On the other hand, good advisors today are encouraging their clients to be more …

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When to Begin Social Security? Even Advisors Aren’t Sure

My Comments: It’s hard for me to understand why this should be a difficult calculation. Until I realize that there are lots of variables in how social security benefits are payable, and the best solution is often a function of how long you live, and whether you and your spouse, assuming you have one, stay …

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