My Comments: I’ve made it clear over the past few years that I am not a fan of austerity. I believe the government has a mandate to push the envelope to make sure that ALL of us are included when it comes to sharing the pie. Can we push too hard? Oh, yes, and the …
Continue reading Why Obama should pick Summers to lead the Fed
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: For many of my clients, the recent quarterly statements from their custodian was disturbing. The numbers suggested and does suggest that their investments are at risk and some are asking whether we’re looking at another major financial crisis. None of this is new to me; I've been down this road several times before …
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
My Comments: I’ve discovered that when I don’t have a full schedule ahead of me when I wake up, I tend to have negative thoughts about growing old. Since I can’t change the growing old part, my goal now is to do whatever it takes to keep as busy as possible. I like what I …
Volatility in virtually all markets have meant clients are upset and uncertain. Here is a take away from this weeks J.P.Morgan report that I think is important: "...expect growth to accelerate into the second half of the year, a realistic expectation given the easing of fiscal drag, the continued rebound in household wealth and the …
Continue reading J.P. Morgan Weekly Market Recap – July 31, 2013
TK: “My sentiments, exactly!” By Drew DeSilver | July 25, 2013 Four years into the current recovery, the views of most Americans about the economy can be summed up as “meh.” According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last week, 45% of Americans rate the national economy as “only fair,” and 37% call its …
Continue reading 5 Reasons Americans Have the Economic Blahs
My Comments: It’s sort of like watching grass grow, or perhaps watching an old car turn to rust. You know it’s happening but you can’t just stand there and expect to see a difference from one moment to the next. The authors of the study referenced in this article talk about Dimensional Fund Advisors or …
My Comments: While these comments were directed toward advisors like me, they are representative of something that happens to many of us over time. What we are trained to do, and from which we earn a living, changes and we become irrelevant. An example happened in Detroit, once the heart of American car manufacturing. And …
Continue reading Estate Planning is Dead — Long Live Retirement Planning!
My Comments: My son recently suggested that he had doubts about there being any money left in the social security system for when he reaches retirement age. I simply shook my head. Years ago, Congress was looking at something similar and made some changes. None of us as employees or employers were dramatically effected by …
Continue reading Working Women Relieve Pressure on Social Security
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