Save the Payroll Tax Holiday

My Comments: I promised myself that I would not create any more blog posts about the fiscal cliff. Yesterday, I told you that I really don’t care if we don’t have an agreement before the end of the year. Today, I find myself commenting again since there seems to be nothing else out there that’s …

Continue reading Save the Payroll Tax Holiday

Forget the Fiscal Cliff: Buy America

My Comments: For the life of me, I can’t get excited about either outcome; over the cliff or not over the cliff. On the one hand, going over the cliff and not reacting will no doubt cause some short term pain but that’s got to happen sooner or later. On the other hand, a short …

Continue reading Forget the Fiscal Cliff: Buy America

Financial Advisors Cling To Failed Strategies, Says Report

My Comments: A quick analysis of a popular chart showing good times and bad times for the US economy should give everyone a better understanding of the advice given by virtually all financial advisors. Unless and until you realize the world today is different from what it was several years ago, you’re likely to take …

Continue reading Financial Advisors Cling To Failed Strategies, Says Report

Four Things We Know About Health Care Now the Election’s Over

My Comments: I think I have a vested interest in how the health care delivery system in our country evolves over the next several years. For one thing, I currently have health issues that I'm dealing with, two, I'm a participant in Medicare, and three, professionally I'm very much involved with a financial issue that …

Continue reading Four Things We Know About Health Care Now the Election’s Over

4 Costly Social Security Mistakes

My Thoughts on This: This is an issue that is increasingly complicated. In the "old" days, you simply reached a certain age, signed up, and began to get a check. The size of the check was a function of how much you had contributed over the years. Then there was the possibility of starting before …

Continue reading 4 Costly Social Security Mistakes

Tax Increases, Spending Cuts Earn Public Support

My Thoughts on This: The media would have you believe that the “fiscal cliff” is the most closely watched and critical issue on the planet. How else can they promote listeners and eyeballs that result in advertising revenue? For me, it’s interesting but not critical. I think there is likely to be a slowdown in …

Continue reading Tax Increases, Spending Cuts Earn Public Support

Big GM Investment in China

My Comments: Not talked about much during the recent election campaign but in the back of my mind as I pondered the merits of the GOP vs Dems. The neo-con crowd who were backing Romney were the same people who pushed as hard as anyone to get us into Iraq in 2002-03 and have been …

Continue reading Big GM Investment in China

Rights and Wrongs of the US Fiscal Cliff

My Thoughts on This: I'm not sure there is a Right and Wrong on this issue. And I'm unsure how it will effect the economy until we're well into 2013. What I am sure about is that it was Congress and not the White House that came up with the idea and in my opinion, …

Continue reading Rights and Wrongs of the US Fiscal Cliff

The Demographic Cliff

My Thoughts About This: Years ago, when I became adept at retirement planning, I had a chart that showed the demographic bubble caused by those born shortly after WW II. We talked about is as though it was a pig eaten by a python, where you could see the “bulge” moving back through the python. …

Continue reading The Demographic Cliff

Secrets to a Successful Succession

My Thoughts on This: Some of you know that I have put in motion a succession plan to make sure that clients who have come to rely on me for many years are not suddenly left out in the cold in the event that I simply don’t show up for work one day. You’ve heard …

Continue reading Secrets to a Successful Succession