My Comments: I argued last week (Is Capitalism Killing America?) that pure communism and pure capitalism are flawed economic models for society. They simply define the ends of a continuum along which we as a society are struggling to place ourselves. I think this topic needs a better understanding. Mindful that economics is as easy …
Continue reading The End Of Capitalism Is Already Starting–If You Know Where To Look
My Comments: The article below by Jane Bryant Quinn in the AARP Bulletin are fine, as far as they go. My initial reaction was to reject her comments out of hand as they reflect a bias that to my mind is not accurate. But then I decided to expand on her thoughts. I apologize if …
Continue reading FIA: Dream Investment or Potential Nightmare?
My Comments: This thought comes from Neel Kashkari, President of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. I repeat them here for two reasons: one, investment returns correlate positively with economic growth and two, young people in this country are having fewer children. Why are we encouraged to fear immigrants and immigration? What threat do they actually …
My Comments: You’ve heard me say that income inequality is the greatest existential threat to our society going forward. If we allow the disparity between the haves and the have nots to become wider and wider, it’s only a matter of time before chaos will reign. People want what money will buy. Companies will manufacture …
Continue reading X Marks the Spot Where Inequality Took Root: Dig Here
My Comments: In light of what happened in Las Vegas and the death of Tom Petty, my comments here are woefully inadequate. But with many millions of us still trying to function on this planet, sooner or later our thoughts will return to Social Security. While the above referenced Budget Resolution may have changed somewhat, …
My Comments: You should read this If you are an employee of a public school district, or a charity, or a foundation, or a church based enterprise. Under the Obama administration, rules from the Department of Labor (DoL) were proposed that imposed what is known as a fiduciary standard on any individual or company engaged …
Continue reading DOL fiduciary rule won’t help some 403(b) retirement plans
My Comments: If you are already retired, don’t bother with this. If you haven’t yet retired, there may be something here for you. Waiting for retirement is like watching grass grow, or watching a car rust. You lose interest in a hurry. The problem is it’s going to happen, whether you pay attention or not. …
Continue reading Retirement Planning Strategies for Clients in Their 50s
My Comments: The older you are in your journey toward retirement, the more important these four risks become in your quest for a successful retirement. The sooner you are aware of them, and understand how to manage these risks, the better your outcome. This came into my inbox from Merrill Lynch, with no named author …
Continue reading 4 Big Retirement Risks—and How to Prepare for Them
My Comments: Demographics and interest rates are things over which few people have any control. It used to be DEATH AND TAXES, but not anymore. Before DEATH these days is an insidious threat called Long Term Care, or LTC. We can agree it’s not OK to just take old people out into the woods and …
Continue reading The Cost of Long-term Care is Going to Bankrupt Us
My Comments: No, I am not trying to sell you a reverse mortgage. I AM saying you should NOT dismiss them out of hand. Under the right circumstances, they are a valuable tool. As a disclaimer, you should know that I arranged one for myself a year ago. As a financial planner, I’ve encouraged clients …
Continue reading Could a Reverse Mortgage Save Your Retirement?
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