My Comments: Last week the Fed board of governors met and nine of the ten voted to NOT raise the Federal Funds Rate. That’s the rate charged to commercial banks who borrow money from the Federal Reserve. It’s the fundamental tool used by the central bank to influence the economy. For those of you who …
Tag: investments
An Unheralded Force Shaping US Policy
My Comments: I’ve been registered to vote since about 1960. During these 55 years, I’ve managed to cast a vote in almost every election held for which I was eligible. Some of the time, my votes have been positive and others negative. But I’m convinced my participation was meaningful and remains meaningful today. This article …
Hump Day – New Disease Identified
My Comments: Mindful that life is short and it’s too easy to take oneself seriously all the time, it occurred to me that each Wednesday, or Hump Day, it might make sense to share something not so serious. With the GOP debates tonight on CNN, keep this in mind if you plan to watch them. …
Fixed Indexed Annuities: Good, Bad or Ugly?
My Comments: In many circles, a FIA, or fixed index annuity, is an evil thing. As a professional retirement income planner, I believe they can be a lifesaver for many people. That billions of dollars flow into FIAs annually tells me nothing; we have less than sophisticated buyers being sold stuff by self-serving salesmen just …
Continue reading Fixed Indexed Annuities: Good, Bad or Ugly?
A Global Recession Underway?
My Comments: The ability to accurately predict the future is something I cannot do; if I could, you wouldn’t be reading this blog post. On the other hand, I’m OK with saying an economic downturn is very likely already under way. The writer below suggests it will bottom out sometime in 2017. So, do we …
5 Reasons the Fed Shouldn’t Raise Rates
My Comments: You've already read my comments about the significance of interest rates. They are going to start going up; when is the big unknown. By Akin Oyedele, September 9, 2015 Larry Summers is convinced the Federal Reserve will make a huge mistake if it raises interest rates next week. Two weeks ago, Summers wrote …
5 Events of Significance
My Comments: Students are back in school, the morning air is fresher, a stray dog showed up yesterday, I have no doctors appointments this week, and we’re having a garage sale on the 19th. Not significant enough you say? Well, here are five more that confirm my faith in my fellow countrymen. Yes, there are …
Major Bond Warning
My Comments: A recent letter to the editor of the Gainesville Sun suggested there was a conspiracy afoot, run by the US Government, to whit “How was it possible for anyone to survive when banks were only paying 1% on Certificates of Deposit.” While the question itself is legitimate, the context implies a vast ignorance …
Reverse Mortgages
I follow an internet magazine that can be described politically as progressive. Early last month a summary of articles appeared in my email inbox that included one entitled Reverse Mortgages: The Final Blow Killing Middle Class Wealth by Egberto Willies. The date it first appeared was August 18, 2013. The author claims that reverse mortgages …
A Painful but Healthy Adjustment
My Comments: Reassuring comments here from a trusted thinker on the markets. No guarantees but if you have at least a 5 year time horizon, we will be OK. Just don’t get caught up in the media rhetoric and the pointing of fingers. Almost all of it is stupid, ill informed, and self-serving. Life happens, …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 