My Thoughts: Last month I posted about having stock positions in your retirement portfolio and how much was appropriate. This post is about another option where there are no stocks at all, only a promise by an insurance company to return all your money to you, over time, at a guaranteed rate of interest. Typically, …
Tag: money management
The End Of The Fossil Fuel Age As We Know It
My Comments: I grew up in WW2 England, in my uncle’s house, and he had a car in the garage. My father was in the Royal Tank Regiment, doing what soldiers do in a war. My life as a small boy was relatively normal. Petrol (gasoline) was rationed but I recall going for a drive …
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A 34-Year Tailwind For Stock Market Returns Has Run Out Of Steam
My Comments: Many in my profession have been waiting for a market correction of significance for at least the past 18 months. Obviously it hasn’t happened yet, but unless you expect the sun to rise in the west, it will happen, and probably sooner rather than later. More and more commentary surfaces every day that …
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Social Security Recipients May Regret This Decision
My Comments: The default decision for many is to simply sign up for benefits when they reach age 62. The argument is they’ve put money in the system for years, the system might go broke, and it’s time to get rather than give before it's too late. But the demographics suggest this may not be …
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What John Oliver Got Right (and Wrong) About the DOL Fiduciary Rule
My Comments: The financial services industry is starting to come to terms with what is known as the DOL Fiduciary Rule. Some of us embrace this new standard and others think the world is about to end. In short, it institutionalizes the idea that if you are providing financial advice to the consuming public, you …
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Earnings Don’t Support A Continued Rally In U.S. Stocks
My Comments: Many ordinary investors, people who one way or another have retirement money invested in the markets, are worried. And they should be. I’m worried about my money. The tide is going to turn, and it’s probably not going to be a pretty sight. There are things you can do to protect yourself, but …
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How To Talk to Your Family About Your Estate Plan
My Comments: In days past, estate planning was associated with having lots of money. This was because the IRS had their fingers in your financial pie if you died owning what is today considered a modest estate, anything more than $550,000. Since that existential threat has largely diminished for almost all of us, estate planning …
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The Next Bear Market Will Be Ruthless
My Comments: This might put you to sleep. Or the next bear market might cause you to leap from a tall building. You choose. If you have money invested in the markets, and your time horizon for a full recovery is limited, you should read this to the end. by Eric Parnell, CFA, June …
5 Myths About U.S. Government Debt
My Comments: I’m not fond of debt. But over the years, I’ve certainly had my share. But that is personal debt which is very different from institutional debt. My dynamics are finite ( I will die some day ) and defined by micro-economic rules; institutional debt is not necessarily finite and if you are speaking …
What Are the Odds the IRS Will Audit Your Tax Return? And What Should You Do If It Does?
My Comments: There is a significant difference between avoiding taxes and evading taxes. Not less an authority figure than a former Supreme Court justice expressed that “…there is no obligation to pay more in taxes than absolutely necessary”. But evading taxes will perhaps land you in jail. That being said, the IRS is NOT going …
Helping Define Your Financial Future 