My Comments: If you believe, as I do, that some of your money needs to be working harder than, say a Certificate of Deposit, then your likely solution is some kind of mutual fund or brokerage account. Most of us are not sufficiently sophisticated financially to explore other options, so for new, let’s assume you …
Tag: Retirement planning
The Economy Is Adding Jobs, But The Divide Between The ‘Haves’ and ‘Have-nots’ Is Bigger Than Ever
My Comments: I’ve been railing for some time about the income divide between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. If a remedy is not found, my fear is that my grandchildren, perhaps my children, will see rioting in the streets. It’s increasingly profound, and it’s contributing greatly to the political divide in this country. It’s …
Can You Afford to Live Longer?
My Comments: Many of you know that I’ve recently started a series of workshops that focuses on how the Social Security system works. It’s an attempt to help those who will soon become eligible, or are already eligible, better understand a very complex and not user friendly institution in American life. One assumption that is …
Brexit: Why Most Commentaries Miss The Point
My Comments: I found this a couple of days ago and it really helped me understand what happened in Great Britain the other day. If Brexit concerns you, this might help. It appeared in a news feed I follow written by a Tom Dispatch, if I have his name correct. 06/26/2016 Economist Robert Kuttner has …
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How to Invest in Mutual Funds
My Comments: Mutual funds have been around for about 100 years. Some genius decided to create a new investment model, a stand alone investment. With one investment you now could own shares of hundreds of stocks, in smaller amounts. And the rest is history. Today there are more funds to choose from than you can …
Claiming Social Security at Full Retirement Age is Often a Mistake
My Comments: The headline above should probably read ‘Sometimes’ instead of ‘Often’. It depends to some extent on when you die. Since that date is completely unknown, the only solution is to play the odds, and my recommendation these days is to assume you will live to be 100. That’s the conservative approach. Unless you …
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Secondary Market Annuities (SMA)
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, …
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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Helping Define Your Financial Future 