My Comments: Reader of this blog know that I try to include meaningful comments about investments and investment outcomes. Over the years, I’ve done well for some clients and done poorly for others. And while the past is history, there are always lessons to be learned. I have a personal mandate to try and do …
Continue reading Investors’ Next Disappointment Will Come From Risk Mismanagement
My Comments: I offer great thanks to the author of the following article, Michael Kitces. You’ll find his credits at the end of this post. This will take a little time to read and understand. But if you are getting ready to file for Social Security benefits, or are just now starting to think about …
Continue reading Social Security Tips: How to Use File & Suspend
My Comments: Monday morning, the sun is shining, and perhaps an exciting week ahead. Only I tried retirement, and it was not blissful (billsful maybe). So I’m back working full time, knowing that what used to take me an hour to accomplish, now takes at least two. That being said, whenever I see a list …
My Comments: You already know my opinions about the PPACA and how it will morph over the next ten years. Here’s another element that will focus people’s attention as contrasts start to appear between states that are willing to participate and those that do not. Since Florida has chosen to NOT participate in the Medicaid …
Continue reading The Affordable Care Act’s Most Important Date: Not What You Think
Since I have grey hair, my clients tend to also have grey hair. And among our concerns is how bills will get paid as time marches on. Social Security and Medicare are lifesavers for many people as financial and health threats continue to surface. But there is much more at stake than social programs sponsored …
NEXT MOVE FOR FED - No one knows when the Federal Reserve will begin tapering its bond-buying stimulus program. That apparently includes the 12 voting members of its policymaking committee, as revealed by the release of the Fed's 30-31 July meeting minutes. A few officials seek to move soon, while the more cautious are inclined …
My Comments: Yesterday, the focus of my comments was that if you want to go it alone, that's OK. Here, however, are some reasons for not attempting to go it alone and be solely responsible for your decisions. I can confirm, after 38 years in this business, that emotions play a huge role in whether …
Continue reading Even Skilled Investors Can Use a Financial Advisor
My Comments: Unless you have been to the Cayman Islands, or happen to make far more money than you actually need to live your life, the idea of an offshore tax haven is pretty remote. You’ve heard about them, but since they are so far removed from your reality, they seem to stay under the …
Continue reading Austerity Exposes the Global Threat from Tax Havens
My Comments: This was written a couple of years ago, but the message will resonate today with many people. For those who have expectations of retiring at some point, there is an incentive to accumulate as much retirement money as possible. All the while being sensitive to how that money is put to work. The …
Continue reading Retirement Ratio: Portfolio Performance and Uncertainty Measurement
My Comments: Many of my clients are elderly clients. For many, their investment horizon going forward is not 20 years or more. They have little need to take what many of them think of as aggressive steps to grow their money. On the other hand, good advisors today are encouraging their clients to be more …
Continue reading Record U.S. Stocks at Lowest Valuation Since 1980
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