The Most Overlooked Issue In Retirement Planning

My Comments: I’ve written life insurance policies on men, women and sometimes children for over 40 years. In almost every instance, objectivity was hard to come by. The idea of death is difficult to talk about, especially when it’s about your death, or those you love. As I’ve aged and come to terms with my …

Continue reading The Most Overlooked Issue In Retirement Planning

Why You Should Move Your 401(k) Into An IRA

My Comments: People become emotionally involved with their retirement accounts. With retirement money, there are components that reflect future peace of mind, freedom, independence and comfort levels. Making decisions about it are inherently difficult. Couple that with a feeling of intimidation resulting from, among other things, a lack of control over what’s happening with their …

Continue reading Why You Should Move Your 401(k) Into An IRA

America Is Overdue for Another Economic Disaster

My Comments: This is an alarmist headline written some five months ago. Because the ‘disaster’ has not yet happened, there’s a false assumption that it won’t happen. Markets crash, whether we like it or not. No amount of bluster by the political party in power or the efforts of the Federal Reserve will change the …

Continue reading America Is Overdue for Another Economic Disaster

The Risks Associated With Being Alive

by Tony Kendzior \ December 14, 2018 Being alive virtually anywhere on the planet in the 21st century carries with it certain risks. How you deal with those risks largely determines your sense of well being as you navigate the ups and downs of everyday life. Risks are all around us. Some are inconsequential and …

Continue reading The Risks Associated With Being Alive

Why the American Middle Class Is Disappearing

(and What It Will Mean for the Economy) My Comments: I’ve written previously about the danger of income inequality. You only have to look at countries in the middle east to understand the chaos and turmoil in countries where the middle class barely exists. Any population without a realistic ability to rise above poverty is …

Continue reading Why the American Middle Class Is Disappearing

The Death of Social Security Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

My Comments: Wow! A monthly payment every month for the rest of your life! How good is that? Despite the caustic rhetoric filling the air waves, causing turmoil and worry, I very much doubt there’s going to be any drastic changes to Social Security. Some loud voices want it to be abolished, but there are …

Continue reading The Death of Social Security Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Social Security and the U.S. deficit: Separating fact from fiction

My Comments: As someone who depends on payments from the Social Security Administration to maintain my standard of living, the idea that people in Congress are considering reducing those payments is concerning. We have to hope that elected representatives find a reasonable solution that will allow the program to remain viable. It’s become an integral …

Continue reading Social Security and the U.S. deficit: Separating fact from fiction

The 6 Best Vanguard Funds to Own in a Bear Market

My Comments: Much of my retirement money is at Vanguard. At some point I’m going to decide we’ve hit bottom and move it back into Vanguard growth funds or ETFs. But right now, if you have the courage of your convictions, here are five low cost funds that you can use. If you are still …

Continue reading The 6 Best Vanguard Funds to Own in a Bear Market

5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Retirement

My Comments: Though written two years ago, the message here is increasingly relevant. Social Security is under attack by the Republican leadership in the Senate. Reasonable solutions to keep it viable and properly funded are readily available provided there is a political will to make that happen. My experience over the past 40 years in …

Continue reading 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Retirement

How Donald Trump Is Shaping The Next Global Economic Recession

My Comments: My observations and memories of economic and financial forces over the past five decades has led me to fundamentally distrust the moves made by those who profess to Make America Great Again. My instincts told me they were pushing us in the opposite direction, ie Make America Irrelevant. It started with us withdrawing …

Continue reading How Donald Trump Is Shaping The Next Global Economic Recession