The ''Lost Decade'' - Or Was It? 11/1/2010
November 1, 2010 How many times in the past few months have we heard that the past 10 years was a wash for equities? The question that really matters is: what did you earn on your investments in those...
View ArticleWhat Are ETFs?
January 6, 2011 ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) differ from mutual funds in several important ways. Mutual funds are traded between the investor and the fund company. ETFs are traded in between individual...
View ArticleCollege Planning
January 18, 2011 A common concern parents have when meeting with me is “how am I going to pay for college?” Some other questions parents should contemplate are: What will your child be studying? Where...
View ArticleChina vs. USA 2/9/2011
February 9, 2011 Is China going to eclipse the United States economically in a post-capitalist world? Not likely…forgetting about their human rights atrocities, economic inequality of population and...
View ArticleRetired Clients and Significant Tax Savings 6/28/11
During your working life, you focus on accumulation of assets for retirement. What happens as you approach retirement? How should your assets be allocated? When you need distributions, should you take...
View ArticleInvestment Thoughts 7/5/2011
Why do investors purchase investment products (such as annuities) with surrender charges of 7-15 years? Why would an investment need a surrender charge unless so many people try to get out of it after...
View ArticleGold - Inflation Hedge? -- updated 9/26/11
February 5, 2010 -- UPDATE 9/26/2011 There has been a lot of talk about gold lately. January 2010's SmartMoney has several letters to the editor from individuals who bought gold "a few months ago" and...
View ArticleTemporary Declines 8/3/2011
August 3, 2011 Things to keep in mind during market turmoil: A diversified portfolio of 80% equities and 20% fixed income has historically earned 9-12% per year on average over the long term[1]....
View ArticleMarket Crashes and Other Catastrophes 8/12/2011
August 12, 2011 Today I was presented with a book from an acquaintance that predicts further doom and destruction as it relates to the economy and the stock market. My response to this is as follows:...
View ArticleGold - AGAIN? 8/16/2011
August 16, 2011 Gold is being touted as an investment opportunity again, in this atmosphere of impending financial doom. Since we deal with long term investment returns, we thought we would look at...
View ArticleSmart Financial Planning 8/19/2011
August 19, 2011 There is a lot of talk these days of rising interest rates and increasing inflation. In general, as interest rates rise, asset values (such as bonds and real estate) will fall. However,...
View ArticleDisability Insurance Info
August 23, 2011 - I came across an informative article in Kiplingers regarding disability insurance and its cost - http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/better-deals-on-disability-insurance.html
View ArticleEmployment After College Graduation
September 26, 2011 With all the information about college choices and rankings available, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Recently there was an article in SmartMoney (September 2011) that focused on what...
View ArticleDFA TIPS fund
September 26, 2011 I follow the best- and worst-performing mutual funds as reported by the different industry publications I read; it is always nice to see DFA funds listed in the top ten. Since these...
View ArticleInvestment Perspective 10/3/2011
October 3, 2011 In the month of my birth – November 1969 – Sesame Street premiered and Dave Thomas opened his first restaurant - Wendy’s. The month before (not by much – it was October 31, 1969)...
View ArticleInvestment Action to Take Now 10/31/2011
October 31, 2011 Happy Halloween - not so happy in my house, as trick or treating has been canceled this year due to power outages. Some clients I have spoken with are leery of the market volatility...
View ArticleTurn Medical Expenses into Tax Savings 2/7/2012
February 7, 2012 Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can result in turning all your medical expenses, copays, deductibles and prescriptions into an above-the-line deduction for tax purposes, saving hundreds...
View ArticleAbsolute Return Funds 2/29/2012
February 29, 2012 Absolute Return Funds – Absolutely no better than a patient, diversified approach. Are these funds just a passing fad? Per Morningstar, of the 871 total funds classified as...
View ArticleRetirement Withdrawal Rates
June 4, 2012 - Wow, it has been a while since I posted here. If you have not already, "like" our Facebook page an you will get my (much shorter and more frequent) commentary on financial planning and...
View ArticleStock Values & Earnings as Compared to Increases in the Cost of Living...
Yes, I really wish I could have come up with a better title for this article...but I found this information compelling. The average retirement of a couple in their 60s now is expected to be 30 years....
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