Can the federal government follow through on its ambitions? In 2014, we were supposed to see profound health care reform per the 2011 Affordable Care Act – but how much of that reform will roll out on time? The federal government has already conceded that it can’t...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Do first things first and second things not at all.” - Peter Drucker WEEKLY TIP The recently divorced and those planning to divorce should review their insurance coverage in light of changing needs. WEEKLY RIDDLE What has two hands but will never clap? Last week’s riddle: Wide as a grapefruit, deep...
Retirement & estate planning strategies are being greatly altered. When the Supreme Court affirmed the legality of same-sex marriage in June, its ruling profoundly altered the financial planning landscape for gay and lesbian couples – resulting in some “night and day” differences. Yet in looking at the...
Keep calm & carry on – it may be good for your portfolio. Why do so many retirement savers under-perform the market? From 1993-2012, the S&P 500 achieved a (compound) annual return of 8.2%. Across the same period, the average investor in U.S. stock funds got...
WEEKLY QUOTE“In the successful organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention.” - Lou Holtz WEEKLY TIP Ongoing expenses are common in life – mortgage payments, monthly bills and so forth. View your retirement savings effort in the same way – a monthly expense...
Your financial future is up to you … and no one else. Will this be your future? Did you know that Social Security income represents two-thirds of income for women 65 and older? Did you know that without Social Security, an estimated 58% of widows aged...
Here are some things to consider. Be sure you understand your options. When the owner of an IRA passes away, his or her heirs must be aware of the rules and regulations affecting the inherited IRA. Ignorance could lead you straight toward a tax disaster. Please note...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” - Albert Einstein WEEKLY TIP If you own a house and have children, you should at least have a will, and preferably an estate plan. WEEKLY RIDDLE All around yet can’t be seen, has no throat but...
Shouldn’t it be rising with all this bond buying? Consumer inflation just hit a 50-year low. So indicates the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge – the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index maintained by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.1 Besides tracking consumer inflation, the PCE price index...
WEEKLY QUOTE “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” - Salvador Dalí WEEKLY TIP Consolidating your stray IRAs can mean fewer account statements, fewer account fees and less paperwork. WEEKLY RIDDLE At a stop sign on a rural road, there are two trucks in front of a...