Rolling the dice on returns. When a man walks into a casino in Monte Carlo and rolls a pair of dice at the craps table, he has a 1 in 36 chance (62=36) of the dice lying face up in any particular combination. He knows this because...
Are you taking full advantage of your company’s 401(k)? The 401(k) plan is one of the most widely-utilized wealth creation tools offered Americans. These retirement savings plans have several advantages, including dollar cost averaging, tax savings and tax deferral. However, one of the most powerful advantages...
Breaking down the enrollment periods and eligibility. Medicare enrollment is automatic for some of us. In fact, anyone who has received a Social Security check or 24 months worth of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.1 Part...
Why might the wealthy be directing more money into this middle-class bedrock? For generations, Americans have thought of life insurance as a midlife purchase of the middle class. Today, that perception is less accurate. Wealthier Americans seem to be buying more life insurance. Affluent individuals are recognizing...
There’s nothing like doing your homework and being selective. When we buy a car or a house, consider a school for our children, or plan our next vacation, what kind of approach do we take? For one thing, we take our time. We shop around and...
What factors need to be in place for this to happen? What will it take for the housing market and employment to really improve? It really boils down to the two greatest economic factors of all: supply and demand. What needs to happen in the labor market?...
QUOTE OF THE YEAR “To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” – William Shakespeare THE YEAR IN BRIEF 2010 was a very nice year on Wall Street. At the closing bell on December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was sitting just eight points beneath a two-year...
A new perception has taken hold: “independent” is better. That search often leads them to a fee-based or fee-only financial advisor. A pleasant alternative to Wall Street. A paradigm shift is happening, and the traditional brokerage houses are lagging. While old-school “stock brokers” have gone the way...
Why do people elect to put their credit “on ice”? If you are worried about getting hacked – and, these days, who isn’t – a credit freeze is a precautionary measure that may be worth considering. Is a credit freeze an iron-clad, 100% guaranteed way to protect...
With the President’s signature, most of them will remain in place through 2012. A holiday gift for taxpayers? After a 277-148 passage in the House and an 81-19 approval in the Senate, President Obama signed the 2010 Tax Relief Act into law on December 17, extending...