Talking Heads Fed Watch
Well, we just had another Fed Watch orchestrated by the financial media. Did you miss it. I hope so. The fed did not raise interest rates today in spite of all the speculation by the TV talking heads. I cannot guess the man hours that are wasted pontificating about what the fed should or should […]
Summer Is Coming
“Sell in May, then Go Away” used to be a common theme in the investment world. This referred to the idea that traders would be occupied during summer months vacationing and enjoying the warm weather and are not as easily available to watch markets and make educated trades. This would in turn reduce liquidity in […]
Spring Cleaning
Now that Spring has officially arrived many households will go through their annual spring cleaning phase. The same should be done with your finances. Whether that’s checking your quarterly statements and discussing strategy with your advisor, or simply finding a higher yielding savings account to take advantage of this year, any little bit helps. You […]
Sooner or Later?
If you think risk is the chance your investment dollar will go down today, then I challenge you to ask the question “When should I take on risk?” If you choose to put your money in a CD or savings account, you avoid the risk of any fluctuation of the principle. You do have the […]
Solutions to the SECURE Act Stretch IRA Problem
What’s the Problem? IRAs that will be inherited by anyone except a spouse, minor children, beneficiaries with disabilities, and anyone who is ten years or less younger than the IRA owner, are now to be completely distributed over 10 years, rather than the lifetime of the heir. Why is this a Problem? With a shortened […]
Social Security Winners and Losers
If you are at least 62 by the end of 2015 you are a winner! Everyone else, not so much. As part of the budget agreement passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and signed by President Obama “loopholes” in Social Security rules were closed. These “loopholes” included the ability to file and suspend […]
Social Security – file and suspend
File and suspend is a strategy available only to those who elect to wait until at least their normal retirement age to begin receiving Social Security benefits. It is a tool that allows the coordination of benefits between spouses and is a bit like an insurance policy for anyone deferring benefits. It works like this. […]
So Your Didn’t Win the Lottery
Okay, so you didn’t win the lottery. May I suggest some steps you can take to achieve financial nirvana without relying on luck. If you have credit card debt pay it off. If you can’t pay in full this month, then pay an extra $50 or $100. At least pay the minimum plus any interest charges. […]
So You Think You’re Smart
Think Janet Yellen has an easy job? The San Francisco federal reserve has published a web game to let you see how smart you really are. In the game your job is to keep inflation in check and unemployment low by adjusting short term interest rates. The game can help you understand the basics of […]
Should You Have a Roth IRA?
Roth IRA accounts have been available since 1997. In a traditional IRA, you contribute pretax dollars that grow tax deferred, but are taxable upon withdrawal. Roth IRAs are for after tax contributions that provide tax free growth and distributions upon retirement. The magic of compounding means, the earlier you start, the greater the tax-free […]
