Investing Should Be Scary
It is always amazing how stock market tops attract so many investor dollars. Just when things are at their riskiest point flows of funds into stocks skyrockets. We convince ourselves that the part will last forever and we hate being left out. The flip side is the head scratcher of a down market, where no […]
All That is Gold Does Not Glitter
Boring, boring, boring. That’s how you might describe one of the best investments my kids will ever profit from. Back in 1990 my children’s grandparents bought them 50 shares of Disney common stock for around $500 per child. The kids received the dividend check each quarter and thought it was neat getting a little extra […]
Active or Passive ?
If you read any of the financial press aimed at the individual investor you have likely run across the active investor passive investor debate. The majority of financial writers today will lead you to think that you should be very passive in your investment approach, buy an index fund and never sell. If you are […]
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 […]
The Perfect Time to Invest
Is today the perfect time to invest in stocks for the long term? Maybe, history shows that the price of the permanent ups in the market is making it through the temporary downs. No matter what happens in China, we will still be drinking tea from Nestle’, driving cars made by GM on tires manufactured […]
How Social Security Benefits are Impacted by When You Claim
Many times folks get in such a big rush to claim their Social Security benefit that they lock in reduced benefits without considering how this decision fits in with their long term needs and other sources of retirement income. Just because you can claim Social Security benefits at age 62 doesn’t mean that you should. […]
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. […]
How to Use Transfer on Death Accounts
Many times I have had clients ask about having a child named as a Joint Tennant with right of survivorship on an investment or banking account. The reasons the client cites is usually to provide liquidity for the estate, avoid probate, and have someone who can access funds should they not be able to write […]
What Per Stripes Means in Your Estate Plan
Per Stirpes is a term you must learn about in order to build a successful estate plan. It is a Latin term meaning “per branch”. Sometimes it is omitted from beneficiary forms, wills, and trusts with sometimes devastating consequences. Per Stirpes is an important term because it indicates how property should be distributed in the event […]
What a Durable Power of Attorney Is and Why You Need One
Many of us worry, with good reason, that we might one day become incapacitated and unable to attend to our own affairs. How can we be sure our bills are paid, our investments are managed, or our property sold if the need arises? A power of attorney is a document that delegates legal authority to […]
