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Investing & Portfolios
A Buy-and-Hold Strategy That Works
It continues to look like we've found the Holy Grail of investing. For more than 10 years of turbulent markets we had a fairly smooth, steady path to higher returns with our portfolio "hedge fund" mutual funds. Read more...
Income Strategies
Beating the 7 Threats to Your Financial Security
There are forces building that threaten the lifetime income security of most investors. I’ve been monitoring the threats to lifetime income security for more than 25 years. I’ve identified seven trends as the key obstacles to your financial freedom, and they’re forming a strong wave now. Read more...
Tax Planning
Taking Advantage of Market Declines
The silver lining in market declines is you might be able to use tax strategies to recover some losses. There are a few simple strategies, but others that many people overlook.Read more...
Estate Planning
Completing Your Estate Plan
Most estate plans are woefully incomplete, and heirs and loved ones often suffer. Of course, too many people don't have any estate plan. Of those that do, some think a living trust or joint title to assets with their spouse is all they need. Others think a will and trust is a complete estate plan. There is much more to an estate plan.Read more...
IRA Strategies
Taking IRA Distributions in 2012-Strategies for All Ages
Every IRA owner needs to take a look at IRA distribution strategies in 2012 and consider making changes, regardless of your age. The tax law and potential changes to it require everyone to take a hard look at the situation and consider moves to make in 2012 and beyond. Read more...
Tax Strategies
A Dangerous Retirement Myth
Most of my work at Retirement Watch falls into two categories. The first category is determining changes that should affect retirement plans. The second category is correcting the myths that have built up around retirement planning. One of the great myths of retirement planning is: Taxes will be lower in retirement. Read more...
Planning Strategies
6 Questionable Retirement Planning Assumptions
People make a lot of assumptions. The assumptions might be based on facts they learned long ago or something they heard and believed was authoritative. Or something might seem logical, so they believe it. Unfortunately, these assumptions often are wrong. Read more...
Investing & Portfolios
7 Potential Financial Surprises for 2012
It’s always a good idea to question your assumptions and outlooks. Step outside the box and consider things that could happen but that you aren’t planning on. Importantly, consider events and actions outside the markets, what economists call exogenous events, that could have an influence on your portfolio.Read more...
Medical Expenses
Dealing with the Turmoil in Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance is in turmoil. We've been tracking and reporting on developments for a while. Insurers are dropping out of the market. Some insurers are increasing premiums substantially on long-term policyholders.Read more...
Cash Flow Strategies
Finding Safe, Guaranteed Income
Protect my principal, and guarantee my income. Those are the goals of many investors today, especially those in or nearing their post-career years. Now that the equity markets no longer are rising steadily upward, investors aren’t looking for ways to match or beat the indexes. Read more...
Popular Articles
Portfolios & Investing
Why Most Retirement Investment Plans are Wrong-Part I
The financial crisis and market panic demonstrate why most of the investment plans for those in or near retirement are wrong. There are better ways to manage retirement money, but you will not learn about them from conventional advisors and sources.
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Medical Expenses
Critical New Trends in Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term care insurance has been a mainstream product only since the 1980s. It is evolving, and dramatic changes are occurring. In this visit, we review critical recent changes and discuss how you should respond.
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Estate Planning
Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning
Most discussions of estate planning, including in this newsletter, focus on discrete topics and strategies. Once in a while, especially early in the year, it is good idea to step back and look at the broader picture. There are concepts and strategies common to every estate plan and estate owner. Read more...
IRA Strategies
Avoiding IRA Inheritance Disasters IRAs are supposed to be simple, but when it comes to inheriting them IRAs are more complicated than most people realize. A wrong move or two by heirs triggers high taxes, often causing most of the IRA to be paid to the IRS. Read more...
From Our Friends at KCI Investing
Yields on the Rise by Elliott Gue
The big story recently belongs to U.S. Treasury bonds. Here's why... Read more...
The Era of Easy Earnings Beats is Over by Ben Shepherd
Business productivity has declined precipitously. As producitvity falls and easy comparable periods fade into the past, the upcoming earnings season...Read more...
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