A widow recently came to the office and told a sad story that everyone should hear. Her husband “John” went to school, got married, built a successful company, had 3 kids, got a messy divorce, remarried and died. The problem is that his Transamerica life insurance policy and his Keogh retirement plan at Merrill Lynch [...]
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If you are one of the millions of Americans who contribute to a defined contribution retirement plan, there are two reasons to rethink the level of your contribution for 2012. The first is that it is well established that contributing less than 10% of your salary diminishes your chance for meaningful retirement income. If you [...]
This week is National Estate Planning Week. The hope is to raise awareness as to the importance of having the proper estate planning documents to protect you, your family and your assets. An added bonus is to decrease family strife and discourse at the time of serious illness or death. Below is a review of [...]
The mortgage payment is one of the biggest items in most homeowners’ budgets. A smaller payment means more to spend elsewhere. Interest rates on home loans are at the lowest level in 60 years. This is an opportunity to save on interest payments and use the saving to finance other goals. Consider a homeowner who [...]
You’re mired in a world of splitting headaches and chronic stomach pain. You know something is wrong, yet after a checkup you’re told that everything is fine. Most of us would be inclined to seek out a second opinion. However, given the above encounter was with your financial advisor pertaining to your investment plan as [...]
In these crazy times of volatile stock prices, low interest and changing economics, making good financial decisions is not easy. Using the services of a financial advisor can greatly help but finding a great advisor is not easy. Knowing what to ask of a perspective advisor is often helpful. However, all published advice is not [...]
As a teenager I worked in an ice cream store. There were 31 flavors, so I think you know which store in which I worked. My problem with ice cream is I like all the flavors. That is not the case with the different flavors of income tax. The most common flavor of income tax [...]
Recently in a social situation, I was introduced to a physician. In the course of the conversation she realized I was a financial planner and investment fiduciary and she asked the common question “What would a be a good investment for me in these turbulent economic times?” The physician appeared to be somewhat taken back [...]
It is all too common: an insurance salesperson who comes to your home after you attend a free seminar or a bank employee recommends that you cash out some or all of your stocks, bonds, or mutual funds and purchase an annuity. In doing so, they have broken the law and may not even be [...]