Turn on your TV or open up the newspaper and the main story you will see is the protest over housing. These tent protests have captured the eye of the media (or maybe they are to blame for fanning the flames and creating the story in the first place) and have created a nationwide stir. […]
When it comes to investing in precious metals, most investors tend to focus on gold bullion and silver. With gold in the midst of a multi-year bull market, and trading at $1,600 and ounce, the yellow metal gets most of the media attention. Headlines like ‘Gold to Hit $2000 an Ounce’ and ‘Invest in Gold […]
With bond rates at historically low levels, income and retirement investors are searching for alternatives ways to generate income without risking principal. Additionally, as global financial markets continue their extreme volatility, clients search for ways to still have exposure to these markets but without one hundred percent of the risk that goes along with them. […]
As the oppressive heat of summer is upon us, we are constantly reminded of our need for water. We walk around with water bottles, force our kids to drink at every break in their game of tag, and run through the sprinkler to cool off. In a nutshell, we need water. Water as an Investment […]
The financial media is full of retirement advice. Avenues to generate income to fund retirement, working longer to make up for poor savings habits, and ‘hot stocks’ for a retirement portfolio are among many topics written about. The problem with this content is that it’s ‘one size fits all’ retirement advice, and due to the […]
Retirees that are living on fixed income or income generated from their investment portfolio face a daunting task. With interest rates so low, how can they generate enough income from their portfolio to meet their expenses without eating into principle? Let’s say that you spend $70,000 a year and get $30,000 from social security. In […]
With governments all over the world strapped for cash, they are desperately seeking any way to both save and raise money. Soon-to-be retirees should watch out because an easy target for governments to succeed in saving money would be to raise the retirement age. Not only would governments save money by not having to pay […]
The Chinese economy will expand from $11.2 trillion this year to $19 trillion in 2016. Meanwhile the size of the U.S. economy will rise from $15.2 trillion to $18.8 trillion. That would take America’s share of the world output down to 17.7%, the lowest in modern times. China’s would reach 18%, and rising. Just 10 […]
When working on financial plans for clients the trickiest issue that usually comes up is inheritance. Inheritance is one of those issues that no one really wants to talk about. A large US insurance company put it this way, ”Inheriting money is bittersweet. Although someone you cared about is gone, that person thought enough of […]
One of my favorite episodes of the sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ was where George Costanza, down on his luck, decided to do the exact opposite of what his instincts would normally dictate. His ‘do the opposite’ philosophy ended up getting him the beautiful women and a coveted job with the New York Yankees. Investors can learn a […]
