Retirement planning series: 401k
There are many qualified retirement accounts that people can use to help them save for retirement. “Qualified Accounts” are those that receive some form of special tax treatment to incentivize us to save. This article will discuss the main points of a 401k plan. Section 401 covers qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans. Section 401k of the Internal Revenue Code provides the foundation for cash or deferred arrangements and is about 10 pages long. While the Code is rather complex, the gist of Section 401k is that it...
read moreMay is Disability Awareness Month
Disability is a growing concern. As we live longer, we are at increased risk of disability. Our uniformed service members are at an increased risk of temporary or permanent disability. Children are at risk with increased occurrences or physical and/or mental disability. Especially in the case of children, financial planning is important, because you have to plan your finances and plan to care for your disabled child once you are no longer physically able to do it. Compliments of Bud Cook, we have a website regarding disability that we...
read moreSpecial Needs
If you are the caregiver for a disabled child or disabled adult, or an incapacitated adult or person of any age with special needs, you are an exceptional person. The duties required are extremely taxing, and the personal relationship you have, whether it is a parent, a child, or a spouse, makes it even more difficult. As guardian of the person, you are responsible for the day to day care of this person, ranging from medication maintenance to constant supervision and treatment of impairments. Usually, this results in having no time for...
read moreRetirement Challenge
In a recent study, more than 2/3 of the small business owners who participated, reported that they “have developed an estimate of their retirement needs” but they “have no written retirement blueprint” –Investment News Article dated March 12, 2012, written by Muneeza Iqbal Most of us do not bother to perform the retirement needs calculation. It’s intimidating and depressing, or so we think, so why endure the process. I remember doing my retirement needs calculation many years ago, and the calculator told me I needed to save just...
read moreAdvisors
AAII reports in their March 2012 edition that “a majority of advisors are investment, not financial planners.”
read moreInvestment Advice for Fiduciaries
Investment Advice for Fiduciaries By Erich Schwerd If you are the caregiver for a disabled child or disabled adult, or an incapacitated adult or person of any age with special needs, you are an exceptional person. The duties required are extremely taxing, and the personal relationship you have, whether it is a parent, a child, or a spouse, makes it even more difficult. As guardian of the person, you are responsible for the day to day care of this person, ranging from medication maintenance to constant supervision and treatment of...
read moreTwo new select asset management strategies
After 8 years as an independent advisor, I am adding two management strategies to my current offerings. In addition to the four asset allocation models, I am offering a global natural resources strategy and a select nation strategy. The natural resources strategy will invest in companies all over the world that deal with natural resources, including metals, energy, agriculture, and any other natural resource. The select nation strategy will invest in country specific ETF’s based on a number of criteria, including transparency,...
read moreCapital Markets
As of noon today, the equity markets are slightly up and oil is slightly down. This is a positive development for the capital markets, which I hope will continue. While recently oil and equities have been moving in the same direction, historically there is a negative correlation between the two. The lower oil prices, the more money consumers have to spend in the US and the lower the input price for most manufactured goods as energy is a large component of price, keeping prices down without hurting profit margins for companies. I hope...
read moreFINREG
So, financial regulation is in the process of passing. Most people are not happy with it. The problem with what will shortly be the new financial reform law is that it does nothing to avoid a recurrence of the most recent financial crisis. Even worse, it punishes the good businesses and rewards the bad. Small and mid-size banks had nothing to do with the financial crisis, yet they carry a regulatory burden and financial requirements that make operating difficult. The big banks will have smaller capital requirements and can handle the...
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