Year: 2010

In response to the economic crisis that began in 2007, the Federal Reserve has purposefully driven interest rates down in order to stimulate our economy. This artificially low interest rate environment has wreaked havoc on retirees who are dependant on interest from their investments to pay their bills and run their retirement lifestyle. As a result, retirees […]

Last week I discussed the importance of being prepared for the unexpected, specifically for incapacity.    Another threat looming large is the dismal economy we currently face where layoffs continue to plague workers across the country. If you have money in the bank and a secure job, consider yourself lucky. Most Americans have little or no savings […]

Last week I discussed the importance of being prepared for the unexpected, specifically for incapacity.    Another threat looming large is the dismal economy we currently face where layoffs continue to plague workers across the country. If you have money in the bank and a secure job, consider yourself lucky. Most Americans have little or no savings […]

All of us know of someone who has become incapacitated and unable to tend to their financial affairs. However, most people don’t realize that without proper advance planning, this situation can quickly turn into a nightmare. For example, assume that you are married and your husband is left mentally incapacitated as a result of a stroke. You own […]

With a Roth IRA, you do not receive an income tax deduction for contributions, but your money grows tax deferred and qualified withdrawals are income tax free…forever! This creates an incredible opportunity to amass a small fortune for children. For example if a 10-year old made annual contributions of $1,000 to a Roth IRA until his age […]

In a late 2009 article in The Birmingham News, I predicted that Congress would extend the 2009 estate tax rules rather than allow the scheduled repeal of all estate taxes to take effect. I was wrong…maybe. It’s true that Congress failed to take any action which means that currently there are no estate taxes no matter what […]

After more than a decade of extensive use by professional money managers, Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, are still not being heavily used by the general public.   This is an education problem since ETFs offer a number of advantages over both managed mutual funds (called ‘active’ funds) and index mutual funds (called ‘passive’ funds).    With actively managed […]

Historically, only about thirty percent of new businesses survive during the first ten years of operation. Throw in the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression, and if you are a business owner, you want to model the habits of the most successful businesses. Buying a franchise at franchisesfor.sale is often an option considered by people […]

When grouped together, the amount of money a family spends on various insurance premiums can easily eat up twenty percent or more of the household budget. Insurance, in general, is one of the most confusing areas of family finances, partly because policies are complex and also because it’s in the insurance company’s best interest to avoid […]