Our Commentary

In retirement planning people often fail to take into account what I call ‘stealth risks’.  Stealth risks are those risks that you don’t think of…risks that seem to pop up out of nowhere.  But the truth is you should be able to anticipate a number of these situations. Parents’ ill health. As we save for […]

After four years of a strong bull market in stocks, we’ve finally experienced our first technical “correction”.  Monday’s stock market opened with a heart-stopping one thousand point drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.  What was the cause and what should investors do in the wake of this stock market chaos? There appears to be […]

Reader Question:  I understand the potential advantages of delaying social security past 66; one being that your spouse will have a higher benefit upon death of the primary earner.  I was planning to delay SS for this reason. However, there have been several recent articles that indicate premiums for Medicare Part B coverage will skyrocket […]

We’ve all experienced Murphy’s Law at numerous points in our life and when it happens in our finances, it can be particularly painful.  Often, the best defense is an emergency reserve fund you can turn to in a time of financial crisis.  But, how much is enough and what’s the best way to set it […]

Reader comment:  In your recent column it really seems that you have had at least a sip of the proverbial cool aid in your advice against taking Social Security at 66.  A simple spread sheet shows that if you bank the after taxes SS benefits for four years you will not catch up with the […]

Let’s face the facts…most people are not saving enough for their retirement.  If this is you (or someone you know), here are some tips for helping create the best retirement possible with the resources based on the resources you do accumulate: Trifecta Investment Strategy. At the center of our Trifecta Investment Strategy is post retirement […]

Next month, thousands of kids are headed off to college for the first time.  I remember it like it was yesterday. Based on my high school academic prowess, my parents decided it was a good idea for me to get a head start on college by sending me to summer school the summer before my […]

Reader Question:  I heard that there are new rules related to the Alabama Accountability Act.  Can you explain? Answer:  Under the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, you could receive a State of Alabama income tax credit of up to half of your state income tax liability by donating to a qualified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO).  […]

Reader Question:  I am 64 and retired and will need to use some of my savings to live on for the next 5 years as I want to delay collecting Social Security.  I will need about 3,000/month.  Which would be the better financial solution: Would it be better to sell some stocks (all pay dividends) in […]

Reader Comment:  My daughter has a 401k match from her employer. Her total salary is $20K and the match is 3% if she puts in 5%. The fees and options are not as good as she can get without the restrictions of her employer plan. For a start, they do not offer a Roth option. […]