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Occasionally, we ask industry experts to contribute as guest bloggers.

America Saves Week

Written February 27th, 2013 by
Categories: Blog, Events
America Saves Week

By Katie Bryan, America Saves Communications Manager. America Saves Week, February 25 – March 2, 2013, is chance for individuals to assess their own saving status and take financial action. Studies reveal that having a savings plan with specific goals can have beneficial financial effects, even for lower-income families. Here are 5 easy ways to [...]

Darkness Before Dawn?

Written February 2nd, 2011 by
Categories: How We See It
Darkness Before Dawn?

We are not even six months removed from a period when many economists were predicting we’d see a double-dip recession.  Bob Veres, author of Inside Information, wrote a piece back in September that discussed some important counter-points to the bearish prognostications that perpetuate the the wall of worry a bull market typically climbs. If you’re [...]

Compromise on Taxes?

Written December 10th, 2010 by
Categories: Take Charge of your Finances
Compromise on Taxes?

You’ve no doubt heard stories this week that the Obama Administration and Republican leaders have negotiated an end-of-year tax deal which will, among other things, extend the current income tax rates for the next two years for all Americans.  Capital gains and dividends would also be taxed at the current preferred (lower) tax rates. According [...]

You, Too, Can Balance the Federal Budget

Written November 19th, 2010 by
Categories: How We See It
You, Too, Can Balance the Federal Budget

Want to have a little mindless fun?  Try balancing the federal budget in ten minutes or less. Believe it or not, you can actually do this on an interactive web site created by the New York Times.  There are two graphics at the top of the page: one is the projected shortfall in 2015 (a [...]

The Information Risk Premium: Danger and Opportunity

Written November 17th, 2010 by
Categories: How We See It
The Information Risk Premium: Danger and Opportunity

When you step back and look at the investment landscape, it is sometimes helpful to ask yourself if anything really IS different this time; to try to determine what has changed. The usual answers point to recent return gyrations: the tech bubble’s spectacular burst ten years ago, the near-death experience of global capitalism in 2008-2009.  [...]

One Man’s View on The State of the Economy

Written October 15th, 2010 by
Categories: How We See It
One Man’s View on The State of the Economy

The question on the mind of many investors has to be: where is the U.S. and world economy headed?  Are we moving toward a double-dip recession, or is the economy in the early stages of a long-term recovery? At a recent industry conference in San Diego, financial advisors heard a keynote presentation by economist Todd [...]

Changing the Definition of “Wealthy”

Written October 8th, 2010 by
Categories: Take Charge of your Finances
Changing the Definition of “Wealthy”

  Historically, most people have not had to consider the problem of owing Federal estate taxes at their death. With little or no estate planning, most property you own at death is subject to this tax, and will likely include things such as your home, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, investments, and many others. As [...]

Thinking About Investing

Written September 21st, 2010 by
Categories: Take Charge of your Finances
Thinking About Investing

Have you ever felt anxious about your investment portfolio?  Who hasn’t?  A recent presentation at one of our professional conferences pointed out that five out of every six years will produce a stock market return sequence that either triggers anxiety or smacks your portfolio so hard that you wonder why you ever trusted the markets [...]

Mental Accounting

Written August 27th, 2010 by
Categories: Take Charge of your Finances
Mental Accounting

Chances are, you know somebody who has made a vow to go to the gym twice or three times a week, and even bought a gym membership, and never gets around to going.  You probably also know people who don’t put money in their company’s 401(k) plan, even though the company matches some or all [...]