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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Is a Roth Recharacterization Right For You?
In 2010, many people took advantage of law changes enabling them to convert their traditional retirement accounts to a Roth IRA. The intention was to pay taxes on those retirement dollars in 2010 and enjoy tax-free growth going forward. While this is likely still a sound strategy, the recent market downturn may provide a less [...]
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Are 401(k) Loans a Good Solution?
According to Bankrate.com, 19% of Americans tapped their retirement savings last year to cover the cost of an emergency. Most people need to borrow money at some point, but is borrowing from a 401(k) plan the best solution? Before you consider borrowing from a 401(k) plan, it’s a good idea to weigh the benefits versus [...]
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Stock Market Craziness
Dear Clients, We wanted to touch base with you given the craziness in the stock market over the past week and hopefully provide some perspective which the press fails to report. Let’s look at the market drop from some other angles: BONDS Almost all of your portfolios have bonds in them. When you hear news [...]
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What’s the Guaranteed Rate on Your Variable Annuity Really Worth?
Have you heard of an investment that will guarantee a 5, 6, or even 7 percent return, and can return more if the market performs well? Actually, these claims are quite common in the variable annuity world. However, it is critical to realize that the guaranteed return is only half the story, and that the [...]
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Should You Stick With Stocks?
It’s been an anxious few months for investors. Those nearing retirement have watched their savings erode as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped about 7 percent between April and June. The drop reflects the souring economy. Unemployment has climbed back over 9 percent, home prices have fallen to 2002 levels, and the rate of U.S. [...]
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The Square Dilemma
Take fifteen seconds and count the number of squares you see in this image. Do you believe that if you show this illustration to two other people, the probability that all three individuals will come up with a different answer is quite high? There are actually 30 squares within the illustration: 16 individual squares, 9 [...]
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More Than Money
People often focus their retirement planning efforts on meeting financial goals while neglecting other equally important issues. Relevant questions involve not just what financial resources you will have available, but how you will use your time during retirement. Katherine Schlaerth, an associate professor emeritus at the USC School of Medicine, recently wrote an article for [...]
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Social Security Benefit Statements No Longer Mailed
Since 1999, American workers have automatically received an annual Social Security projected benefit statement in the mail. In an effort to save money, these statements will no longer be mailed, at least for the period from April through September 2011. The Social Security Administration predicts that in October it will resume mailing annual statements, but [...]
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What Kind Of “Financial Planner” Do You Have?
More and more, the term “financial planner” is being overused and misunderstood. When is the last time you heard anyone introduce themselves as an insurance salesman, stockbroker, or annuity salesman? Those terms are increasingly rare because the individuals in those professions now refer to themselves as “financial advisors” or “financial planners.” Yet, what financial planning [...]
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8 Ways to Avoid Being an Average Investor