If you’re a believer in efficient markets and that “good performance” means exceeding an arbitrary benchmark (such as the S&P 500) then you’re done reading. Please step outside. If however you believe that price doesn’t indicate value then read on. As we’ve written about numerous times price is not an indicator of usefulness or utility. [...]
The 1970s saw the birth of long-term care insurance (“LTCI”) providing financial assistance for costs not typically covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. At the time dozens of insurers offered policies with benefits typically limited to traditional nursing home care. The maturing market for LTCI has brought both pain and pleasure. The upside has [...]
“You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured – so hopelessly dependent on the system – that they will fight to protect it.” Sound familiar? That’s Morpheus explaining The Matrix to Neo in the 1999 film of the same name. But could [...]
For the week ended August 6th (fund flows are often reported with a bit of a lag) the high-yield (or “junk”) bond market saw net outflows of $6.5 billion bringing to a close a four week stretch of net redemptions totaling $12.5 billion. The cause?...likely the pick up in chatter over recent months about “froth” [...]
According to a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup poll when asked if the S&P 500 index increased about 10%, 20% or 30% in 2013 only 11% of adults with at least $10,000 in savings and investments got it right. (The answer is almost 30% rising to 32% with the inclusion of reinvested dividends). This is despite the [...]
A longevity annuity is a deferred income vehicle with payouts beginning at an advanced age and continuing throughout an individual's life. This tool while nominally attractive at best makes sense in limited circumstances and at worst should be avoided by everyone saving for retirement. Much like Twitter has had it easy for any halfwit to [...]
While not an exhaustive discussion this article is a great conversation starter. There's a huge gap between what we hope will happen at our deaths and what the law allows. Similarly there's no guarantee that what we ask of our family and friends will be implemented. With millions of animals dying in shelters each year it's important [...]
During the 2012 Presidential campaign Mitt Romney stepped in a giant pile of political dogs**t with the following: "There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47% who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that [...]
Many strategies exist for determining the "proper" time to file for the receipt of SS benefits. Each comes with pros and cons and is only as good as the situation to which it's applied. Some people are blessed with longevity and/or wealth and can afford to defer benefits while others have lousy genetics and/or poor [...]
All of these strategies are perfectly legal but their use by the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of the Democratic Party smacks of hypocrisy. Apparently one's "fair share" is fair solely in the eye of the beholder. See ya at the voting booth!