Most Americans assume a progressive tax code is needed to promote equality and remove some of the burden of other taxes on those with the lowest income. But the progressive nature of the tax code changes behavior in many ways.
Five Wishes is a national advance directive created by the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity. It has been described as the “living will with a heart and soul.”
There is great disagreement in the financial services world if an advisor who has continuous and comprehensive management of a client’s assets should be allowed to also benefit from transactions that they recommend.
You should save 15% of your take-home pay for retirement over your working career. As your situation varies, you must adjust your safe savings rate.
“Anyone who’s bought gas, paid a medical bill or sent a child off to college recently knows that the Consumer Price Index doesn’t tell the whole story of inflation.”
Many people prefer having a local fee-only commission-free financial planner they can easily visit on a regular basis. Others prefer to handle everything through phone and email.
The entire selling point of the immediate fixed annuity is a lower return in exchange for a guarantee. But when analyzed, the purchase price is a loss from which you can never recover.
David Marotta appeared recently on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential pick of Paul Ryan, and what Ryan’s economics really look like.
It would have been more accurate to say, “The Joint committee on Taxation by agreement with congress is required to limit their analysis to a fixed GDP assumption.”
If eight times as many people are leaving the country than they were 4 years ago, maybe there’s something wrong with the country?
Mitt Romney’s recent announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate makes this election even more about government spending, programs and taxes. Ryan is the primary author of the Republican-led House’s 2013 budget proposal. Consider these five proposals to evaluate Romney’s wisdom in selecting him.
There’s a term in the financial world for Internet sites like these and that term is “fraud.”
More advisors are coaching clients on how to earn more income.
“Real estate investment trusts should be much more than an optional selection in a balanced investment portfolio.”
Many families seek financial planning advice specifically for retirement. But if they wait too long, they miss an important tax-planning opportunity. A great strategy is to take advantage of the time between retirement and Social Security at age 70, the so-called gap years.
“A growing link between municipal bond and U.S. stock performance could be very bad if equities fail to rise robustly over the next few years.”
Do I start planting investments and then refrain from giving for ten years?
During elections the political dialogue assumes that the well-being of your future is out of your control and in the hands of politicians. This is simply not true. You have the freedom to take control of your finances and your life.
Direct ownership of gold has become more popular, despite some lingering fear that the government could again ban private gold ownership. With ongoing concerns about the global financial system and gold hitting a record high, many people are interested in this “safe haven.”
How is the ‘financial health’ of most physicians? Most physicians put in long hours and due to lack of time neglect their own financial and retirement planning.
Americans continue to talk past each other by using a similar vocabulary while really discussing very different concepts. Views also differ on the concept of power.
David John Marotta appeared recently on 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing power–particularly government power–and what kind is the most dangerous.
“Perfectly rational individuals exhibit changing risk aversion that makes it hard for them to rebalance into high-return assets that have had steep price declines.”
“In this [new investment reality] environment, near-term inflation is not likely to be much of a concern. The challenge will be to adapt to possible lower total portfolio returns. “
We teach teenagers a lot more about sexuality than we do about money. This can confuse them about what they should be learning. Give this article to a teenager and encourage him or her to start a Roth IRA.
Apparently, Never. The Dodd-Frank bill can be likened to giving the government unlimited powers and asking them to eliminate evil.
Countries are constantly in flux, and with all the noise of the markets, it is easy for the noise drown out the signal.
The unintended consequences of good intentions can do more economic harm than all the mean-spirited greed within capitalism.
Franco Modigliani won the Nobel Prize for a simple technique that squirrels know intuitively from birth. You have to squirrel away some nuts during times of plenty so you can survive during times of scarcity.
David John Marotta was interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing the idea of “equality” in society.
Choosing to work less than 80 hours is not wrong, especially not when all you are going to get is that last 30%.
Most work toward equality of results impoverishes everyone.
Sector rotation would suggest that we are still at the beginning of a market recovery. This is probably the bottom of energy stocks.
Studies suggest that brains may be wired with either a utopian or a tragic view of the world, corresponding roughly to liberals and conservatives. We continue to talk past each other in political debates.
“Investors may hold fixed income securities to reduce portfolio volatility, generate income, maintain liquidity, pursue higher returns, or meet a future funding obligation.”
Make sure that Mom and Dad have a family member and a fiduciary advisor watching out for their finances.
Portfolio construction begins with the most basic allocation between investments that offer a greater chance of appreciation (stocks) and those that provide portfolio stability (bonds). There is no such thing as a safe investment that pays market rates of return.
Advisors who offer comprehensive wealth management are like financial concierges. Their only goal is to meet your needs. If you ask for fresh strawberries, they try to find them for you.
Here are some additional tax planning resources regarding choosing the appropriate investment vehicles.
It can be useful to maintain a grid where all of the available asset classes are arranged in order, by tax efficiency and potential return based on time horizon, so clients can clearly see when and where tax-deferral can offer the greatest benefits.
“Average American investors start to worry that FINRA will damage their relationship with independent financial advisors.”
David John Marotta and Matthew Illian were interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing Social Security and how to get the most from filing at the right time.
I often get asked, “Are investment management fees tax deductible?” The answer is not a simple “yes” or “no.” Like many tax questions, the answer is “It depends.”
How the five countries with the most economic freedom (Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland and Canada) and Emerging Markets have been faring in comparison to the EAFE Index?
Unfortunately few consumers understand what a fiduciary standard means to them.
How often do you intentionally push yourself to discomfort? Do you think the best retirement is relaxing and recreating? Think again.
“Unfortunately, some are also misleading the public by saying that a fiduciary standard would prevent the delivery of financial services to middle-American Main Street investors.”
Investment fees are generally about 1% of assets under management and drop as assets rise. The critical question to ask is “Where do financial advisors add value that might exceed the 1% fee they charge?”
Most consumers do not know how to safeguard their money. Here is a real world example of why breaking any of the eight safeguard puts your money at peril. Make sure that your investments are properly safeguarded.
The rules which would begin to be applied to the watchdogs would not be for the sake of protecting the roost no matter how much the foxes suggest they do.