May 2018

Will Advisors Ever Heal Themselves?

The financial services industry is facing a tipping point.  People desperately need unbiased fiduciary advice, yet the industry feeds them commission-laden products. Something has got to give. The industry’s moment of truth has arrived; not much different from the medical industry more than a century ago. 150 years ago, we faced an epidemic of overprescribed painkillers….

It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?

Happy Mother’s Day to all. Read our links and learn how to spend more time with the people that mean the most. Some small business owners are able to sock away up to $61k annually with this plan. Kiplinger It’s usually a bad idea to put your retirement funds in a friend’s business. MarketWatch Women would…

My Mother’s Gift

My mother, Lucy Grasso, 1945   While I think of my mother numerous times throughout the day, this week, just days away from Mother’s Day, I got a little wink from her. A client of ours sent us a note of appreciation.  He and his wife have worked with us since 2015.  Not to sound too…

Our House, Our Rules

Investing is difficult for most people. This doesn’t mean they aren’t smart, successful, or nice.  Nobody ever taught them. Emotions and commission-hungry financial salespeople fill the vacuum. Experience verifies this point.  We see the worst of the worst on a daily basis; don’t take our word for it, look at the data. Many advisors foolishly let clients…

Compound Your Knowledge With Our Monthly College Links

  Those who don’t plan for college plan to be very disappointed. Don’t let this happen to you. Start by reading this month’s terrific links. College early decision practices may violate anti-trust laws. Wall Street Journal  Is college worth the cost? A Wealth Of Common Sense. Student loans should not exceed 10% of graduates after-tax monthly…

The Future is Now

It has been almost two years since Tony and I formally embarked on a mission to educate and free teachers from expensive and inappropriate investments in their 403(b) accounts.  Our main message has been buyer beware. A teacher, Chase Malia, has taken it a giant leap forward – proposing Resolution #41 to his union, NYSUT,…

It’s Monday Again….When Is My Retirement

Be like Warren Buffet- Work only because you want to. Start by reading this week’s retirement links. Why are many retirees less confident in their abilities to cover daily expenses? New York Times Medicare costs are on the rise. InvestmentNews Three steps to avoid running out of money in retirement. USA Today Many 60 somethings…

Under The Big Black Sun

Retirement rollovers operate in a dark world that is filled with terrors. Non-transparency and deception block out fiduciary light. Financial predators transfer low cost 401(k) funds into expensive house products. The end result is you end up financing the salesman’s retirement rather than your own. These people should give retiree’s the creeps and rightly so….

Do Well by Doing Good

Scott Dauenhauer, Tony and I caught up with Joey Fishman, Ritholtz Wealth Management’s ESG expert on the Planning to Teach and Retire Rich Podcast to discuss ESG and sustainable investing. In a climate of less government regulation, some companies are taking a stance on environmental, social and governance issues to reflect their missions/values. Investors, too, have become increasingly…

Be The Light

Make things happen or they will happen to you – this is true in both life and finance. Something very significant took place in Buffalo, N.Y. this weekend. A math teacher named Chase Mallia  made something happen. For decades, public school teachers have been mercilessly exploited in their non-ERISA 403(b) retirement plans, often paying fees of…