March 2019

What They Are, You Will Be

Time is more valuable than money despite what Benjamin Franklin says. How you view and spend it determines everything. There is a church in Italy named The Santa Maria della Concezione. Italian churches are very common. What’s uncommon are Santa Maria’s building materials. Discolored human bone substitutes for colored glass. Roman arches are created from…

Instagram U.

Why live in a dorm when you can live a castle? Our twin sons recently took the PSAT exam. Translation: Commence the bombardment of solicitations from expensive private universities. We live in a nice area and our sons go to a school with a very solid academic reputation. Our zip-code makes us a prime target…

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

If your retirement plan hinges on the results of the Mueller Report or the slope of the yield curve – It’s time to get a new plan. Read about what’s really important in this week’s awesome links. Cartoon source: Krueger & Catalano Addiction: The New Retirement Threat. Barron’s Teachers are being screwed in their retirement…

New Teachers Get an F On Their Pension Grades

Only 1/4 of new teachers break even on their pensions. Most won’t qualify for their pensions at all. Many who receive one receive less than what they put in. These startling facts are found in this disturbing report from Bellwether Education Partners and the Urban Institute. Only 23% of teachers will ever break even between…

Give me a Variable Annuity or Give me Death!

Welcome to the Theater of the Absurd – A.K.A. the U.S. Congress. There’s a good reason why the legislative branch is less popular than root canals and traffic jams. Last week, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with Dina, who was testifying why the SEC’s proposed Reg BI is insufficient to protect investors from the claws…

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

Many politicians in Washington D.C. don’t care about protecting the average investor from financial predators. We do -Read this week’s awesome links and take a big step to get your retirement plan back on track. Dina went to Washington to protect investors from financial predators. Financial Advisor IQ Single women have their own unique retirement needs….

Compounding Boredom is Simple, but Not Easy

Enduring boredom is the golden ticket for successful investing; the same holds true for most fields. A famous Olympic weightlifting coach was once asked, “What’s the difference between the best athletes and everyone else?  He gave a surprising response:  “At some point, it comes down to who can handle the boredom of training every day, doing the…

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

J.Lo and A-Rod are engaged! If they stay married, their retirement will be happier. healthier, and wealthier (as will yours). J-Rod probably won’t read this week’s retirement links. What’s your excuse??? Investing in Real Estate inside your 401(k) is a bad idea. The White Coat Investor The intent of the 401(k) was supposed to be…

Follow the Leader Is a Child’s Game – Not a Retirement Strategy

Following the crowd gets pretty crowded. Rational decisions are powerless in the epic battle versus social proof. Robert Cialdini defines social proof as: “The principle asserts that people think it is appropriate for them to believe, feel, or do something to the extent that others, especially comparable others, are believing, feeling, or doing it.” Decision-making appears more…

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

Only 34% of Americans are confident in their IRA knowledge. Increase yours by reading this week’s terrific links. Americans knowledge of their IRA accounts is shockingly awful. LIMRA Elder fraud is on the rise. The Wall Street Journal Do you know these IRA rules? Morningstar Some excellent tax strategies for retirees. The White Coat Investor…