Anthony Isola

Smells Like “Free College”

“Free college” may not mean what you think. Some states have decided to combat rising education costs and the explosion in student debt by making college “free” for their residents. My home state of New York is the latest to join this popular trend. Governor Andrew Cuomo has taken this idea one step further. Minnesota,…

Bad Medicine for Your Portfolio

“I love agitation and investigation and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error.” – President James A. Garfield Less is more in making decisions regarding your investments. This can also be the case in many other fields. Candice Millard, author of Destiny of the Republic, points this out regarding the medical care of President James Garfield after…

Bread and Circus Investors

“Got to find a reason why my money’s all gone.” – Sublime Too many investors let themselves be distracted by the financial equivalent of chariot races and gladiatorial games. They sit back with displaced trust and disengaged minds. They meekly submit to the financial industrial complex which raids their retirement accounts on a daily basis. Last Sunday,…

A Plan to Overcome Panic Paralysis

Dina here… One of the biggest challenges to achieving long-term investment goals is not market returns. It happens to be overcoming the fears that freeze you in place. Being stuck can be every bit as dangerous as being wrong. In my latest blog, A Plan to Overcome Panic Paralysis, I share my own experience with…

Who Is Your Financial Advisor?

  In honor of the opening of  the 2017 Major League Baseball season,  Abbot and Costello’s classic 1938 comedy bit “Who’s on First” has been revised to  fit the 2017 standard of conflicted financial advice. Since this is the season where “hope springs eternal,” why not add the current state of financial services to this period when 30…

The Pay Day Loan of the Middle Class: Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance policies are not suitable for the majority of the population. Due to the enormous conflict of interests in the insurance world, the worst policies pay the agents the highest commissions; heads you lose, tails they win. The worst part of this policy is this damning fact: 80% of the individuals who purchase this…

Don’t Be An Elitist Investor

Acting like a snob will not make you many friends. It will also cost you a lot of money. Many people are familiar with Warren Buffett’s 2007 $500,000 bet that any combination of hedge funds would not outperform the S&P 500 Index over the next 10 years. Though investors have paid the enormous fee of 2%…

How to Create Your Own Equity-Indexed Annuity

“If you can’t explain it to a 6-year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” Albert Einstein The majority of people who purchase equity-indexed annuities have no idea they could accomplish their goals in a much cheaper, simpler way. Equity-indexed annuities are sold with the promise of nirvana for investors; i.e., some or all of “market returns” without the…

Steve Bannon’s Scary “Economics Of Revenge”

“You may make mistakes but you are not a failure until you start blaming someone else”  – Mary Pickford All of us may pay a steep price for the awful investment decisions of Steve Bannon’s father. During the height of the 2008 financial panic, Marty Bannon sold his large concentrated position of AT&T stock at…

An Annuity that Could only be Sold by Satan

“Are there any ‘Last Minute Cowboys’ who can saddle up and ride?” An IPI Senior Regional Director (AKA Douchebag) Improper annuity sales by sleaze bag brokers are not exactly current events. This case sticks out for its sheer evil. A company called IPI financial made an unholy alliance with a group of community banks. According…