History doesn’t predict the future. It does predict how homo-sapiens typically react to the unexpected; hint — usually not good. Morgan Housel describes the mistaken lessons of history in Ideas That Changed My Life: “History is abused when specific events are used as a guide to the future. It’s way more useful as a benchmark for how…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
Here are this weeks retirement links. Read, learn, apply, and enjoy! You have reached the tipping point when your annual contributions start to match your average yearly gains. HumbleDollar WTF? New Jersey just increased the expected rate of future returns for it’s struggling pension system. Reuters There could be some changes coming to Social Security….
Four Common College Planning Mistakes
Most know little to nothing about the biggest investment they will ever make: funding a college education. If a family has two or more children, their total college expenses could end up being more than their mortgage. Considerably more planning and research should comprise this financial decision. While the majority of people in this country…
Misfits, Outcasts and Criminals
Financial services employ many good people; unfortunately, misfits, outcasts, and criminals lurk in the shadows. Rarely is the view of an entire industry shaped by the majority. Extremes dominate perception and the financial services industry is no different. On one side there are companies like Vanguard, backed by a legion of fee-only Registered Investment Advisors…
The Saviors
Sorry, if you are a registered rep or an insurance agent, permission for access is denied. Normally, I am strongly against all forms of discrimination; this is the exception. My friends, Scott and Dan, work tirelessly to reform the horror show also known as public school teachers’ retirement plans. Innocent teachers are held hostage by egregious…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
This week’s links are terrific. Thinking about retirement is easy, planning for it takes work. Don’t throw this stuff out. New York Times Here is how to find your old 401(k). USA Today Retirement account fees matter-a lot! Forbes Debt in retirement is not optimal. Washington Post Retirees don’t need these insurance policies. INFOCUS Finally, a list of…
The Easiest Way To Follow My Stuff
Twitter is pretty cool but Facebook is where the people are. At least those of us over 40. Markets nerds like me can sometimes be delusional. 99.5% of the population has ZERO interest in things like factor investing and the CAPE ratio. This is where Facebook comes in. Over 2 billion monthly users think this…
Compound Your Knowledge-Monthly College Links
Here are this month’s helpful hints on college planning. Please read so you won’t be among the 15% of parents who pay tuition with a credit card! Going to college is equivalent to an investment returning 15% annually for a working life. The Economist Should you use a 529 plan to pay for K-12 costs? The…
Better the Devil You Know, Than the Devil You Don’t
Annuity peddlers beware. There might be a new sheriff in town. The New York Department of Financial Services has decided to step into the regulatory void created by the endless delay of the implementation of the Department of Labor’s Fiduciary Rule. Maybe insurers should have chosen door #1. According to Katherine Chiglinsky of Bloomberg, “New York State’s top…
Where Everybody Doesn’t Know Your Name
Investing and driving are eerily similar. Both are dominated by open systems, unknown variables, and irrational human behavior; a recipe for traffic accidents and market crashes. Tom Vanderbilt’s book, TRAFFIC, describes the chaos of our roads. And, if the word roads is replaced with markets, then we have an excellent description of the daily insanity of global stock…
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