Friend Henry M. sent an article about Roth IRAs. This is the time of the year to review things and make necessary decisions. The article asks the right questions while stressing consulting a fiduciary advisor, with tools and encouraging readers to find one. It’s a cleverly worded referral service earning fees from advisors. Most financial advisors earn ongoing fees for […]
» Read moreIn a recent interview with Chuck Butler, we discussed the US Financial Cycle using Ray Dalio’s chart in “The Changing World Order”. Ray points to the downside of the empire: Large Debts Printing Money Internal Conflict Loss of Reserve Currency Weak Leadership Civil War/revolution While our discussion focused on “Loss of Reserve Currency”, it’s part of a much bigger picture. […]
» Read moreEarly Generation Xers (1965-1980), age 58, are nearing retirement, while the younger (43) folks are turning the corner into their peak earning years. The National Institute on Retirement Security report “The Forgotten Generation: Generation X Approaches Retirement” indicates the majority are FAILING to save anything close to enough to retire comfortably. Even with 401k programs available their entire careers, most […]
» Read moreWith a stroke of luck, those five words became very profitable over the years. Shortly after I married Jo, her father passed away and I became responsible for managing her mother’s (who I affectionately called Grandma) money. Grandpa was a very successful farmer and they had done well. The bulk of Grandma’s wealth was in Certificates of Deposit (CDs) at […]
» Read moreOur recent article, In Government We Trust??, struck a nerve with many readers. Subscriber Dan H. shared a graph, stating, “This is the only graph you need”. This isn’t just the US. Urs Vrijhof-Droese recently provided his international perspective: “Realistically, we are moving back to where everyone was responsible for their well-being throughout their life, including retirement. I would not […]
» Read moreTrillions for bank bailouts, secret loans, exorbitant inflation, negative interest rates; middle class struggles while the rich get richer…. How did we get into this mess? Frontline on PBS outlines, “The Long Demise of Glass-Steagall.” (Emphasis mine) “1933 Following the Great Crash of 1929,…politicians, see market speculation…by banks during the 1920s as a cause of the crash. In 1933, Senator […]
» Read moreBed Bath & Beyond, once a stock market darling, is nearly bankrupt. Why? Allan Sloan tells us: (Emphasis mine) “We all know that the Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY)…is in such big trouble that it’s likely to file for bankruptcy. …. A major reason the company is so messed up is that when it comes to its own stock, the […]
» Read moreAs the market soared, pundits hawked their investment flavor of the day; “Don’t Fight The Fed!” Buy stocks based on the actions of the Fed, not the value of the company. Even forever unprofitable companies saw their stock prices skyrocket. Traders made a lot of money playing that game. Bill Bonner wrote, “After 1999, stocks rose for the wrong reasons; […]
» Read moreIn my late 40’s, fresh out of a divorce, I took stock of my life. I had a good job, a small 401k, an old car and lived in a rental apartment. I’d enjoyed my share of good times and raised a family. My personal balance sheet would have fit on a Post-it-Note with room to spare; it was pretty […]
» Read moreWhen the Fed bailed out the banks in 2008, flooding the system with trillions, you just knew high inflation would be the result. It just had to happen! The government jumped in, borrowing trillions more at historically low interest rates. Not willing to let rates rise to free market levels, the Fed simply created money for the government and put […]
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