Retirement Watch Weekly
7 Critical Estate Planning Mistakes You Must Avoid
Many of the same mistakes seem to recur in one Estate Planning process after another, whether the estate is worth a billion dollars, a few hundred thousand dollars, or something in between. I’m going to skip the most common mistake of all: Your estate planning is not up to date. If you’re reading this article, […]
Making the Best Use of Home Equity in Retirement Income
The residence usually is one of the most valuable assets retirees own. It also is one of the worst-managed assets. Few people realize the home can be used to increase retirement cash flow or know how to do so efficiently. In the past issues of Retirement Watch, we’ve gone over reverse mortgages and issues related […]
Bob’s Journal
Three key factors are causing small company stocks to outperform larger company stocks in U.S. markets. Large company stocks led the way through the early stages of this bull market, but smaller company stocks surged ahead more recently. As proof, the S&P 500 gained 8.21% for the year to date, while the small company index […]
How Investors Select Mutual Funds
The Investment Company Institute issued results from its latest annual mutual fund shareholder tracking survey. The latest report from the survey explores the factors investors consider when selecting mutual funds. Not surprisingly, most look at past performance. About 40% give a high priority to expenses. Not many consider factors such as the amount the managers […]
Is This The Longer Bull Market
There’s a debate over whether the current bull market will become the longest ever on August 22. The debate hinges over nuances and opinions. The problem is there isn’t a clear, accepted definition of a bear market. Those who say a bear market doesn’t begin until there’s been a 20% decline say this is the […]
Bob’s Journal
Earnings season for the second quarter is over, so you should be ready for stock prices to decline. I know that sounds counterintuitive, since the economy is strong, and growth might be increasing. This earnings season was a positive one with about two-thirds of companies reporting results exceeding estimates for earnings and revenue. Also, more […]
Social Security: Worse Than Projected?
Social Security is in worse financial shape than reported in the Annual Report of The Trustees of Social Security and Medicare. That’s the conclusion of the Penn Wharton Budget Model of the University of Pennsylvania. The key mistake the trustees are making, according to the academics, is overlooking the effects of federal debt. The model […]
Why Treasury Yields Don’t Exceed 3%
Since the Federal Reserve began tightening monetary policy, many economists expected yields on treasury bonds to exceed 3%. Investors were burned for several years by betting on higher rates as rates stayed stubbornly low. Even now after rates finally are well above their lows, treasury yields won’t stay above 3% for long. This article gives […]
