Retirement Watch Weekly
Inflation and Cost Pressures under Control
Many people are worried about a jump in inflation, but I expect the forces that are currently constraining price increases to continue to do so. Recently, pressures for higher inflation have been fairly strong. Most inflation measures finally reached or topped the Federal Reserve’s target of 2% over 12 months. Businesses are reporting cost pressures […]
6 Key Issues about Gifts to Children and Grandchildren
One of the questions I receive most frequently from Retirement Watch subscribers is how to make estate planning gifts. Let’s take a look at the issues that recur among many readers. Gifts to family members are one of the staples of estate planning. But the tax law has changed, and that’s altered the role of […]
Which Investment Expenses Are Tax Deductible?
As this article explains, after tax reform there aren’t too many investment expenses that are deductible on your individual income tax return. That can be a blow to people who were paying annual fees for financial planning and other investment services. But there are a few investment-related expenses you might be able to deduct. Prior […]
A Case For Paying Off Your Mortgage
This article makes the case that people spend too much money on their mortgages, especially people who live in high-cost areas. It argues that the best way to save for retirement is to first pay off the mortgage and avoid paying all that interest for 30 years. A 15-year mortgage is much better in the […]
A Technical Warning On Bonds
This article describes a technical market factor that could lead to a sharp decline in bond prices in the near future. It isn’t based on fundamental factors, and it doesn’t argue that the decline in bonds will be long-term. But it says historically recent trends mean investors should expect bonds to break out of their […]
Estate Planning Without Wills & Trusts – Part 2
In Part 1 of this article, I shared some of the avenues through which you can ensure transfer of assets without the need for wills and trusts. So this week, let’s continue the discussion with more ways to avoid probate and transfer property… starting with: Bank accounts. Though once obscure, payable on death (POD) bank accounts […]
Bob’s Journal
The biggest threat to the economy and markets right now could be a sleeper factor. For some time, I’ve said the biggest threat is that the Federal Reserve might tighten too much and trigger a recession. Because of the extraordinary monetary policy engaged in since 2008, the central bank doesn’t have a lot of tools […]
The Risk Parity Investing Strategy
This article points out that while the investment strategy known as risk parity typically is available only to institutional investors, there are a couple of offerings available to individual investors and more likely are on the way. Unlike many articles on the subject, it actually is a good explanation of risk parity and explains both […]
