Retirement Watch Weekly
Best Places to Retire
Most people don’t move after they retire. But if you’re thinking of moving and can go anywhere, consider this list of best places to retire from Forbes.com. It includes the home of one of my alma maters, Clemson, South Carolina. Unlike most such lists, it doesn’t rank the locations. Instead, it lists the editors’ top […]
The Stock Markets and Automated Trading
There’s a continuing debate about the role of technology in stock market movements. Many blamed the extent of the 1987 crash on program trading that kept triggering more selling as the previous sales pushed down market prices. In the latest episode, Paul Tudor Jones, a famous and successful hedge fund manager, said that forced trading […]
FINRA Senior Helpline Marks 2nd Anniversary
Over $4.3 million in voluntary reimbursements have been made to seniors thanks to calls to Financial Regulatory Authority (FINRA) senior helpline, FINRA announced on the second anniversary of the helpline. As we discussed in Retirement Watch in the past, anyone can call the helpline to alert FINRA to fraud or abuse against senior citizens. The […]
David Rockefeller’s Will and the Benefits of Avoiding Probate
Wills are public documents. They’re filed in a local probate court and available for anyone to view. That’s why many wealthy people hold the bulk of their assets through trusts that avoid probate. David Rockefeller, the last remaining grandson of John D. Rockefeller, died recently. A large part of his wealth was held through family […]
Seniors and Scams
New research from Cornell University indicates why some seniors are scam victims. The study found that victims and non-victims have many similar traits. Their personalities are normal and they can do arithmetic just fine. But the study found that their brains are different, with the scam victims showing atrophy in certain parts of the brain. […]
The Next Financial Danger Point?
Are subprime auto loans the next shoe to drop in the economy? Auto loans have been getting a lot of attention. In a recent issue of Barron’s, two unrelated articles discussed auto loans as a potential source of worry for the economy and regulators. Since the financial crisis, auto loans have been one of the […]
Hidden Costs of ETFs
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are charging dirt cheap fees in many cases. But many ETF owners don’t buy and hold them. ETFs are used for trading by a lot of investors. This article points out that the trading leads to a lot of costs, both hidden and visible. Inefficiencies in the system result in mispriced ETFs, […]
Working After Age 65
Surveys over the last 10 years or so, and labor force data, say that today’s 50 and older crowd want to work longer than the previous generation. This article discusses some recent surveys about those who work past age 65, especially those who change jobs and careers to do so. It also offers tips to […]
