Retirement Watch Weekly
Changes to End of Life Health Care
A panel appointed by the Institute of Medicine issued a report recently calling for major changes in end-of-life health care in the U.S. The report says that the current system is broken, leading it to cost far too much while not giving patients the care they really need or want. Its basic assertion is that […]
Buy-and-Hold Investing Mistakes
Most investors trade too much. They’d be better if by changing their investments less frequently. But buy-and-hold investors also are prone to mistakes. This article identifies several key mistakes to avoid. I’d also add that many buy-and-hold investors don’t understand the importance of low correlations between their investments if they want the benefits of diversification. […]
Are We Living Too Long?
We all should hope to die at 75 according to Ezekiel Emanuel, a physician and considered an architect of the Affordable Care Act. In this piece, he says he wants to live to 75 and only 75. He argues that living beyond that is a loss, because most people become incapacitated, dependent, and chronically ill […]
Behind the Stock Market Headlines
Always look behind the headlines, I frequently advise. A good example is the recent news of stock indexes hitting record highs. That’s fine if you’re in the right index fund. But all is not well across the stock markets. Take a look at this analysis from Bloomberg.com. A lot of stocks aren’t participating in the […]
Understanding Investment Risk
Investors hear a lot about risk, but few of them really understand risk and risk management. If you might be in that category, or you simply want to read an excellent discussion of risk, consider this essay by Howard Marks of Oaktree Management. Marks takes on the widely-accepted academic and financial professional view that volatility […]
Economic Recovery 2010 to 2013
The economic recovery so far hasn’t been that great for most Americans. The people at the top of the economic pyramid saw their incomes increase after inflation, according to a new Federal Reserve study. But everyone else on average actually saw their incomes decline, after adjusting for inflation, from 2010-2013. Read some details here. Households […]
Some Good News on Medicare
While Medicare still has long-term funding problems because of the coming baby boom eligibility, there is some good news. The cost the program spends per beneficiary actually has been declining. This article has the details. The article is short on explanations, and it is difficult to generate them with confidence. But mostly people are using […]
Avoiding IRA Beneficiary Mistakes
Here’s a good summary of some key points to naming IRA beneficiaries. We’ve included these and more in past issues of Retirement Watch. It’s a good review for my readers and a useful introduction for those who haven’t been members yet. Clients who pay big bucks to have lawyers prepare wills and trusts often complete […]
