Retirement Watch Weekly
The Expanding Asset Bubble in Art and Collectibles
Recently I was talking to a friend who spends a lot of time with wealthy people, primarily trying to raise money from them. He said that when he asks them what they’re doing with their money these days, many saying their eschewing financial assets (stocks and bonds) and buying things: land, timber, art, wine, etc. […]
Why to Ignore Stock Market Forecasts
In my book, Invest Like a Fox, Not Like a Hedgehog, I devote some space to the futility of using forecasts to make investment decisions. In that portion, I refer to the work of Philip Tetlock on political forecasting. For the latest on that work and an update on what Tetlock’s been doing, read this […]
Is the Commodities Bull Market Over?
The commodities bull market has rolled on for a while, and some former bulls now are saying the super-cycle is over. They believe commodities have a fairly fixed cycle, and this one has run its course. Pushing back against that view, among others, is Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the London Telegraph. You should read the whole […]
How to Age In Place
Most people want to stay in their homes for as long as they can. They don’t want to move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Many don’t even want to downsize. Your body might not cooperate, so to stay in your home you need to adapt and renovate it. It’s certainly possible to […]
Another Warning on High-Yield Bonds
My recommended portfolios have owned high-yield bonds for a while now, and they’ve been good performers. But there’s good reason to be careful. I have sell signals in place and would not be surprised to see them triggered at any time. Investors have been pouring money into high-yield bond funds, and companies are taking advantage […]
Should You Wait to Buy an Annuity?
In the pursuit of guaranteed lifetime income and replacements for employer pensions, many people are looking at annuities. Economists recommend them, and I’ve advised that many people put a portion of their nest eggs into annuities. But, since interest rates are low, annuity payouts are lower than they were a few years ago. Does it […]
December 2012
December 21, 2012 04:55 p.m. Your Retirement Finance Week in Review I’m looking forward to the upcoming holidays and hope you are, too. Absent some significant event, I plan to take next week off. There’s won’t be a weekly Retirement Money Memo. I’ll be back the following week to start off the new year. Another […]
The Really Personal Issues of Estate Planning
Estate Planning discussions often are mostly about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and the different clauses and terms that could be contained in each. The point to all the strategies and technical discussions often is lost. That point, or points, should be the subject of the early discussions in the estate planning process, and it […]
