Retirement Watch Weekly
Where to Find Today’s Values
The last few months have taught the benefits of diversification, balance, and a margin of safety. One of our investment themes of the last few years is that U.S. stocks and bonds are in a declining phase of the valuation cycle. It will be a while before investors are willing to take great risks and […]
How to Use ETFs
Exchange-traded funds are the fastest-growing but most misunderstood investment vehicle of the last few years. ETFs have been around only since 1993, and didn’t start to take off until the late 1990s. Let’s see how these mutual fund substitutes might fit into your investment strategy. An ETF is similar to a mutual fund. The investor […]
How to Reduce the Taxes Due on the Sale of Highly Appreciated Real Estate
Many Americans on the coasts or in resort areas are selling homes for far more money than they ever imagined. Their gains often exceed the tax-free limit under federal tax law. In some cases, the home sellers are looking at paying more capital gains taxes than their homes initially cost. There are strategies for reducing […]
Estate Planning to Leave a Legacy
In our past discussions of Estate Planning, I often have emphasized that estate planning is the process of building a legacy. When people think estate planning is about money, property, and death, they tend to ignore the process. When they realize it is about values and other elements of building and living a legacy, they […]
Having the Last Word – The Letter of Final Instructions
Most estate plans are missing a key ingredient. Too many estate planners do not recommend it, and it isn’t even mentioned in many estate planning discussions. One reason might be that, despite its importance, the document is not legally binding on anyone. This document can clear up a lot of issues. It can save time […]
When You Don’t Prepare for Estate Planning – The Importance of Documents
Without a letter of instructions and good organization, the heirs are forced to engage in the old-fashioned property and document search. Sometimes it is comical. Sometimes things get ugly. Always a lot of time and effort is wasted. Estate planners tell stories of important documents that never are found and of other documents that are […]
IRAs for Grandkids
Grandparents can give a big boost to the finances of their grandchildren who earned money from summer jobs. They can help make contributions to a Roth IRA and begin building a tax-free nest egg. A contribution to a Roth IRA can be made by anyone who has earned income and whose adjusted gross income is […]
Great Funds Closing Their Doors
Over the years we successfully found great funds early and let them deliver strong profits for us. One of the disadvantages is that after we discover them, the shareholder-friendly funds we favor deliver excellent performance and attract a lot of dollars. Because they are shareholder-friendly, they tend to close their doors to new investors when […]
