Retirement Watch Weekly
Hedge Funds for the Little Guy
Our diversified portfolio of alternative mutual funds continues to do its job. We designed it to deliver solid long-term returns without the volatility of the stock market indexes. That is what we are getting. Long-time readers know that the Alternative Portfolio is a collection of mutual funds that use investment strategies similar to those used […]
4 Action Steps to Avoid ID Theft
Identity theft was on the rise again in 2004. But the causes of ID theft will surprise most people. A new study issued by the Better Business Bureau found that a minority of known ID theft occurred over the Internet. The study found that in 68.2% of ID theft cases in 2004 information was obtained […]
How Pension Payouts Are Affected By Interest Rates
The prospect of rising interest rates this year could affect retirement payouts. If your retirement plan offers a choice between an annuity and a lump sum and you were planning to retire in the next year or two, pay attention now. Lump sum payouts increase as interest rates fall and decrease as rates rise. The […]
Popular Strategy Ruins Estate Planning
Many people naively subvert their estate plans, creating nightmares for their heirs and bonuses for the taxman. The situation is easy to cause, but also is easy to fix. The problem is that few people realize the importance of the wording of the legal title to their assets. Yet, this simple decision, often made without […]
How to Help Children or Grandchildren Buy a Home
One of the best gifts is to help an adult child or grandchild buy a home. Unlike cash or investments, a gift related to a home cannot easily be squandered or sold to buy something frivolous. When the child or grandchild is making a significant contribution from his own assets through at least future mortgage […]
Your Home and Long-Term Care In One Package
More and more retirees are looking to solve their housing and long-term health care needs in one move. They are moving into facilities called continuing-care retirement communities, or CCRCs. These also are known as living-care communities. A CCRC has several types of living and health-care facilities in one community. Usually there is an independent living […]
How to Handle a Tough Market
Stocks packed a substantial correction into the first two weeks of January. Most indexes and sectors absorbed significant declines both in absolute terms and when compared to their 2004 gains. The S&P 500 gave up 25% of its 2004 gains in the following two weeks. The transportation index saw 17% of its substantial 2004 returns […]
How to Grow Annuity Income
Old-style defined benefit pension plans are looking more attractive to many retirees and near-retirees. A defined benefit (DB) plan pays a fixed monthly amount for life, and many even increase the payment for inflation each year. When the stock market is volatile and uncertain, and bond yields are low, a DB plan can look good. […]
