Bob's Journal
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Bob’s Journal for 1/11
Lessons About Estate Planning in 2023 from Celebrity Deaths The rich and famous have a lot of resources available to them and should know better. Yet, they often provide the best examples of estate planning missteps to avoid. Some celebrities who passed away years earlier had longstanding problems with their estates that weren’t resolved until […]
Bob’s Journal for 1/4
The Year-End Rally Was Global U.S. stocks finished 2023 with a powerful rally that garnered a lot of attention. But most other markets around the world did as well or better. The S&P 500 gained 11.64% in the last three months and 3.95% over the last month of the year. The MSCI World Index, excluding […]
Some Highlights from Retirement Watch 2023
We covered a lot of ground in Retirement Watch during 2023. I’m closing out the year by reviewing some key and popular items from my updates over the past 12 months. This might remind you of some forgotten points or highlight some you might have missed the first time. Interest in annuities soared in the […]
Bob’s Journal for 12/21
IRA Ideas for Last-Minute Gifts If you’re still looking for gift ideas, consider making an IRA-related gift. You can’t give away all or part of your IRA. An attempt to do that would be considered a distribution to you. If it’s a traditional IRA, the distribution would be taxable to you. The recipient might be […]
Bob’s Journal for 12/14
It is Time for 2024 Investment Predictions We’re near the end of the year, so most investment firms are rolling out their market predictions for 2024. Most of the predictions are predictable. The bulk of the analysts estimate the stock indexes will rise by an amount near the long-term average. The long-term average total return […]
Bob’s Journal for 12/7
Treasury Bonds and Federal Debt: A 20-Year Warning The financial markets can’t sustain more than 20 years of the currently projected deficits and interest rates, according to the Penn-Wharton Budget Model from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. The model is used to estimate what the effects might be on the federal fiscal picture of […]
Bob’s Journal for 11/30
How to Capture the Benefits of Year-End QCDs A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from a traditional IRA often is the best way for someone over age 70½ to make charitable contributions. You have until Dec. 31 to nail down the benefits of the QCD for this year, but you want to avoid some key mistakes. […]
Bob’s Journal for 11/23
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Retirement Watch members and readers. This week I’m putting financial analysis aside. Instead, I’m letting you know that my wife, Elaine, and I are thankful for the opportunity to help each of you establish and maintain your independence during retirement. I’m grateful to the many readers who let me know, […]
