The recent earthquake in Japan and its aftermath is a tragedy with enormous human consequences. What does it mean for your investments? While nobody can predict the future with any certainty, short-term events—no matter how tragic—generally pass. Japan is a strong economy with the resources to rebuild and to rebound from this event. Oakland, Calif.–based [...]
Should I take out a mortgage? If you are contemplating retirement, this is a tricky question with no simple answer. To help you decide if this is the right move for you, here are some questions to ask yourself: 1. What will my cash flow look like in retirement? This is the overriding question to [...]
Add the next five questions to your notes to take to your first meeting with a new financial planner, and you’ll be prepared to make the best decision for your financial interests. 6. Who will I be dealing with on an ongoing basis?Will the financial planner with whom you are meeting be the one to [...]
Hiring your first financial planner or selecting a new one can be a trying experience. How do you know if you are making the right choice? Will this person act in your best interest? While no selection process is flawless, here are ten questions you should ask before hiring a financial planner/advisor. Will my assets [...]
I have to be practical. I don’t believe anyone should rely on brokers or investment advisers who claim to be able to “beat the market” for investment advice. However, the reality is that 90 percent of individual investors ignore this admonition, often to their detriment. If you insist on using these brokers or advisers, here [...]
To answer this question, first you have to ask yourself several more. The first question is, can you afford to pay your grandchildren’s college tuition? If not, that’s the end of the discussion. Being able to afford it is not just a matter of having enough money on hand right now. It’s also important to [...]
Tax planning should be a key element in your overall financial planning. However, it is only one tactic, not an end unto itself. Investment decisions made for tax purposes only are often not good decisions. Your financial goals and asset-allocation strategy should govern your overall investing strategy. For many of us, our investment strategy includes [...]
Economic events of the past couple of years have made it more difficult for people to obtain conventional lines of credit, and as a result, many are turning to family members for loans for a variety of purposes. An inter-family loan has its pros and cons. On the pro side, a family member is not [...]
Investors have a lot to be fearful of these days. They have legitimate concerns about the deficit, the state of the economy, and high unemployment rates. It’s not just economic abstractions. The fears have become personal. Here are the top three fears of my clients and some suggestions for dealing with them. 1. I am [...]
Do you know the history behind the tradition of New Year’s resolutions? New Year’s Day was established to honor Janus, the god of Roman mythology who, with his two faces, looked back on past events as well as forward into the future. The Romans made resolutions that had mostly a moral flavor. Today, all resolutions [...]
