There are Very Few Good Reasons to Take Social Security Early When approaching retirement, one of the first things a Retiree may consider is turning on their Social Security benefit. According to Steve Vernon, a consulting research scholar in the financial security division at Stanford University’s Center on Read More >
Trumps Proposed Tax Plan
Republican lawmakers just released the Trump tax plan, cutting corporate and middle-class taxes. It has the potential to impact: • Individual tax rates • Changes for the middle class • Increasing the standard deduction and the child tax credit • Potential changes in the mortgage interest deduction • The medical Read More >
Reverse Mortgages, Reconsidered
Once widely disparaged, Reverse Mortgages are getting a second look. Too many baby boomers are retiring with insufficient savings. Many of these boomers are “house rich” and “cash poor,” and in response to their circumstances, they may decide to utilize a reverse mortgage. That move could make funding their Read More >
Enjoy the Market Rally, But Prepare for the Retreat!
Investors may be lulled into a false sense of security by this market. Will the current bull market run for another year? How about another two or three years? Some investors will confidently say “yes” to both questions. Optimism abounds on Wall Street: the major indices climb more than they retreat, and they have Read More >
Tips for Women Trying to Save for Retirement
Numerous articles have mentioned the obstacles women can face as they save for retirement. Turning from the negative, here are some positive factors that may help women save more. Financial literacy. Learning about investing, retirement topics and the markets is step one. An appreciation and understanding of the Read More >
Bull Market
Looking Beyond the Current Bull Market When the latest bull market for U.S. stocks reached the five-year mark on March 10, 2014, only five bulls had lasted longer. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index posted a gain of 177% for the five-year period.1 The current bull followed on the heels of the Great Recession and Read More >
Executive Bonus
Keeping Talent On Board with Executive Bonus Plans Despite the high national unemployment rate, a hiring survey reveals that there are often shortages of qualified candidates to fill positions in certain fields. Engineers, IT experts, and executives (or top managers) are all on the list of professionals with Read More >
New Chair, Same Fed?
In more than three hours of testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on February 11, new Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen laid out a monetary policy blueprint very similar to that of her predecessor, Ben Bernanke.1 Even so, Yellen — the first woman to head the central bank — takes over at a turning Read More >
When Your Child Should File a Tax Return
When Your Child Should File a Tax Return You might assume that a young person doesn’t have to file a tax return until he or she has reached adulthood, moved out of the family home, and is generally self-supporting. Yet IRS rules regarding who must file are based on the amount and source of income rather than Read More >
Japan’s Economy
Japan’s Market Performance Spurred by “Abenomics” and Revival Hopes The Japanese Nikkei Stock Average surprised many investors when it surged 57% in 2013 — posting its best year since 1972 — while Japan’s economy showed promising signs of life after more than 15 years of weakness and deflation.1 A long period of Read More >