jerry

Which retirement plan suits you?

All retirement plans are not the same. In fact, there is such a wide variety of retirement plans that learning more about your choices is a good idea. Here’s a brief look at the different plans and what they have to offer. The Traditional 401(k). Many ... Read >

What your investment policy statement means

What’s an IPS, and what does it do for me? An investment policy statement, or IPS, is the foundation of a good investment strategy. It gives you an overview of the whole investment plan: the asset allocation, the objectives, the asset management approach ... Read >

The subprime mortgage rescue plan

A plan to help stressed homeowners. If you have a mortgage set to readjust soon, help may be on the way. Last Thursday, President Bush announced a new plan to help subprime borrowers, just hours after the Mortgage Bankers Association reported the largest ... Read >

A review of recessions

Economists widely agree: America seems to be in a recession. Important economic indicators show declining manufacturing, a constricting retail and service sector, and poor GDP. So is the sky falling? Is this the end of the world? No. Recessions have occur... Read >

Reviving the rescue plan

Tonight, the Senate votes on a revised Wall Street rescue plan … one with more appeal to the taxpayer, and therefore presumably more appeal to legislators. On the downside, this new bailout proposal will require more than the $700 billion initially requ... Read >

Are women saving and investing enough?

Taking control of your financial future may be even more important for women than it is for men. Here’s why women need to invest and save actively. The earnings gap. Even today, men tend to earn more than women. A fresh 2008 survey of retirement savi... Read >

What do you do with sudden wealth?

What’s the plan when you have a windfall? Through luck, inheritance, talent, or legal decisions, some people receive “sudden wealth" – a lump sum of money that is at least several times their annual income. Sometimes people think that the money will solve... Read >

Choices in assisted living

When you need help with daily living, what choices do you have? You have three choices: home sweet home, a retirement community, or a nursing home as your health and preferences permit. While we’re speaking of choices, long term care insurance has proven ... Read >

Coping with a layoff

You go to work and get the word … you’re being laid off. Maybe it’s no surprise. Maybe it comes as a shock. The question becomes: what now? Basically, you have three quick to-dos: leaving work with as much money as possible, securing health insurance for... Read >

No mandatory ira withdrawals in 2009

You don’t have to take RMDs from your traditional IRA this year. On December 23, President Bush signed the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 into law, suspending all Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from IRAs, 401(k)s and 403(b)s for... Read >

Little ways you might improve your financial life

This is the year! Yes, you can make 2009 the year you alter your financial life for a better financial future. Let’s look at some steps you might think of taking with the goal of financial freedom in mind. No, we’re not talking about those ridiculously o... Read >

How long do you have to keep your statements?

You have probably heard that you should retain copies of your federal tax returns for 7 years. Is that true, or a just myth? How long should you keep those quarterly and annual statements you get about your investment accounts? And how long should you kee... Read >

Bash the banker

Leading executives from America’s eight largest banks testified on Capitol Hill February 11, as Congress asked how they spent $165 billion in federal money. Legislators had four questions in mind: 1) Where did the money go? 2) Why aren’t you lending as ... Read >

Stock market comeback

2009 has showed us how fast stocks can recover. Have you looked at the market lately? Hopefully, you haven’t gotten out of it. This has been a very encouraging spring for the stock market investor. Some statistics: • Between the March 9 lows and the end ... Read >

Gm files for bankruptcy

June 1, 2009 was a sad day for General Motors: the venerable automaker, now financially vulnerable, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (and was kicked out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average). This shocked no one, and the stock market didn’t suffer. The ... Read >