The Folly of Active Management and TV Gurus
Last year I wrote an article about where to invest in 2010 and took that opportunity to remind investors not to fall into the excitement of active management and stock trading. Instead I cautioned them to focus on what you can control, like investment cost, risk, and asset allocation and to ignore the rest. So [...]
Tales from the Tax Prep Front Lines
Tax preparation gives interesting insight about personal financial situations. Here are some examples. Last year an elderly lady brought her tax documents to the AARP Volunteer Tax Service for preparation. Her 1099s, etc. were not well organized, but appeared to be adequate. She, herself, was a little disorganized, and not entirely comfortable with what she [...]
Investing for Retirement Income – Part 2
One of today’s biggest challenges facing investors in retirement or in semi-retirement is obtaining enough income and growth from their portfolio to match annual expenses. Is it possible to create a mix of steady income, upside potential and longevity protection by a blend of 80 percent bonds and 20 percent stocks? My definition of income [...]
Is it Time to Convert Your Traditional IRA?
Individuals are permitted to convert their Traditional IRAs (“TIRA”) to Roth IRAs if they meet current income limitations set by the IRS. In 2010 the income limits are removed allowing anyone to convert. I set out to examine when OR if a client should convert their traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
