Wills provide peace of mind for the family
Estate planning is one of those things everybody knows they should do, but a surprising number of people put it off until it’s too late, or do it wrong in the first place.Unfortunately, too many people of all ages hesitate to have their wills drawn up. There is no good reason to avoid that. If you die intestate — that is, without a will — you have lost the right to specify ... READ MORE
Are there funds waiting for you to claim?
According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), assets worth over $32 billion are held by various states just waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners.You may be entitled to some of these assets. I will explain how this property ends up with the states, and how you can determine whether you have unclaimed property you don’t know ... READ MORE
Get insured despite pre-existing conditions
Over age 50 but under 65? If so, you’re at risk of falling into the pre-existing condition healthcare gap. In the current health insurance marketplace, it’s very difficult for people with pre-existing conditions to buy a quality policy at an affordable price. The problem disproportionately affects older people in this age group; they’re too young to quality for Medicare yet very... READ MORE
Books offer do-it-yourself financial advice
Consider adding these recently released financial books to your shelf or e-reader (all are available as e-books). Look for more suggestions in upcoming issues.Debunkery: Learn It, Do It, and Profit From It — Seeing Through Wall Street’s Money-Killing MythsAuthor: Ken FisherPrice: $27.95Summary: Debunkery is the seventh book by Ken Fisher, the founder and CEO of Fisher... READ MORE
Social Security stops mailing statements
What age should you file for Social Security benefits? It’s one of the most critical decisions you’ll make that affects long-term retirement security.One of the best decision-making tools to help with that decision is the annual benefit projection that we all receive in the mail from the Social Security Administration (SSA).But the SSA is about to stop mailing out those... READ MORE
Investors see upside to expensive gasoline
Think positive. The pain you’re feeling at the pump from $4-a-gallon gas may become a little easier to bear once you receive your next quarterly mutual fund statement.Chances are your fund portfolio holds big oil names that have been reporting Texas-sized profits and boosting dividends paid to their investors. Exxon Mobil, for example, is the biggest component in the Standard &... READ MORE
Managed funds losing out to index rivals
Pay a fund manager above-average fees, and it’s reasonable to expect you’ll have a better than 50-50 chance of beating the stock market.Yet the latest numbers show a majority of managers aren’t keeping up their end of the deal. It’s a key reason why investors have been pulling cash out of managed funds at a rapid clip in recent years. It’s even happening to big ... READ MORE
How divorce affects your Social Security
Consider this: Roughly half of the people who get married in the United States will end up divorced. And Social Security is the primary source of income for 72 percent of unmarried retirees, many of whom are single because they’re divorced.Unfortunately, few financial advisors put those two facts together and focus on how divorce, as well as remarriage, can affect retirement planning, ... READ MORE
Five popular shopping myths debunked
If you think a super-sized container of peanut butter is always a better deal than a tiny version, think again. Bigger is not always cheaper. And don’t count on getting a bargain on designer goods at an outlet or off-price chain.Here are five common but mistaken assumptions about bargains — plus tips for avoiding getting fooled into paying too much.Myth No. 1. Bigger packages... READ MORE
Ways to get higher returns and limit risk
You cannot obtain high rates of return without risk, and any financial planner who says otherwise is not being truthful.Following are two risky investments I made that paid off handsomely, along with a couple of options for those who are more risk averse.At the end of 2008, I purchased preferred stock in a highly rated Florida utility company with a coupon rate of 8 3/4 percent, paid on a... READ MORE
