In the first installment of this series I discussed organizing your important documents and consolidating assets. Today, in Part II, I will begin to outline the various documents that may be part of your estate plan. The most important part of Personal Succession Planning is having complete and up-to-date Estate Planning documents that clearly express … Continued
The European Central Bank (ECB) announced yesterday plans to begin a $70 billion monthly bond-buying program (also known as Quantitative Easing) beginning in March of 2015. The monetary stimulus program is expected to last until at least September of 2016. This means that over the next 18 months, roughly $1.26 trillion will be pumped into … Continued
My colleague, Wenny Gorman, explained in her recent blog on inflation that as prices rise, consumers are more inclined to make their purchase today as opposed to waiting. This is because in an inflationary environment, prices are rising which means the same purchase will require more money in the not too distant future. With deflation, … Continued
Inflation is the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services. As inflation rises, every dollar buys a smaller amount of goods. For example, if the inflation rate is 2%, then a $1 loaf of bread will cost $1.02 a year from now. The consumer-price index is a broad gauge of inflation. … Continued
I recently gave a presentation to clients regarding personal succession planning. I prefer to call it personal succession planning versus estate planning because many people view estate planning as only being important should one die, but it also comes into play should you become disabled or unable to make decisions for yourself. Failing to plan … Continued
“The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I don’t take lightly the 3+% move in the markets over the past two days. And, be assured, down days in the market leave a much more lasting impression in my mind than big up days (which is why I was able to cite below the date and statistics of events 27+ years ago without … Continued
The equity markets have been quite volatile of late with 300 and 400 point swings in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, intra-day, not uncommon. What is going on? Many opinions abound, but I would suggest that two major forces are at play. Both of them impact the amount of the “liquidity” for stock trading available. … Continued
Home price growth slowed in October and the question that lingers is whether the recovery from the slump in pricing that began with the Great Recession in 2008-09, is coming to an end. This is an important consideration because price growth provides the accumulation of equity that typically allows homeowners to “trade up.” The cycle … Continued
Media commentary regarding the price of oil tends to focus on two widely quoted markets, Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI). The price of Brent crude reflects North Sea sourcing, whereas WTI is used as a benchmark in oil pricing. WTI is the underlying commodity of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s oil futures contracts. There are … Continued
No one knows. While conflicting opinions are rampant, just watch CNBC, history suggests that predicting future Federal Reserve moves is a good way to get your head handed to you. In trying to anticipate potential future changes in interest rates, investors might be well advised to consider the Fed’s mandate. The U. S. Congress established … Continued
Because someone is likely to come along and promise to give you exactly what you are asking for. If you believe that you need a 5% return on your fixed income portfolio, or a certain and consistent 12% annual increase in your equity portfolio, someone will come along and promise just that. Often, the promise … Continued
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