Have you received a lump sum offer on your Ford pension? Do you know what factors to consider before making a decision? Do you want to learn more about your options? Beware! Other advisers may recommend everyone take the lump sum! It might not be your best option! Our team of advisers will give you straightforward … Continued

The deadline for pensioners to decide whether to accept a lump sum offer from General Motors is tomorrow – Friday July 20th! Sigma is available to help advise on any last minute decisions. Today’s New York Times featured an article about these decisions, and quoted our own Christopher Frayne, CFA, CFP®. Check out the article … Continued

A salaried Ford or GM retiree cannot name a domestic partner as his/her surviving beneficiary for pension benefits; however if you choose to take the lump sum buyout and roll it into an IRA you can name your partner as beneficiary! Opting for the lump sum is a way to provide economic security for your … Continued

A family member came to me a few years ago and asked my advice on a mortgage. The loan had originally been established in 2005 so I was not sure what prompted the query as I assumed it must have been a 15 year or 30 year mortgage, and interest rates at that time had … Continued

In light of the positive response we have received about our upcoming luncheon event on the lump sum distribution options offered by Ford and General Motors, we thought having additional information may also be of interest.  On Tuesday, June 19, Bob Bilkie CFA, President, and colleagues Marisa Lenhard, CFA, CFP® and Suzanne Antonelli, CFP® participated in a live … Continued

I received a call this week from a General Motors retiree in reference to the automaker’s decision to give its retirees a lump sum pension payment option versus their existing stream of benefits. He said to me, “I am an engineer with no knowledge of markets or economics. I would probably just leave things as … Continued

On top of the recent news of Ford Motor offering salaried employees lump-sum payments to buyout their defined benefit pensions, General Motors announced last week they will be offering pension buyouts for 42,000 salaried retirees. While the detailed numbers have yet to be released, many Ford and General Motors retirees will be looking at very … Continued

Have you received a lump sum offer on your General Motors or Ford pension? Do you know what factors to consider before making a decision? Do you want to learn more about your options? Beware! Other advisers may recommend everyone take the lump sum! It might not be your best option! Our team of advisers will give you … Continued

I recently met with a client who let me know that he was suggesting to his brother that he too might wish to become a client of Sigma’s. The client noted to me, though, that, “He is also looking at a major brokerage institution, and they don’t charge fees.” I said to him, “You mean … Continued

This week, Ford Motor Co. announced they will be offering a voluntary lump-sum defined benefit pension plan payment to about 90,000 US salaried retirees and former employees.  Ford did not provide detail on the payout amounts or formula.  The plan will be rolled out in stages starting July 1 and they have already begun notifying … Continued

The multistate Mega Millions lottery jackpot stands at a world record high of $540 million for tonight’s drawing.  Mathematicians will say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning 100 times than of hitting the jackpot.  But spending $1 to fantasize about what you would do with the winnings can be a cheap … Continued

Full disclosure disclaimer: This blog may seem self-serving, but it is the objective of our blogs to try to impart to our readers useful information pertaining to investing and this fits the bill. The February-March 2012 issue of Worth magazine carried an article titled “The Search for Great Advice”. The byline read, “When picking a … Continued