On October 14, 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will begin enforcing regulations adopted to help reduce the risk of investor “runs” on money market mutual funds. Vulnerabilities in the $3.8 trillion market came to light during the 2008 financial crisis.1 You may hardly notice when the new rules take effect. That’s because…
September has historically been the worst month for stocks. Since 1896, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost 1.1% on average in September. No one really knows why, but some blame it on the mutual funds that close out their fiscal year this month. Others blame it on the Fed’s interest rate policies prior to…
The federal government requires the use of certain published interest rates to value various items used in estate planning, such as an income, annuity, or remainder interest in a trust. The government also specifies interest rates that a taxpayer may be deemed to use in connection with certain installment sales or intra-family loans. These rates…
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 included a section titled “Closure of Unintended Loopholes” that ends two Social Security claiming strategies that have become increasingly popular over the last several years. These two strategies, known as “file and suspend” and “restricted application” for a spousal benefit, have often been used to optimize Social Security income…
In one of its final actions for calendar year 2015, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, a massive spending bill that will keep the federal government funded for fiscal year 2016. Signed into law on December 18, 2015, the legislation includes the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 (Division Q of…
Chances are you’re sneaking a peak at the investment markets these days–maybe more than once a day. They’ve certainly been providing their share of excitement: down 4% one day, up more than 2% the next day or two, and who knows what’s causing the turmoil? In August, the direction was mostly down, turning what had…
One of the first things I learned cutting my teeth in the investing world was to avoid municipal bonds from Puerto Rico. My mentor liked to refer to the US Territory as a banana republic. “That my friend is a ticking time bond waiting to blow up in your clients’ face!” Puerto Rico formally defaulted…
Every year the Employee Benefit Research Institute publishes their Retirement Confidence Survey. Any every year one of the keys to overall retirement confidence is having a written goal. But for many of us, a retirement goal that needs million(s) of dollars seems daunting and even impossible to achieve. What if you’re investing as much as…
What a Study of 14,000 Businesses Reveals About How You Should Not Be Spending Your Time In an analysis of more than 14,000 businesses, a new study finds the most valuable companies take a contrarian approach to the boss doing the selling. Who does the selling in your business? My guess is that when you’re…
