The past year certainly has been tumultuous in many ways, including for retirement savers trying to keep up with tax planning.  There have been a number of changes to your taxes on the legislative front in regard to the pandemic, of course. Add to the confusion an understaffed IRS and questionable mail service and you… Continue reading →

Overspending can be as much a part of the holidays as latkes and caroling. While it’s easy to say “make a budget” there are ways to simplify the process and stay on track. First, go ahead and make that budget, but think beyond your immediate household. The budget should be as broad as possible to… Continue reading →

“Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary knows how startup businesses succeed — or fail. Most businesses make it past that crucial first year by finding investors while controlling costs tooth and nail. If only retirement investment advice had that same approach. “If you want to find financial freedom, you need to retire all debt — and… Continue reading →

As we enter the next few weeks of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the headlines are sure to disorient and worry us all. Federal, state and local responses will unfurl in real time with varying degrees of effectiveness, further confusing matters. It’s a difficult time to plan logically and efficiently on many fronts. In terms of… Continue reading →

Tumultuous times like today’s COVID-19 pandemic tend to bring out the best in us, and you don’t have to look far to find examples: Canned food drives for local food banks, a surge in blood donation, and otherwise idled restaurants providing donated meals for healthcare workers. There’s no lack of need, more so given the… Continue reading →

I’m a big fan of Jason Zweig, the Wall Street Journal investing columnist. His recent piece on bear market investing is a classic of financial communication: Use an easy metaphor to explain a difficult concept. In this case, Zweig explains the widely known but mostly misunderstood concept of a bear market, times when stocks fall… Continue reading →

As we enter the next few weeks of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the headlines are sure to disorient and worry us all. Federal, state and local responses will unfurl in real time with varying degrees of effectiveness, further confusing matters. It’s a difficult time to plan logically and efficiently on many fronts. In terms of… Continue reading →

It’s hard to fathom, but the box-office hit “9 to 5” starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton made its debut nearly 40 years ago. The 1980 office farce classic is the tale of three women who kidnap their boorish, sexist boss, played by Dabney Coleman. Their problem to overcome is how to run… Continue reading →

Every January, a flood of people resolve to lose weight. Then they show up at a nearby gym for the first time ever. By February, everything settles down and the true gym rats are left to grunt in peace. That’s how it goes with resolutions. We break them at the slightest test of will. What… Continue reading →