As seen in Racine Journal Times | February 5, 2014 Has anyone told you that if you work while collecting Social Security retirement benefits, you’ll lose part of your benefits? If you’re like most people who hear this, you’d probably opt not to work. What’s the sense of earning $1,000 if you lose $1,000 of…
As seen in Racine Journal Times | December 31, 2013 Compared to 2012 or just about any other year, 2013 turned out to be one of the best years in the stock market. Typically this is cause for celebration (it’s certainly better than experiencing another 2008) but I think it should also give us pause…
As seen in the Racine Journal Times | December 4, 2013 This year marks the 170th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which depicts the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge after being visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present and future life. Many of Scrooge’s worst qualities stem from his beliefs…
As published in Racine Journal Times | November 7, 2013 One of the least understood aspects of Social Security income is how it’s taxed. Sometimes it’s known as the “tax torpedo” because taxes on Social Security benefits can be minimal or nonexistent until all of a sudden they blow up with the potential of almost…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | October 3, 2013 I recently met with someone who was very proud that she had accumulated enough in her bank savings account that she wouldn’t have to draw from her retirement accounts until several years into retirement. She was a bit confused when I told her she…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | September 5, 2013 Have you been divorced? Have you worked at the same company for decades? Have you owned a life insurance policy since before you were married? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to take a few minutes to…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | August 1, 2013 You may have been surprised in the past month when you opened your retirement or investment account statement to see you lost money in your bond funds. While it’s true that bonds are typically safer than stocks, this doesn’t mean they are immune from…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | July 11, 2013 What would you say if I told you after age 60, you make worse decisions with your money? You might disagree which is actually because you also become more confident in your decision-making skills. In other words, the actual decisions you make are worse…
Saving for college doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think An interesting survey conducted by Edward Jones earlier this year indicated that 69 percent of Americans were unaware that 529 Plans were for college savings. I’d like to think that the other 31 percent who know about 529 Plans are the ones with…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | May 3, 2013 As the stock market losses of 2008-2009 become a distant memory, it’s a good time for a refresher on the primary risk when it comes to investing, which is the unexpected loss of value.