Retirement Watch Weekly
The Brexit Panic Subsides
If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time to register for the MoneyShow San Francisco. I’ll be making several presentations, as will colleagues at Eagle Financial Publications. We’ll be at the Marriott Marquis from August 23-25. Free registration is available by calling 800-970-4355 (please mention priority code 041205) or go online to robertcarlson.sanfranciscomoneyshow.com. […]
A Myth of Index Investing
Most people refer to index fund investing as passive investing. They say that the fund or other investment vehicle isn’t actively selecting stocks or other investments. That’s wrong, as this article points out. While there is such as a thing as “the market,” there’s nothing that tells an investor how to invest in “the market.” […]
5 Issues Investors are Worrying About
There’s a lot for investors to worry about. There’s almost always is, of course. This article does a good job of identifying five things investors should be worrying about now. But the real question investors need to ask isn’t what could go wrong. The important question is: What already is priced into the markets? If […]
Positive Reports Continue from the U.S. Economy
I appreciate the many kind comments from readers about the second edition of “The New Rules of Retirement.” It is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the financial decisions you have to make regarding retirement. The book is almost a complete rewrite of the first edition and is essential to planning your retirement, or […]
Another Celebrity Estate Planning Lesson
Frank Zappa passed away some years ago and left his musical legacy in a trust with his wife in charge. His wife had the right to change the terms of the trust. It turns out she did change the trust to favor the couple’s two younger children at the expense of the older children. Apparently […]
Social Security Solvency Slides
The latest annual report from the Trustees of Social Security and Medicare is published, and it’s not positive. Because the economy and tax revenue have been lower than forecast, the trustee are forecasting the fund will “run out of money” in 2034, two years earlier than the previous forecast. These forecasts fluctuate like this from […]
Don’t Focus on Brexit, Focus on Fiscal Policy Instead
I want to thank the Washington, D.C., chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors for welcoming me last Saturday morning. The presentation went well, and the members bought a lot of copies of “The New Rules of Retirement,” second edition. You can order your copy today. My next scheduled appearance is in August at […]
Inside Kentucky’s Pension Plan
Though a number of states and localities have pension funds with funding troubles, the worst is Kentucky’s. The plan has assets equal to only 19% of its estimated liabilities. Even worse is that the administration of the pension fund is dysfunctional and possibly corrupt. There also is a lot of political maneuvering related to the […]
