More and more retiring employees are facing the question of whether to take their retirement benefits as a lump sum payment or a life-time monthly payment. The “correct” decision obviously lies with the individual’s particular circumstances (health of retiree and spouse, other financial assets, fund needs, etc.). There are compelling reasons for both scenarios in […]

Retirement brings many changes. The old adage of “twice as much spouse and half as much money” is humorous; other aspects of retirement are not. In this issue, we discuss some of the planning issues that retirement brings. We also look at what may lie ahead for rising interest rates.The first article discusses longevity. No […]

It’s that time of year again—students are moving into the dorms at colleges and universities all over the country. Traffic is increasing, restaurants are crowded, and all the other “problems” associated with students starting a new school year are at the forefront. It’s a new world for freshmen students; confusing and sometimes stressful. That stress […]

When you think of “investing”, what comes to mind? Did you think of the US stock market? You might have thought about bonds or other fixed income securities. What about real estate, commodities or other alternative investments? Although less common, they can provide significant benefits when combined with stocks and bonds. How can these investments […]

There are times we read things that cause us to say, as my friend puts it, “I’ll have to think on that.”  Such a time occurred as I read an article in the April 28, 2014 Investment News (pg. 40) written by Mary Beth Franklin. The basic premise was that, in some cases, Medicare costs […]

My parents taught me to respect my elders. As I get older, it’s getting harder and harder to find anyone more elderly than I. However, there are some advantages to ageing (other than the obvious one of a longer life span).  I thought I would mention just a few in this blog. Age 50-Investing Unfortunately, […]

How long can a good thing last?  This summer has been quite mild in comparison to the past several Texas summers, but as many of us know, one strong high pressure system can change all of that.  The stock market and Texas weather may have a few things in common. Over the last 18 months […]

As a general rule, IRAs are assets protected from creditors—i.e. IRAs cannot be attached by creditors to satisfy debts or judgments incurred by the IRA owner. However, the Wall Street Journal (Friday, June 13, 2014, page  A6, electronic copy found HERE) reported on a unanimous ruling by the US Supreme Court that changed that protection […]

Well, April 15th has come and gone.  Following that date, many taxpayers become intimately familiar with Ms. Pelosi’s comment about having to pass Obamacare to find out what’s in it.  The increased tax paid by many individuals has caused us to evaluate (again) some tax strategies for investing.  We have always maintained that the “tax […]

In a previous blog found HERE, we discussed  general  guidelines  of planning for long term care.  We will now discuss further considerations in this blog. Cost of Care The majority of individuals provide for long term care through insurance.  The cost for those policies has been changing (increasing premiums or reducing benefits) over the past few […]