I had a discussion with a friend today about the value of a job. Not the value of a job as a younger person, but the value of a job as a “phased in” retirement. Many baby boomers are facing the question “When should I retire?” Our discussion focused on some options available.   My friend […]

Taxation on trusts warrants consideration. Trust income is subject to income taxation at one of two levels: 1) at the trust level if the income is retained in the trust, or 2) at the individual level if the income is distributed from the trust to the individual trust beneficiary. Since trust income is taxed at […]

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 […]

As the American population ages, they face the prospect of long term care expenses.  Some families faced this problem with their own aged parents and are now trying to decide how to handle the possible need for themselves.  As people evaluate their options, they are facing several factors. Cost of Care According to the insurer Genworth, the […]

Last year (2013), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32.4%. Sounds like a phenomenal increase, doesn’t it. A plus 32% increase is, indeed, an impressive increase. However, in this case, a little more analysis is warranted. Why did the market increase so much? The following data are from Standard & Poor’s and J.P. Morgan Asset […]