Well, the Texas Two-Step IS a dance but not the version I’m referring to. It’s a crazy, unbelievable legal liability dodge that shouldn’t be legal. It says a lot that it’s only legal in Texas and Delaware which, as Credit Slips blogger Adam Leviton portrays , seem to be in a race to the bottom […]
The Texas Two-Step Is a Dance Read More »
Statistics don’t lie. But people lie using them. Below is what I call lying with the truth. It’s done to sell newspapers of course; I mean, that’s a very alarming increase in Omicron deaths isn’t it? But hey, wait a minute. Let’s take a closer look at the scale here. This is “Cumulative Deaths per 100,000” across various countries, with
Do Statistics Lie? Read More »
In one of his comedy routines, Chris Rock drops a funny and I assume true story about bullies, most notably in his daughter’s private school. He says, “. . .bullies do half the work. Teachers do the other half, but it’s the bully half that you’ll actually use in the real world.” When the principal assured him there
Another obvious financial myth, this title “Just Ignore Mail from the IRS” is true only if you want your life to become more difficult and expensive. In one of dozens newsletters I subscribe to, this one entitled IRS Tax tips provides a list of what To Do and Not To Do with IRS correspondence. (By
MYTH: Just Ignore Mail from the IRS Read More »
I don’t believe the title of this blog is true, any more than the Internet was ever just a fad. Crypto and and hard & soft technology underlying it is simply too deep, complex, varied and vast to just disappear. This article by Gritt Trakulhoon (love that name) is the most realistic, reasoned take I’ve
Cryptocurrency is Just a Fad Read More »
There’s a lot going on in the world right now. I thought this was going to be about the $3.5 trillion budget deal or what to do with any child tax credits that may be heading your way. But then global markets jolted on fears of new viral variants. Is the sky actually falling? Could
Is the Sky Falling (Again)? Read More »
The title of this blog is indeed a solid myth. Before I project asset growth and income flow in Retirement Analyzer I have analyzed the client’s current portfolio and compared it to my recommended allocation. To their disappointment, I routinely reduce the assumed rate of return (ROR) by half while keeping the same volatility. So, for example,
It Is Reasonable To Expect 8-12% Market Returns Over The Next Ten Years Read More »
Yes you can! Another easily disproved myth. In their study “Why Annuities Work Like a License to Spend” David Blanchett and Michael Finke* conclude:. . .every $1 of assets converted to guaranteed income will result in twice the equivalent spending compared to money left invested in a portfolio. The size of the effect is large enough
You Can’t Spend More Than 4% of Your Retirement Savings Without Going Broke Read More »
The title of this blog post is, in my opinion, a solid myth. Good proof of that are recent bills in Congress intending to end binding arbitration because, in general it is: Unfair. The process is heavily biased in the industry’s favor Which is probably why the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) is against reforms.
Arbitration IS the Best Dispute Resolution Tool Read More »
The truth of this blog heading depends, of course, on the health and wealth of the individual. But it is still rarely true. In the plans I’ve developed, Taxes usually exceed projected health care costs 3 to 1. I think a lot of health care cost calculators are unjustifiably alarmist for the purpose of selling insurance.
MYTH: Healthcare Will Be Your Biggest Retirement Expense Read More »