You CAN hide income like corporations do

Can you hide 20% of your earnings from taxes like big corporations?

Our corporations are hiding $2.1 TRILLION in earnings overseas to AVOID paying their fair share of taxes. And the cash piles have grown so large — about $90 billion at Microsoft, for example — that claims of plans to reinvest this money overseas simply aren’t credible. The money can’t go to the owners of the companies so our pension managers should be screaming. For many companies, like GE, who have manipulated the tax code to pay NO tax for years, there is no good reason to keep dividends from owners and investors. Yet, lobbyists and our “representatives” have conspired to do just that.

Now, you can make your earnings tax-FREE too and you don’t have to go overseas: http://www.amazon.com/Tax-Shelter-for-Americans/dp/1500426520

Did your 401k or IRA earn the market rate of 13% in 2014? If not …

Use the Buffett strategy to maximize your pension. Over HALF of actively managed mutual funds went bust in the last 10 years. Avoid fees that can take up to 63% of your total accumulations. If you rely on your broker’s advice, most Wall Street stock picks had negative or poor returns for the last 15 years. 

Follow the Buffett strategy for best results:  http://www.amazon.com/Reset-Your-Retirement-Income-retirement/dp/1512304344

High-cost fund managers are cheating—using index funds you pay 40 times cost

ALERT: You may be paying 2.00% to your advisor who uses index ETF that cost 0.05%. Over the last five years -- a period in which active fund managers have both underperformed and lost market share to ETFs -- the number of actively-managed equity funds that hold ETFs in their top-10 holdings has jumped 174 percent, to a total of 148, according to Lipper data. In the past year, the number of active equity funds with ETFs as a top-10 holding has risen more than 23 percent, to 120.

Earn more—skip the middleman: http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Financial-Advisors-Told-alternatives/dp/1478281545

Is that 12% car loan right for you?

If you need a ride to get to work and your credit is in the toilet, Wall Street will supply the contracts to lenders/dealers for your purchase. However, at 12% interest that vehicle will never get paid off over time. It will be repossessed and Wall Street will earn whatever you have paid before it is taken. Just like the no-doc mortgage fiasco that cost us $ trillions in wealth, no-income car loans are feeding the middlemen but not helping us working people. Dealers offer $30,000 BMWs to people without income or driver’s license because both buyer and seller are misguided by Wall-Street-backed lenders.

Desperation and greed make a crisis inevitable and bankers can NEVER go to jail.

Alternative is EARN 12% first: http://www.amazon.com/The-Simple-Financial-Life-paycheck/dp/1441499326

Allstate planning to sell your driver data for profit

Allstate’s Tom Wilson said improved technology will eventually give the auto insurer a chance to boost revenue by selling customer driving data. Insurers are increasingly using data on customer habits to help analyze risks and set prices. The records could also be valuable to advertisers who want to know where potential customers travel and what hours they’re on the road.

Time to shop for new insurer: http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

Patient investors are more successful than active ones

After analyzing portfolios held by 325,000 users, the robo-adviser SigFig found that the most successful investors were the least active. Trading hurts us. Women make better investors than men. Warren Buffett’s style has been characterized as “investing like a girl.” Men tend to be overconfident, take undue risks and so earn less; repeating the mistake over again. Women realize that it takes time to grow a business—any investment. Slow and steady investing beats fast-draw investing.

http://www.amazon.com/Ensure-Your-Financial-Health-Wealth/dp/1466388293

DEM crazies

DEMs are running Bernie from Brooklyn with his common sense Agenda:
Address income and wealth inequality by demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes 

  Make quality health care a right for all Americans

  Raise the minimum wage to a living wage and make sure women are paid as much as men

  Make higher education affordable by ending tuition at all public colleges and universities and by substantially lowering interest rates on student debt 

  Expand and protect Social Security and Medicare 

  Have America lead the world in addressing the planetary crisis of climate change

  Take on Wall Street to restore sanity to our economy

Bernie will take votes from Hillary? Crazy! He has no millionaire PACs.

GOP crazies
GOP faces reality in some states—raise taxes to pay bills?

Even GOP must face facts sometimes. States have to pay bills and can’t print money so they must take personal responsibility (GOP theme). Cutting taxes in KS did not work. Businesses need good schools, roads, living wage, etc to be effective, despite what some GOP say. States do not have luxury of ideological standoff like Washington and can’t wait for the 2016 new regime.

GOP entry Pataki says "it is time to stand up, protect our freedom and take back this country." 25 candidates want to take back country from GOP Congress?

GOP Santorum wants flat tax and no regulations—careful what you wish for

Flat tax means most Americans will pay more and wealthy pay less! American workers actually pay about 18% of income with various deductions. Wealthy pay under 20% now. But we also pay SS, Medicare, DI, UC, FL, etc etc for total of 32.9%. Buffett pays 17.7%, Kerry and Romney pay 14%. Santorum’s plan is 10% or 28% but rich will pay capital gains rate of 12% down from 20%. He cuts corporate rate to 17.5% and manufacturers pay 0%. For most working Americans who already pay 10% or less, the other taxes would have to rise since the wealthy, who have no EARNED income, would pay 12% on their assets. Corporations that pay 0% now would keep profits overseas.

Santorum will cut regs on air, food, water, smoke, etc so pollution would grow!

TX is mobilizing against a military Coup d'etat by …  Obama?!

People are getting ready to take a stand against the Army with handguns. Media star Alex Jones is citing a plot by the Obama administration to declare martial law in Texas and take everyone’s guns. Rumors fuel paranoia and fear. The Gov and candidate Cruz are adding credibility. Is this just an NRA stunt to gain a million members? (The POLICE derailed a bill to allow people to openly carry handguns everywhere.)

TX asks for Obama help with flood relief after crying about too much government

Cruz promised to do all he could to ensure that Texans get access to the resources they need during the recovery. Rejected questions of global warming: He said: "the satellite data demonstrate that there has been no significant warming whatsoever for 17 years."

Is it rational to deny warming is happening?

Is a “smart” beta investment right for you?

“Smart beta is much more smart marketing than smart investing,” the legendary Dr. Burton Malkiel told his audience at Princeton. “I'm not a fan of smart beta,” declared the professor of economics, emeritus, and senior economist at Princeton University.  Malkiel is famous for his book A Random Walk Down Wall Street. Smart beta became a new marketing tool for the RAFI fundamentals-based indexes.

Compare the two indexes: http://www.amazon.com/Our-Tricks-Trade-beat-Street/dp/1490475362

Is the “fiduciary” rule important to you?

Let’s say you are leaving your job for another and you ask your advisor what to do with your 401k or other pension. Most salespeople will move your money to their firm’s high-cost mutual fund and promise your money will be safer in an annuity they are selling too. This sounds good until you retire and find the fees (2% for advisor and 2% for annuity) have cut your nest egg by 63%.  

Instead, a fee-only planner would compare your current holdings to a similar low-fee mutual fund. After assessing the tax implications of moving your money to your new employer vs staying put vs a rollover IRA, they would give you an unbiased cost benefit analysis. You would have the option of paying a one-time fee or ongoing fee for this.

You could compare the three options yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Tune-your-401k-EARN-Tax-FREE/dp/1490591028

Which investment option do you use for your 401k, 403b, IRA, any pension?

Use the Buffett strategy to maximize your pension. Become a Buffett millionaire.

Avoid fees that can take up to 63% of your total accumulations.

Maximize your pension: https://youtu.be/dZL_nV-Gh-s

SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!

We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.

We are building another military base for Japan at Henoko. Air Force Gen. Ronald Fogelman admitted that the Marines “serve no military function there. They don’t need to be in Okinawa to meet any time line in any war plan.”

Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083^[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.

We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.

Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay to defend themselves.

The War on Terror requires special forces attacks on top terrorists at their homes like Obama’s al-Amr May14 Abu kill. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. The troops we trained ran away, left our stuff—more costs. Former Saddam army now ISIS. We are wasting $4 billion a year on Afgan tribal rivalries; paying ransom to Al Qaeda; supporting corruption with our money.

Is your financial firm in trouble with government?

FINRA takes disciplinary actions against firms and individuals for violations of FINRA rules; federal securities laws, rules, and regulations; and the rules of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. - See more at:  

http://www.finra.org/industry/disciplinary-actions#sthash.0HrGoWmS.dpuf

NSA has records all our calls, BUT finding the needle in the haystack takes time

According to the New America Foundation, after NSA shared terrorist-suspect Moalin’s number with the FBI, the bureau waited two months to begin an investigation and wiretap his phone. FBI let Boston bombers go. Times SQ bomber found by street vendors not NSA. In the last 48 cases, more than half of the cases were initiated as a result of traditional investigative tools. The most common was a community or family tip to the authorities. Other methods included the use of informants, a suspicious-activity report filed by a business or community member to the FBI, or information turned up in investigations of non-terrorism cases. Patriot Act another Cheney deception?

Atlanta police-fire union screwed by Wall Streeters—jail time?

Regulators announced fraud charges against Gray Financial Group for their handling of the city's pension funds for police, firefighters, transit workers and other employees.

Laurence Gray and co-CEO Robert Hubbard IV steered public pension fund clients into an investment fund that did not comply with state law and collected more than $1.7 million as a result.

Regulators fine FL mortgage foreclosure firm

Hoffman Law Group is accused of using deceptive marketing practices and scamming distressed homeowners into paying illegal advance fees. Hoffman (formerly Residential Litigation Group), its operators, Michael Harper, Benn Willcox, and attorney Marc Hoffman, Nationwide Management Solutions, Legal Intake Solutions, File Intake Solutions, and BM Marketing Group, North Palm Beach, FL promised to save 2,000 homes from foreclosure.

None will go to jail and can move operations to another state.

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts 

Use the Buffett strategy to maximize your pension

Which investment option do you use for your 401k, 403b, IRA, any pension?

Use the Buffett strategy to maximize your pension. Avoid fees that can take up to 63% of your total accumulations.

Maximize your pension: http://youtu.be/taCOTU067qs (my first video)

Banks caught rate fixing and get NO jail time

Citibank and JPMorganChase as well as Barclays and Royal Bank Scotland pleaded guilty to antitrust violations stemming from their collusion to manipulate prices in the foreign exchange market over the course of five years, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday. Those banks and UBS have agreed to pay a total of $5.8 billion in fines. Citigroup and JPMorgan will keep their banking licenses and that criminal guilty pleas to collusion are not expected to have a material impact on their operations. Payments to the DoJ and Fed, are paid by stockholders, not the criminals. No punishment at all!

Supremes vote for worker—Employer must not screw us on fees

GOP-led court decided it was NOT appropriate for a multi-billion dollar plan to offer retail-class mutual funds that were way more expensive than comparable institutional-class funds. Employers, as 401(k) sponsors, have an ongoing fiduciary duty to monitor plan investments and remove imprudent ones. “The average person doesn’t necessarily know about the difference between institutional and retail fund fees; the fiduciaries are held to standards of knowing these matters; they’re the ones who should be monitoring and selecting funds with institutional fees,” says Jerome Schlichter, the plaintiff’s lawyer. “There are still billion-dollar-plus plans using retail funds.” Workers paying excessive fees over long periods reduces their potential nest egg by up to 63% according to John Bogle, Vanguard founder.

Low-fee funds beat high-fee funds at all times: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Mutual-Funds-retirement/dp/1481114026

ObamaCare vote by GOP-led Supremes may cut 10 million American’s benefits

As many as 10 million Americans in 37 states could be affected by the widely anticipated ruling, which is expected late June. GOP plans to limit tax exclusions on employer-provided health insurance to $12,000 for individual coverage and $30,000 for family coverage, dismantle Medicaid expansion and disallow us from purchasing health plans across state lines, according to The Washington Times.

Will the million-uninsured July march on Congress to keep their ObamaCare working?

GOP crazies

Leader Boehner’s disdain for questions of Congress inaction on train safety is proved wrong. GOP did NOT give Amtrak power to install safety system in Philly. GOP cut more than $1 billion from President Obama’s $2.45 billion Amtrak funding request the day after the derailment. Congress failed to provide the railroads access to the wireless frequencies required to make the [safety] system work, so Amtrak was forced to negotiate for airwaves owned by private companies that are often used in mobile broadband. But the railroad struggled for four years to buy the rights to airwaves in the Northeast Corridor that would have allowed them to turn the system on. Congress guilty!

Jeb says we can use Apple watch instead of ObamaCare. "You're diabetic, you can't do that," Bush said, mimicking what the watch says, for example. "Obamacare makes that journey even harder," he said, calling for the law to be repealed and replaced. "It's so complex and so big." Yet, Jeb and his donors have no alternative.

Will Bush pay the $800 for my health care watch? What if I have to go to hospital?

GOP candidates deny warming but are they smarter than NASA scientists?

NASA thinks another Antarctic slab as big as Scotland will melt by 2020. Will a GOP prez just ignore the NASA science? What about asteroid heading for earth? Would GOP even tell us if they don’t believe in astrophysics?

Clue: See if Rubiosells his waterfront property soon?

GOP in Ohio want to bring back poll tax made illegal by Supremes in 1966

A bill introduced last week would require many Ohio residents to pay an actual poll tax  $8.50 in order to vote citing voter fraud. But there have been only 17 of 5.6 million cases in Ohio 2012 election. As in PA, GOP says they can’t win unless they suppress the votes.

AZ dumps 2,700 kids from welfare—“get back to work”

Arizona will drop at least 1,600 families — including more than 2,700 children — from the state's federally funded welfare program on July 1, 2016. The cuts of at least $4 million reflect a prevailing mood among GOP lawmakers that welfare, Medicaid and other public assistance programs are crutches that keep the poor from getting back on their feet. Lawmakers can't live on $7.50 either. 

GOP looking to bring back child labor sweat-shops?

GOP Jindal will use Obama-style order to allow discrimination

Jindal (R) will sign an exec order to implement Louisiana’s proposed Marriage and Conscience Act which failed in the state’s house. Last year, Jindal ripped Obama for issuing executive orders:  “This is an arrogant, cynical political move by the President, and it’s why so many Americans no longer trust this President to solve the problems we face.”

But is it OK for Jindal?

GOP Christie living in another universe

Polls say his 65% negative rating among NJ residents was because they want him to stay as Gov.??!! After claiming “I knew nothing” of the bridge closing by his secretary and appointees, he tells NH voters that he knows the truth about Social Security. At dinner, he says he doesn’t give a sh___ about any of this.     

DEM crazies

Hillary’s baggage is heavy. What about Bernie and Liz?

Bernie introduced legislation to make college tuition-free. "We live in a highly competitive global economy and, if our economy is to be strong, we need the best-educated work force in the world. That will not happen if, every year, hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college, and if millions more leave school deeply in debt," The plan will provide tuition-free higher education to students at four-year colleges like European nations. 

Bernie and Liz have no big donors so they will never get elected, but … .

Are you ready to retire?

The average American’s assets less liabilities not counting their home totals less than $50,000 by age 65. Most of our net worth is tied up in our house. The median net worth for a person aged 70 to 74 drops to $31,823 from $181,078 when home equity isn't included. That means our home is usually paid for but we must live on average SS benefits of $1,294 a month or $15,500 a year. If we are married, that’s $30,000.

It is never too late to invest: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Spending-Plan-enough/dp/1461084016

Workers plan to “work till I drop” but don’t

Gallup survey found that only 1/3 workers aged 67-68 are still working. Many can’t find work or are unable to work, even part-time. Modern medicine has increased the life expectancy so living 30 years on Social Security and savings is becoming the norm.

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-leave-work-without-Retirement/dp/1511980982

Is dumping the debt (bankruptcy) right for you?

Business failure and health care expenses are the reasons for many older Americans picking this option. Chapter 7 erases debts that can never be paid back but the stigma can last. Despite learning to keep it secret from family and friends, your new life can eliminate the stress of collections. And bankruptcy is not the end of the world. One client paid $2,500 in deductible legal fees to discharge credit card debts totaling about $200,000 and was able to refinance their home mortgage at 3.25% and obtain new limited no fee credit cards just 5 years later. They had family income of about $80,000. They were able to keep their home worth $500,000 with mortgages of $300,000, two older cars and all their retirement accounts of about $550,000. They could not discharge their two mortgages or student loan debts. Each state has different laws about what is “exempt” property so a special lawyer is necessary.

IRS tax bill can be negotiated

If you prove you can’t pay now, IRS offers several solutions. Skip the private company offers to help you and go directly:  http://www.irs.gov/uac/New-IRS-Fresh-Start-Initiative-Helps-Taxpayers-Who-Owe-Taxes. You can stop some of the collection steps. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Offer-in-Compromise-1

Does your auto insurer overcharge you?

Most of us pay too much because we don’t shop and don’t ask for discounts. 84% of us don’t even ask. There are over 15 discounts from most insurers. Avoid duplicate coverage--life insurance, towing, low deductible, coverages you never collect on. Discounts can mean $22,000 over 10 years. I pay less every time I shop insurers.

http://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634

Star Trek depictions might be true!—matter goes in and comes out in other galaxy

Scientists think quantum paradox (particle pairs “talk” across galaxies) may explain how two black holes could be connected through far reaches of space through “wormholes.”
Read more: https://www.quantamagazine.org/20150424-wormholes-entanglement-firewalls-er-epr/#ixzz3aJGAcYZb

Nissan SUV tops crash tests but Leaf tops wholesale value loss list

Few SUVs got top marks. BMW and Lexus lost value too!

Cancer charities take Americans for $187 millions

The charities — the Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, Children’s Cancer Fund of America and the Breast Cancer Society — were created and controlled by the same network of people and led by James Reynolds Sr., the F.T.C. says. They stole $187 million in donations for personal expenses, in one of the largest charity fraud cases ever. Always check with Charity Navigator before giving.

Is life-term as bed-pan orderly at Gitmo too severe?

SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!

We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.

We are building another military base for Japan at Henoko. Air Force Gen. Ronald Fogelman admitted that the Marines “serve no military function there. They don’t need to be in Okinawa to meet any time line in any war plan.”

Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083^[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.

We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.

Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay to defend themselves.

The War on Terror requires special forces attacks on top terrorists at their homes like Obama’s al-Amr May14 Abu kill. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. The troops we trained ran away. Former Saddam army now ISIS. We are wasting $4 billion a year on Afgan tribal rivalries; paying ransom to Al Qaeda; supporting corruption with our money.

Regulators fine PayPal

Regulators charge PayPal a fine for illegally signing up consumers for its online credit product, PayPal Credit, formerly known as Bill Me Later. The CFPB alleges that PayPal deceptively advertised promotional benefits that it failed to honor, signed consumers up for credit without their permission, made them use PayPal Credit instead of their preferred payment method, and then mishandled billing disputes. 

Taking $3 million gets you 9 years; but crashing US system gets 0 years

A St. Louis-area investment advisor and financial radio show host Bryan Binkholder was sentenced to 9 years in prison for losing just $3 million that investors gave him to use as loans to real estate developers. Wall Street firms (big Congress donors) brought the system to the brink and not one of them went to jail. Median household wealth fell 35% from $106,591 to $68,839 between 2005 and 2011.^[32] Even the most visible criminal, Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide, taking $470 million paycheck, got no jail time.

Hell yes, big crime pays!

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts 

Foreign governments buy our "reps"

This is why our “representatives” can’t fix the railroads, bridges, roads

Foreign governments secretly buy our “reps” by giving money to “not-for-profits” who then pay for goodies. Congress people can say “I didn’t know.” Azerbaijan (N of Iran and E of Turkey) and several large energy companies sought exemptions for a $28 billion natural gas pipeline project in the Caspian Sea from U.S. economic sanctions being imposed on Iran. This is how our “reps” make decisions; not what is best for us.

When did you last buy your “rep” gifts to get a better deal for your family?

Perfect Graduation Gift

Every parent and grandparent has the same advice about achieving their money goals in life—I WISH WE HAD STARTED INVESTING SOONER. To get them started, they need to know why the greatest investor of our time Warren Buffett credits the Miracle of Compounding, NOT stock picking, as the reason for his wealth. Your graduate can turn $8 a day into a $250,000 Wealth Reserve in only 21 years, $1/2 Mil in 27. Einstein said, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” Their wealth can double every 7 years because of compound interest. Help them be successful: http://www.amazon.com/The-Simple-Financial-Life-paycheck/dp/1441499326

Take your maximum SS benefits before the GOP cuts them!

Top contenders for Prez want to limit our payout so make sure you get yours now. EG: John took 3/4ths benefits at age 62 because he had no job. His wife Liz was still working and wanted to go for the maximum at age 70. Liz filed for John’s spousal benefits at her full SS age of 66. Liz kept her own benefits growing with higher wages each year and at the same time, collected ½ John’s full benefits. This way John got his full benefits even though his SS amount will be reduced for the rest of his life. So together in 2013 they received $2,564 a month instead of just $1,542. When Liz turned 70 and still wanted to work, she received her max benefit. In 2015, she receives $2,709 and John receives his inflation-protected $1,580(-$100 tax) a month—annually $51,468—perhaps $1,411,360 over 20 years. Each year that Liz works, her SS benefit will increase as she adds another high-earning year to her SS account base. Her new benefits are recalculated each year on her new 35-year PIA base. Of course, because she and John have other income, they must pay tax on up to 85% of those benefits. Both were in lower-paying careers.

Take ALL your benefits before GOP does: http://www.amazon.com/Maximize-Social-Security-Benefits-Retirement/dp/1495439224

DEM crazies

Bernie Sanders will never be President but Americans love his policies. Health care without the F***ing paperwork, path to citizenship, fair tax for wealthy, bring troops home, break up banks, 2 years free education, cut corp election buying, tax carbon emissions, and use common sense again. Bernie even has simple solutions to the future SS benefits problem without GOP cuts. Bernie is a NOT Congressional millionaire and has no corporate donors so he can NEVER be Prez. Supremes decided cash buys winner.

Obama gives “green” to Shell to drill up Artic ice—Ms Palin can watch drill baby drill

Sign of a new direction or new gig for Obama after 2016? The Interior Department decision is a devastating blow to environmentalists, who have pressed the Obama administration to reject proposals for offshore Arctic drilling. Environmentalists say that a drilling accident in the icy and treacherous Arctic waters could have far more devastating consequences than the deadly Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010, when an oil rig explosion killed 11 men and sent millions of barrels of oil spewing into the water.

Do we need this oil now?

GOP crazies

Huckabee says he will not cut SS or Medicare but he shared no details—just trust him?

All the rest GOP want to cut benefits and give more to donor corporations/wealthy. GOP thinks the money we paid forward for these benefits are really “entitlements” like welfare, food stamps and corporate subsidies they change every year. The millionaire Congress still thinks we did not earn our benefits because we don’t have a big bank account like they do!

Bush III will use W (WMDs) as his guide on Middle East policy!?

Is he serious? Bush II was the one who invaded Iraq on false pretenses and fell for the BS about Saddam helping 9/11 terrorists. W’s people said invasion over in weeks and won’t cost us a single soldier. Iraq is the 2^nd longest war in US history after Afghan and has cost us 4,500 lives plus $3 TRILLION some of which went to Cheney’s Halliburton firm. Iraq lost 200,000 lives so far.

TX gone to the dark side?

Has far-right paranoia finally taken over a whole state? http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/05/05/watch-jon-stewart-rip-reaction-to-jade-helm-15-the-military-exercise-spawning-conspiracy-theories/

Christie can’t escape (“I didn’t know what staff doing”) his scandal in NH

NH pub audience asks how he could not know what his secretary is doing. Commentator asks isn’t revoking Social Security a Madoff-type “bate and switch”? Christie yells him down. Christie has given teachers’ pension money to his political supporters as “investment management fees”--$1.5 billion since 2010—double the usual rate—and still underfunded. He uses NJ state credit card to buy $76,373 in snacks at Wegmans Food Markets in 53 shopping runs and $82,000 at MetLife Stadium and NJ policy helicopter runs to son’s games. He vetoes environmental cleanup bill after taking EXXON’s $200 million instead of $9 billion judgment.

GOP budget includes repeal of ObamaCare with NO alternative for millions

Congress adopts a budget that will allow Republicans to repeal or revise ObamaCare. GOP set-up for failure in 2016?

We are given entertainment as “news”

It appears that our media industry has learned that there is money in “news” as entertainment. Most of what we call “news” is really HALF lies. Only the politically active takes “news” seriously—anchoring their political views in an aura of “facts.” America went thru the McCarthy period with politicos using “facts” to crucify the other side. We are there again. No one is looking out for America as America.

Is a hedge fund investment right for you?

Hedge funds are supposed to be where the big money sits, but their investors are NOT so happy now. Your pension money may be making the managers rich but that doesn’t help you. The top 25 hedge fund managers reaped $11.62 billion in compensation in 2014, according to Alpha magazine. Your pension fund would have earned 13.5% and 11% long term if they had stuck with a simple low-cost market index. "Professional money management is a gigantic rip-off," according to money manager Bill Gross.

You keep more when you pay less: http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Without-Wall-Street-Commissions/dp/1442168137

CR’s 5 best and worst picks—has your ride arrived?

I don’t see a Buick.

Is a certified non-commission advisor at 1/3 the cost right for you?

Vanguard has slashed the investment minimum for its Personal Advisor Services program that combines a human financial advisor and online features. Instead of the $500,000 minimum Vanguard requires only $50,000. A Vanguard financial advisor discusses your financial goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. A certified advisor creates a custom-tailored financial plan consisting of a portfolio of Vanguard mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The annual fee is 0.30% of your assets, plus the fees for funds contained in your portfolio. Admiral Share funds cost between 0.05 to 0.19 percent. Vanguard will limit the all-in costs to roughly 0.45 percent.

Pay less—keep more: http://www.amazon.com/Vanguards-Top-Ten-mutual-funds/dp/150073909X

Was your child paying half of your support when they passed?

You can collect a parent SS benefit of 80% of your child’s future SS benefit. Even if you are receiving your own SS benefits, you can collect the larger of the two amounts. Check https://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ssa-7.html or call 1-800-772-1213.  

Zimmerman gets shot this time—FL menace?

Zimmerman was involved in more gun violence this week. After getting off for killing an unarmed black teen going home from the store, Zimmerman was shot by another driver who he had had some dispute with before. Violence seems to be his way.

SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!

We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.

We are building another military base for Japan at Henoko. Air Force Gen. Ronald Fogelman admitted that the Marines “serve no military function there. They don’t need to be in Okinawa to meet any time line in any war plan.”

Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083^[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.

We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.

Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay to defend themselves.

The War on Terror requires SEALS’ attacks on top terrorists at their homes. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. The troops we trained ran away. Former Saddam army now ISIS. We are wasting $4 billion a year on Afgan tribal rivalries; paying ransom to Al Qaeda; supporting corruption with our money.

BoAmerica gives Justice Dept B.S. instead of mortgage relief

Patti Coleman, a Florida borrower, received a letter from Bank of America this year. In it, the bank told Ms. Coleman it was pleased to approve her “for a full principal forgiveness” of $54,732 in a home equity line of credit. Citing the Justice Department settlement as the impetus for the letter, the bank said she would “no longer owe” that amount. But Ms. Coleman has not owed this money since she filed for personal bankruptcy in 2010. “In my Chapter 7 filing, the debt was extinguished,” she said in an interview on Tuesday. “They can’t come back to me and try to collect.” There are many cases in which Bank of America ends up claiming credit for such loan forgiveness actions under the Justice Department deal.  The bank receives extra credit under the settlement — more than one dollar for every dollar of loans “forgiven.”

G.M.’s Ignition Switch Death Toll Hits 100—murders that GM got away with!

The toll far exceeds the 13 victims that G.M. had said last year were the only known fatalities linked to ignitions that could suddenly cut off engine power and disable airbags.

And as the number of victims mounts, the ignition-switch crisis is cementing its status as one of the deadliest automotive safety issues in American history. There are still 37 death claims and 589 injury claims that are under review, the fund said. The new GM says it is not liable for the deaths since the old GM went bankrupt.

Greatest murder cover-up in auto history.

Nationwide is “on your side” until it cost them money

Nationwide Mutual Insurance, whose slogan is “on your side,” will pay regulators $8 million fine because it delayed orders and changed the price of your mutual funds AFTER your purchase.  

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts 

Your taxes went to Chevron and then back to Boehner

Your taxes go to Chevron which gave $3.5 million to Boehner’s PAC

Chevron paid $3.5 million to Big Oil's preferred congressional candidates including Leader Boehner’s Congressional Leadership Fund. But Federal law prohibits government suppliers from making campaign contributions. Now the Federal Election Commission refused to enforce the law against Chevron. Chevron says the Chevron that accepts government money and the Chevron that engages in election spending are two different Chevrons. Chevron uses over 1,000 subsidiaries to provide $15 million to politicians. Foreign dictators can donate to PACs via subsidiaries too. If you don’t have $3.5 million to buy elections, keep your tax money out of politics.

Pay your fair share: http://www.amazon.com/Tax-Shelter-for-Americans/dp/1500426520

Your taxes provide EXCELLENT bonuses to Donors—Are you a donor?

You have given huge tax refunds to GE, BankAmerica, Chevron, Boeing, Valero, Goldman, Citi while they are clearly making profits. They don’t pay taxes even though they can’t hide ALL their incomes overseas like many others. How do they do it? They just happen to be some of the largest DONORS to our “reps” in Washington. Is it surprising to learn some of our “reps” are multimillionaires? Are you shocked to learn they have “insider” information on the stock market? Former GOP leader Cantor deleted requirements from the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act in 2012 so now they can use insider info legally. Stop giving them refunds.

http://www.amazon.com/Tax-FREE-Income-000-tax-free/dp/1477472584

Are you glad you moved your money to low-cost index funds—60% vs. 20%?

Buffett has a 10-year running bet with the hedge fund managers at Protégé Partners about whether hedge funds can beat a low-cost S&P index fund, and the bet is now in its eighth year. Cumulatively the S&P 500 was up more than 63 percent, while the hedge funds gained only 19.6 percent.

What does your advisor say about that? http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Without-Wall-Street-Commissions/dp/1442168137

GOP crazies

Three more are running—Neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina—for president. Evangelist Huckabee makes three. Christie can make it a B dozen if Adelson believes he didn’t know his staff was in BridgeGate. Low odds given.

GOP candidate Carson says "You know Obamacare is really I think the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery." Former surgeon is thinking about his professional fees going down not about 11 million poor with coverage now.

GOP TX Gov has banned TX town from banning fracking in their town—talk about Big-government over-reach.

GOP candidate Graham thinks he can win by cutting Medicare

Sen. Lindsey Graham, SC says “I’m going to ask [people] to give up a little bit to make sure the system doesn’t fail.” “If we don’t, the baby boomers are going to wipe out Medicare and Social Security. We’ll become Greece.” This scare tactic won’t work since Americans know Congress gives benefits to corporations and rich that give them money. It is BS to say Americans will need to pay more taxes while more corporations and wealthy pay less. We already pay 30% of income on average while they pay 15% or less.  GOP needs to read “We the people …” again.

Christie creds in the toilet

In 2011, Christie promised to pay billions of dollars into the state's woefully underfunded pension system, while public sector unions agreed to cuts in benefits. "This is what catapulted him to the national arena. Now [that he reneged,] it's really hard to reclaim that mantle." Unions gave; but Christie did NOT. Spent $1 m for PR report about himself. Gave EXXON a $9 billion gift. Blames his secretary for Bridge scandal.

TX hates Obama so much they think he has sends Army to invade Texas

Gov calls out State Guard to protect TX from Special Forces. Many are ready to fight with real guns. Defense officials Monday dismissed as “wild speculation” an Internet-fueled claim that a massive summertime exercise called Jade Helm 15 for special operations commandos is a covert operation by President Barack Obama to take over Texas. Chuck Norris warns Army. McCarthy period returns to US. McCarthy used fear to gather support for political action.

GOP leader Cruz blames Obama for race unrest, Baltimore, etc, etc, etc.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday blamed President Barack Obama for the racial tensions and unrest unrolling across the U.S., including the current turmoil in Baltimore.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Supremes taking America farther right?

GOP Supremes agreed to review Obama regs to encourage efficiency in the electricity market. Really, against efficiency or just for coal? Separately, Supremes ruled against a homeowner’s bankruptcy plan to pay even though Uncle Sam and Bank of America backed the homeowner.

Where are you putting your RMD?

Every person over age 70 has to start liquidating their IRA, 401k, 403b and most tax-deferred accounts. If you are still working and contributing to your plan, you can wait until you retire to start your RMD. You have no choice but to pay the tax you owe on your RMDs as your account is still growing. You can’t avoid tax by rolling over an RMD into another account. However to avoid future tax on future gains when you don’t need the money, you can deposit it—less the tax—into a tax-FREE Roth IRA. This money grows and earnings are tax FREE from then on (after Roth opened 5 years). The principal is always available for emergencies. You can even leave the account tax-FREE to heirs if you don’t need it for later health or custodial care.

This is your Retirement Income Insurance policy: http://www.amazon.com/Don-leave-work-without-Retirement/dp/1511980982/

Does your advisor’s financial plan cost 0.45% or less?

Vanguard has slashed the investment minimum for its Personal Advisor Services program that combines interaction with a human financial advisor and online features.

Instead of the $500,000 minimum Vanguard requires only $50,000. A Vanguard financial advisor discusses your financial goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Then the advisor creates a custom-tailored financial plan consisting of a portfolio of Vanguard mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The annual fee is 0.30% of your assets, plus the fees for funds contained in your portfolio. Admiral Share funds cost between 0.05 to 0.19 percent. The company’s goal is to limit the all-in costs to roughly 0.45 percent.

Pay less—keep more: http://www.amazon.com/Vanguards-Top-Ten-mutual-funds/dp/150073909X

Healthcare exchanges target part-timers to fill niche

Most private health care exchanges are geared toward active employees. But Tampa, Fla.-based Brown Insurance Group has an eye on part-timers who may have lost coverage or who never had access to group plans. Eric Brown, principal, explains how his private exchange allows employers nationwide to provide coverage to such employees through an exchange-like environment. Brown Insurance also assists with Healthcare.gov enrollment. Many businesses run on part-timers so this may help provide some coverages but price can be the problem. ObamaCare comes with subsidy. 

Compare and save: http://www.amazon.com/Health-Insurance-ONLY-right-policy/dp/1480125083

Are credit union accounts right for you?

Join the Defense Department CU and enjoy paid checking, free ATMs and lower loan rates. Pay bills online. What is not to like? You don’t wait on line for teller. Other national CU you can join and save: http://www.kiplinger.com/printslideshow.php?pid=9969

Is your debt past the limit—know your rights

Use the statute of limitations map provided below to determine your state’s debt collection time limits. Ask for full proof you have not already paid a bill that is really yours. Make a settlement offer. Claim insolvency or medical emergency to delay full payment. Get help at low-income legal office. Ask for Hardship Repayment Plan option. Has collector overstepped the bounds?  http://www.credit.com/debt/statutes-of-limitations/

Delete your questionable persona before job hunt?

Is it worth it to have a pro try to get rid of your past indiscretions? Only you know if it is worth $129 at DeleteMe: https://www.abine.com/deleteme/landing.php Most firms will do a background on you for most executive positions so it may help you. You can request “opt out” at major data sellers like Spokeo and Intelius. You just don’t know who has what and did they really delete it. Good luck. Even Congress people are being taped by the NSA and others. 

Lexus again all round best brand—surprise—Kia over BMW?

The Consumer Reports 2015 Car Brand Report Cards ranks automakers across the world by reliability, road test performance and other factors. For the second year in a row, Lexus topped the list, nearly matched by Mazda, and followed by Toyota and Audi. CR also predicts which are likely to go the distance (200K miles). The bottom of the list included Ford, Dodge, Mini, Jeep and Fiat. Benz beat Scion?

SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!

We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.

We are building another military base for Japan at Henoko. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogelman admitted that the Marines “serve no military function. They don’t need to be in Okinawa to meet any time line in any war plan.”

Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083^[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.

We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.

Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay to defend themselves.

The War on Terror requires SEALS’ attacks on top terrorists at their homes. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. The troops we trained ran away. We are wasting $4 billion a year on Afgan tribal rivalries; paying ransom to Al Qaeda; supporting corruption with our money.

Agents are pushing “Secret Presidents/Congress” accounts

It is just life insurance with big commissions. Yes, you can put a lot of cash in a life insurance plan set up to a build large cash legacy. You are told it is tax-FREE to heirs and you can earn 5% on your money. This is how wealthy people can leave money to heirs. They must be put into a trust to avoid estate tax. These policies may violate IRS definition of life insurance if they put in too much. It then becomes a MEC which is taxed like an annuity. The expenses are high but are smaller than the tax bill could be. For most people, this is NOT the best alternative. The IRS allows us to leave assets to heirs tax-FREE to the heirs on a “stepped-up” basis. Heirs pay no tax on these assets until the asset accumulates its own gains for the new owner. 

Brokers sell without disclosing all fees and risks—Fiduciary rule breaking

LPL Financial Holdings Inc must pay $11.7 million for "widespread supervisory failures," including sales of a risky type of exchange traded fund and other complex securities. Brokers sell variable annuities without disclosing surrender fees, charges, etc.
 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ 07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alert