Friday, April 14, 2017

Investment fees are killing your retirement

Your investment fees are killing your retirement nest egg
Another study shows that we are paying Wall Street for no advantage over lower cost funds. Americans give up at least $17 billion a year by choosing expensive investments within their workplace retirement plans, according to a recent report from New York-based RiXtrema. Many investors are fleeing their high-cost funds and some fund providers are getting the message. BlackRock, Schwab and Fidelity reset their fee structure after Vanguard taking in $2 billion a DAY. Over time, retirement total funds could improve by 40% due to compounding the difference. Earning 10% a year instead of 8.5% (1.5% to advisor) means $570,000 versus $415,000 at $250 month for 30 years.


Where would you hide your capital to avoid taxes?
A new study shows that the wealthy use two methods to avoid paying their fair share: “Sinks” and "Conduits." Conduits facilitate the tax-free routing of capital to secretive destinations—the U.K., the Netherlands, Ireland, Singapore and Switzerland. "Sinks" attract and retain foreign capital. The network analysis identified 24 of these -- most notably Luxembourg, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. Why doesn’t the IRS and Congress go look for these people who avoid taxes if they know where the money goes? “Follow the money.” Maybe some Congress people are enabling the tax evaders. You and I cannot hide our capital overseas because we don’t have those high cost lawyers and tax specialists. Maybe Congress does not want to find and jail these “friends” in high places. Now you can avoid paying their taxes.


Do the people who “made a killing on Wall Street” eventually go to jail?
When you hear about the guy who claims a fortune by brilliant trading of stock, watch and see if they go to jail. Usually these “brilliant” traders have information you don’t and can’t have. The chairman of the broker dealer legal authority went to jail. The famous Wolf of Wall Street is a felon. Bill Walters, sports gambler, made more than $40 million from 2008 to 2014 by realizing profits and avoiding losses. How? By using nonpublic information from a board member of Dean Foods. He may go to jail after years in court. Martha Stewart did her time. She lied about her insider information. Without insider information, a person or algorithm would need to know all there is to know about a company AND all future events of the world. Everyone thought Enron was making money the old fashioned way. They were not. Only Congress uses insider information legally. Many of our Reps have gotten rich that way. Their backers also use insider info to get richer. Those who actually create fortunes have to work at their idea (Bezos sold many books by mail) or make savvy purchases of unrecognized valuable companies (Buffett) when others are selling them. Invest, don’t gamble on a ‘sure’ thing.

Who are the Trump-Russian contacts?
House Committee member chart of the investigation of collusion with a foreign power: https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties. Even the president’s son-in-law does not seem to understand that everyone—even family—is subject to the law. Like Flynn, Jared did not disclose his secret meetings with a foreign power. Worse, while making a secret deal with Iraq, Jared is in the middle of a deal with a Chinese insurer which has ties to the Communist Party members. Meanwhile Jared is dealing directly with President Xi Jinping of China at dinner on 6 April in the Winter Palace. Are all these deals between the ‘royal family’ and foreigners just a coincidence? Is not a private audience with Xi a lever for Jared in the China insurer deal? Jared and Ivanka have many conflicts of interest here. Is the Trump administration/campaign in trouble because members are hanging out with Russian spys, mobsters and criminals? Why would Trump hire known Russian spies and agents of foreign powers like FlynnManafort and Page? Why would Russian mobster pay Trump double for FL property? Can China trust a guy with all these secret ties to Russia? Can we trust him? Why hide if innocent?  Who benefits?
Putin would benefit from a missile war with N. Korea and Syria.

GOP creates America’s next phase: Banana Republic
The Ryan tax structure would move America to the economic structure favored by South American countries: tax our spending. Ryan pushes the border tariff which means we pay more when we buy imports, including cars and things that contain imported parts. Trump would claim Mexico paid for The Wall this way. Ryan could then slash income taxes for the wealthy and their corporations. But wait! Let’s look at the results of taxing our spending. According to the experiences of countries using this method, revenue falls because everyone evades tax by using the black market. Consumption taxes hit the poor hardest. Most of us spend all of our income so we would pay this regressive tax—more spent, more tax, higher tax rate. Wealthy people save or invest most of their income so they pay the least tax rate. They have many ways to avoid the income and consumption tax. For instance, their business could buy expensive items so they would pay no “consumption” tax. Their firm could provide home, cars, air travel, clothes, etc etc. Right now, a corporate CEO does not pay tax on most of their compensation because most of it is in a deferred comp plan, percs, benefits, severance and stock options. Exemptions, deductions and loopholes we don’t even hear about cut their share of taxes even more.


The Don could make a deal for a new American health care world
Health care costs are out of control. We created and make drugs in the US but then pay $124 for the same formula that cost $6 in New Zealand, including shipping. Why does a hip replacement cost $7731 in Spain and over $40,000 here? Same artificial hip and it costs $350 to make in the US. Is health care only for the rich? Is good health a matter of luck of birth or does society have an obligation to provide AFFORDABLE access to all? Is health care a commodity like a TV or a right like fresh air? Can I really go shopping in the marketplace for a good quality hospital, doctor or drug price? When I have an illness or emergency, I could not find out the prices even if I had time to look for them. In my neighborhood, there is just 1 ER, 1 lab, 1 gastroenterologist covered by my insurance. My insurer’s clerk decides what care I receive. Are we wasting our resources by giving Congress people and millionaires enhanced spending for care while the rest of us do without basic care? Is Leader Ryan really shopping for his health care like he advocates for me? Trump said drug companies were “getting away with murder” because they had “a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power,” insisting he would get Medicare to bargain. Is it ethical for the rich to obtain care from the best physician in their specialty and I obtain poor quality care from the worst? That is the mark of a separate class society—a banana republic ruled by and for the wealthy families. One class receives all the benefits and the rest get priced out of a quality life. Trump gave up his promise to cut prices after meeting with those CEOs and lobbyists in power.

How to assure your child has enough when Social Security is cut
Every year, the actuaries calculate how long our benefits will last. Actually Social Security does not have any money. Current benefits come from current contributions from workers who make less than $127,200. If Trump actually sends all the 11 million working people who lack documents home, SS benefits will have to be cut sooner. When your child is ready to retire, the benefits will be less. They will need a retirement supplement. Company pensions will be a relic of the past. They will probably need money to live on. Luckily, you can provide it by taking advantage of the miracle of compounding. Your investment in successful companies today will produce 100 times the value later. Invest $1,000 every year for 20 years and they will have $1 million later. http:/www.SaferChild.org/power.  Or invest a lump sum and see how many years it takes to reach your goal using the stock market average of 11%:  compounding calculator.

Last chance to avoid penalty for late filing
Due date to file is Tuesday Apr 18. Us the free software to file federal and pay $14 for state. Fill in data from 2016 online and compare to 2015 to avoid errors. https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp
No need to be overcharged by paid preparers. Even if you make a mistake, you won’t have penalty for not filing.





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We have entered the Twilight Zone:
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadowbetween science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone" where “alternative facts” and illusions of conspiracies are lived out. Lies are considered true. Incompetence is praised. Truth is what the loudest voice says it is over and over.  
Rod Serling


GOP cuts programs of folks who have no power to oppose cuts. Cowardly. The Don does not like diplomacy, aid to poor, US environment or culture, finding cures for disease, transportation and education programs.
19 Agencies you may use being cut from American society: The Don does not like Meals on Wheels, Sesame St. NPR radio, Arts, Miners retraining, Seniors volunteers for poor, Americorp youth help poor,  62 in all for $343 billion

What GOP does NOT cut:
No cuts to subsidies to Boeing, GE, Intel, Nike, Shell, Fiat, GM, Ford, hundreds more.
No cuts to United Airlines subsidy even after rip a paying customer from his seat.


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Lies or “Alternative facts” of The Don: Promises (lies) and Actual outcomes:



End to Roe v Wade? Gun registration? Industrial regulations?
Extreme Supreme passed Senate using $10 millions in TV ad campaigns from: the Koch network, The National Rifle Association, Leading evangelical and anti-abortion groups.

What was the message? 60 missile strikes and Syria attacks his people again next day.             Media & GOP likes president ‘better’ during war.
Forget fighter bunkers; let’s bomb Assad’s palace so he gets the message
Trump will occupy Syria after regime change like Iraq?
“There's not any sort of option where a political solution is going to happen with Assad at the head of the regime," Ambassador Haley said
“I think the Trump administration are beginning to realize that Russia is not a force for good in the world," retired Adm. James Stavridis

GOP feedback: The Wall at $22-$40 Billion is too expensive—get Mexico money first


Surprise! The Don’s promises of a Great America are confusing to Americans.

It’s technology’s fault, Don: General merchandise stores shed 34,700 jobs in March

It’s solar NOT coal energy, Don: China leads in solar panel production not coal mining.




The Don Undoes Obama Student Loan Protections: Lenders say need more profit!





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Regulators are the only protection against corporations since we can’t sue anymore

FCC Chairman bans your phone at higher altitude bec/ he does not like the noise.

We need regulation—GOP wrong—companies/cities wouldn’t fix bad products on own
GM killed 124 because ignition switch pin not replaced after knew it killed first in 2006.


Police want gun control.
When everyone has guns; your chance of being killed goes up. Police don’t know who to shoot. They assume everyone has one and shoot first. You and thief have guns. CO schools now allow teachers/administrators to carry guns in the classroom. Kid lesson! Since 2015, police have killed 86 people with realistic looking FAKE guns--suicide?

Father kills son in dispute 8:20 AM "who was going to walk the dog." Dodge City knew you can’t trust hot heads with guns.

SCAMS:
Buying your tax return data costs $50.
“Tax filing information is probably the most premium type of record criminals can buy on the underground,” said IBM’s Kessem, who has been tracking this world for eight years. “It goes for $40 or $50, and unlike credit cards, never expires. People can try and get loans in someone’s name, make fake IDs in people’s names, get credit.” And of course, the top target is filing a tax return in someone's name and getting the refund.


Ignoramus Award: What does Trump hide?
WH demands briefing without recording cameras so world cannot see QA statement.

How our government wastes our money:
$60 million for Syrian airport attack Raytheon gets $1.4 million each--no volume discounts and Syrian leader still has chemical weapons for next time. CIA and EU members helped Syria get and make more chemical weapons. 
The Wall at $22-$40 Billion is too expensive—get Mexico’s money first
ATF charges personal items to govt account using our taxes for their holidays.
Navy Seals on drugs and training stopped. Hiding problem does not solve it. 

Where have all the jobs gone?
To internet stores: General merchandise stores shed 34,700 jobs in March

Which job board sites are best for your job search?



Cancel Robo calls with Mr NoMoRobo: https://www.nomorobo.com/


Miracle:
Pope opens free Laundromat for dignity of poor

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