Your Unbiased Advisor: How is your 401k?

How is your 401k?

Fidelity published the average balance by age. Each of us is at different financial stages so averages don’t mean much. Most of us have SS benefits to add to our total. The average benefit today is $1,342 a month which will increase by a COLA if Congress passes an increase each year. The average monthly income that could be produced from the balance for a 65 year old ($200,000) is about $700 a month in today’s purchasing power. Unless we plan on receiving a pension of sorts or working longer, $2,000 a month from each spouse may not be enough. Plus, we all know that you can never have too much. We need to consider how we can improve our situation with tax-FREE savings. This parking lot attendant did it by following his Mom’s advice.

Now we can create tax-FREE income: https://www.amazon.com/Tax-FREE-Retirement-code-lifetime-income/dp/1475206976

Why are wages the same as in 1985?

Inflation over the last 40 years has left most of us with the same Buying Power as of 1985 down from 1968. What happened? Automation and technology have left many jobs on the ‘shop floor.’ In 1985, as manager of about 40 people, I oversaw the computerization project of our entire process. My 4 assistants could make decisions immediately from weekly reports that told us what was happening (and wasn’t). Within 10 years, every change or entry made by now 20 staff since those in the field entered data once on a network computer and not reentered by my office staff. In my next job, I got the suppliers of our products to make the data entry. They streamlined the process so there were no more paper copies of customer contracts to be signed or filed. In my next job, most of the data entry was by the customer and by scanning bar codes. I no longer had a receptionist/secretary. I could run meetings and consult with direct reports by phone anytime day (or night, in a pinch). Meanwhile, my salary and bonus were doubled and my boss’ quadrupled. Today CEOs have compensation 500 times that of line workers—up 1,279%. The value we created per person using machines provided gains for senior execs and stockholders. Buying Power wages have not changed. We work 2 jobs.

I use an IRS-OK tax-shelter to keep more: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Tax-Haven-Tax-FREE-Americans/dp/1482659441

Can we afford NOT to have Medicare for All?

The rate of bankruptcy has increased 204% since 1991 often because of health care costs. This 87 year old is going to be in the truck next to you in order to pay his wife’s medical bills. Is this what we want to do in retirement? There is enough money in

America

to pay for health care! It’s just sitting in the accounts of the top 10% fellow Americans trying to pay as little tax as possible. For instance, some of the Billionaires are paying only 17% total tax—about HALF the amount of the middle-class worker. Mitt Romney and John Kerry paid less than 15%. Most of the highest net worth Americans are paying a fortune to lawyers to reduce the amount they pay every year—using legal and illegal means. The IRS just gave the wealthy with money overseas a discount on their taxes if they declare with the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program. Trump and the GOP have proposed letting the wealthy delay paying the RMD tax. They allowed “junk” insurance to be sold which is cheap because it does not cover all expenses. The GOP continues to pay socialized supports to the oil gas agriculture and mining industries. So

America

can afford it if we chose: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Socialism-for-Rich-only-little-people-pay/dp/1535218584

How can you avoid SCAMS in financial services?

Wall Street is a ‘war’ zone! We must enter this war zone with the protection of knowledge. We could lose all our lifelong savings in one trade. Brokers and advisors have weapons that can 'kill' us financially. They are hidden behind lies, exaggerations, obfuscations and straight-out fraud like faking our signature. Half-truths and our assumptions and greed are also at play. These are our 'soft' underbelly targets. There are warning signs but most SCAM situations require us to be knowledgeable and to check every move. My first day as a manager at a security firm I was told: ‘brokers are [car] salesman.’ Our future life is at stake and yet we give strangers our money so easily.

Take Buffett’s advice: https://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Scams-Brokers-Advisors-Sender-ebook/dp/B07GZ1WSP1/

Wealthy take a dive into CLO again: mortgage loan disaster taught us nothing!

The superrich pouring $ millions into collateralized loan obligation. CLOs means possible bank failure again. They are after the possible double-digit returns. But dissenters have raised questions about whether the frenetic pace of sales is spurring reckless behavior just as the prospect of an economic downturn looms over an increasingly leveraged corporate

America

. Yes, history could repeat itself when you transform riskier company loans into bonds of varying risk and reward and then promote them with “every smart rich person owns them.” One promoter says “you only have issues if … you have losses.” Yes! These sub-investment-grade rating loans are mixed with equity so they may pay better if you wait. Returns on CLO equity can range from 12% to a remarkable 20%, standing out in credit markets where corporate bonds have delivered little or negative returns this year. Banks think they understand the risks just like last time. Remember we taxpayers had to bail them out—even foreign banks—and that makes bankers ‘adventure’ capitalists for FEES.

Protect your investments in a tax-FREE trust: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300

We are paying an extra $14 billion a year in broker fees thanks to Trump

New report compares the fees we pay under Obama’s vs Trump’s fiduciary rules. The report examines the stock prices of 36 publicly traded brokerage, mutual fund and life insurance companies, finding they lost a total $14 billion in value as a direct result of the Obama fiduciary rule. It mandated that sellers offer the ‘best’ product to retirement account clients. “The profitability and value of investment firms is reduced by the inability to collect conflict-of-interest fees." In other words, firms did not receive $14 B in fees from us on our money during the Obama period. Obama saved us about $17 billions a year. This was mainly annuity commissions which are definitely NOT products in your BEST interest but in the firm’s best interest. Firms have plenty of costs that must be passed on to us one way or another.

Avoid their fees: https://www.amazon.com/Pimps-Wall-Street-money-middlemen/dp/151525254X

Will you owe tax penalty in 2019?

Trump’s new law is effective in 2018. If your property tax or state income tax is over $10,000, you are going to owe more because you can’t deduct these taxes anymore. If you are used to deducting employee expenses and 9 others, you may also owe. The IRS notice 182 says you may have a penalty if you owe more than $1,000 next April. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners and S corporation shareholders, may need to pay quarterly installments of estimated tax unless you owe less than $1,000 when you file your tax return or you had no tax liability in the prior year. Other taxpayers who may need to make estimated payments include someone who:

has more than one job but doesn’t have each employer withhold taxes.
is self-employed.
is an independent contractor.
is a representative of a direct-sales or in-home-sales company.
participates in sharing economy activities where they are not working as employees.

Make estimated payment by Sept 17 with Form 1040-ES page 11.

Start your tax shelter now: https://www.amazon.com/Tax-Shelter-Young-Americans/dp/1500426520

Insurers want to put annuities into 401k for more fees

Pro: They argue that annuities are the “only savings vehicle that carry a guaranteed, contracted, lifetime income stream, outside of Social Security and pension benefits.” Con: 401k accounts already delay taxes on the gains. Annuities costs are high compared to the alternative—IRA which also delays taxes. The IRS already mandates a lifetime income stream. It is called an RMD calculated by your IRA trustee who doesn’t charge for this service. IRAs are protected from creditors like annuities. The guaranteed benefit misses the point of having income for life. The income is usually cut in half because of inflation. You may begin with $1,000 a month at age 65 but it will buy HALF the goods you need by age 85. 401k accounts are run by your employer meeting certain fiduciary standards. Annuities are not. To guarantee a lifetime income stream is a process best left to an experienced planner over time so you can make adjustments to your investment mix as needed. Annuities protect insurers not you.

Don’t give up 3% annuity fees: https://www.amazon.com/NO-Cost-Annuity-Years-Income/dp/1508487308

Where is your increased income?

Census says: Middle-class income rose to the highest recorded levels in 2017 and the national poverty rate declined as the benefits of the strong economy lifted the fortunes of more Americans. The median

U.S.

household earned $61,372 last year, meaning half of the families in the country brought in more income than this and half earned less. But the nerds say median income last year was not statistically different from 1999 or 2007. A change in methodology in 2013 makes precise comparisons difficult. All the income figures have been adjusted for inflation and are reported in 2017 dollars. Here is the rub: “The extra pay from having another person in the home working is the largest factor contributing to the increase in income.” Our wages did not go up! We are just working more hours. Americans living in official poverty stayed at over 12%. Remember, earned income is the Gross number not cash in pocket. Our health care costs went up. Fewer people can afford a house or rent because property costs have ballooned. Young people with school loans went back home since they can’t afford the basics of family life. And the worst is yet to come: Who will pay for the $1.3 Trillion deficit this year? Not the wealthy! Most of the tax breaks mean they will pay less in the future: $21.3 Trillion.

Avoid their taxes legally: https://www.amazon.com/Pay-No-Taxes-in-Retirement-legally/dp/1507527977

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Make

~~America~~

, “The Don”, Great Again

Senile Psychosis

Two

Americas

: A Banana Republic? Do we really want an infant king? Daddy Putin!

McGahn is ‘lodestar’: Told Trump ‘NO’ - saved Mueller!

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How Govt wastes our money: Congress spends $1.3 Trillion we don’t have!