What can your investments do for you?
Most retail investors have no idea what they should expect
from their money over time. Sure, everyone says they want to be
rich—tomorrow—like the lottery. Well, if you have played the lottery, you know
it is just an additional tax. Odds of winning big prizes are greater than you
becoming a star athlete. The most successful investors are those who follow the
advice of legends like Warren Buffett and John Bogle. Buffett used Bogle’s
low-cost 500
Index to beat
the 5 hedge funds run by a Wall Street guru. Buffett used a low-cost 500
large company index because you are almost guaranteed the highest return over
time that way. Buffett relied on the compounding of high earnings with low
costs over more than 10 years to be assured his wager of $1 million won. Over
time, your investment in a low-cost
index fund of large companies will be more successful than the average
brokerage account owner. Are there exceptions? Sure, but you
won’t know until AFTER you lose money to the index. 11% over 30 years can
compound your $250 a month 401k or IRA money into $1 million or more. Buffett
picked Vanguard’s
500 Index because of the record: One year 31%; 3 year 15%; 5 year 11%; 10
year 13%; 11.15% since 1976. As Bogle said: "Don't
look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack."
If you own a business, almost everything is deductible: pay
$0 tax like Don
Our tax system has
been set up to favor business. As you learned from our
president, he has used the rules to pay ZERO or near zero taxes for years.
He says that makes him smart. Looking at his most recent tax law changes, one
thing is clear, the wealthy and most business
don’t pay tax or pay very little compared to the average tax burden of 33.9%
for the middle-class working stiffs. In America , we are better
off running a business than working for one. The IRS even lets us reduce
our income from business losses so we pay less. However, there are rules
for a small business. Rules you need to know include the 50% limit on deduction
for meals, no
write-off for unpaid invoices, not all startup costs are deductible, not
all fringe benefits are deductible, and you can’t deduct if you can’t prove you’re
in it for the profits, like Trump. With the internet, it is relatively easy to learn what
you need to know on the tax side of the business. You can’t assume
anything. Be prepared to pay dearly for tax prep if you can’t do your own
business taxes.
Longevity risk: it’s all in the genes
Many folks are living longer. Family genes provide a general
rule: if you parents lived past the average age of 79,
you probably will too. Most are not prepared to finance 20-30 years of
retirement income. About 1 in 3 65-year-olds
today will live past age 90, and about 1 in 7 will live past age 95. The
standard advisor answer is putting your money into an annuity since they
promise to pay a monthly income for the rest of your life. Sounds good but did
they explain that inflation will take half the buying power of your monthly
income in about 20 years? Insurers price their products at the current low interest rate.
Right now you can receive $524 a month with a payment of $100,000 if you are a
male age 65. You can’t ‘outlive’ this $524 but by age 85 it will only buy $250
worth of goods. If that $100,000 represented the bulk of your assets, what do
you do now? Instead you could take income and keep growing your assets for
later. Annuities
were fine in the last century when people died by age 68: Not fine now
unless you are the seller!
Consider your alternatives: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Annuity-Strategy-Income-Growth/dp/1497532019
Your employer will now guess at your monthly retirement
income
The SECURE Act requires retirement plan sponsors to tell
workers how much their current savings will generate in monthly annuity income
in retirement. The new law, sponsored by the insurance industry, aims to
provide employees with a ‘clearer’ picture about whether or not they’re on
track to retire. But
your employer’s plan is making a lot of assumptions. First, when will you
retire? Second, which investment option do you have and how long has your money
been working. A 401k of $100,000 for a married couple could pay around
$6,000 a year or $500 a month. The final monthly figure depends on a few annuity
factors. Some plan sponsors already use their annuity table which assumes very
low interest rates for accumulations and distributions. If you had plans for a
higher amount per month from your nest egg, just don’t let your employer talk
you into the annuity they now sell. Their ‘guaranteed’ annuity protects them, not you
from inflation and insurer collapse. Using a simple low-cost balanced mutual fund,
you could
earn over 9% a year now and thus spend much more income later.
File for the quickest refund FREE
If you meet certain criteria and have your documents
already, federal and state can cost you nothing at https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/.
Another site has no income/forms restrictions: https://www.creditkarma.com/tax. The
software helps you avoid common mistakes before you file. Even if you make a
tiny mistake, the IRS usually catches it without penalty. I have used most of
these programs for years even though my income is above the limits. Most charge
nothing for the federal and state. Some charge only $12.95 for the state. For
2019, six
states have kept the health mandate tax if you don’t have health care cover
so that state return may get complicated. Once you file your first year, your
previous years’ data is there and pre-fills your forms: Saves a lot of time and
money. Try it before you spend $200-300 at a for-profit preparer. No refund
due? File to keep your ID from scammers. Your W-2
should be sent to you by Jan 31 according to IRS. Your refund can be
in your direct deposit account in 10 days. Check mobile: IRS2Go within 24 hours after IRS
receives your e-filed return for status.
Plan now for a Tax FREE retirement: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300
**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************
Like 1776, this period
is a test
of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQ’
Mobster?
“Never in my life did I
think I would like to see a dictator,
but if there's gonna be
one I want it to be Trump
Top
Mobster
says HE is the COUNTRY: beating indictment gives absolute
power: anything goes.
GOP agrees: president’s
actions are OK because he is president—no crimes/misdemeanors possible!
How Govt wastes our money: Congress spends another 1.7 Trillion we don’t have!
Tax cuts for the rich "trickle
down" through economy, lifting growth, wages: not working
Deficit
passed $1 Trillion: fewer
paying taxes: Econ slows: Trump’s “greatest in history”
American
farmers expect record-breaking 2020 bankruptcies: 2020 surpass 2019 record.
Long-term
costs of maintaining hundreds of miles of Trump’s Wall: billions of dollars
SCAMS/SPINS:
Racism
celebrated by America’s highest award: ‘Freedom’ to profit from racist hate-mongering.
What
a ‘kangaroo court’ looks like: GOP
mob declare mobster boss ‘not guilty’ rubber stampin’
Trump
judges rule lawmakers
can’t sue Trump for using office to make money
Life
of indicted insider trader: US
visas for family to live in Manhattan hotel free, 4 hours to shop
Philip
Riehl PA caught
$60 million Ponzi schemes: preyed on Amish and Mennonite groups
Boeing
found another
737 software problem to the Max
“house
stealing” is the “latest scam: Fake sale from your stolen ID, docs, etc.
Identity
theft, imposter
scams, and telephone issues topped the FTC list of complaints.
Hackers
control your car through your car computer: protection
not yet perfect.
Fake
electric utility robocalls daily: Congress
allows this annoyance to get election money
Commercials
bigger hit than football in SuperBowl: more movement on stripper pole than field
Dems
Committee mess up IA count to assure no ‘socialist’ becomes party nominee: Hillary
II?
Jobs
Macy’s
shuts 125 stores, 2000 corp jobs: retail goes digital
Who owns your account now?
Does your mechanic
love you? These
owners hate paying for repairs
Re-gift or sell your
gift cards:
use safe sites to get best value
Miracle:
No Pet Sounds: cofounder Mike
Love at a trophy-hunting convention of Don Trump Jr.
Bumblebees
are dying from the US, EU heat: tomatoes and cranberries at risk.
5,800
clergy on list of credible sexual assault: many have been left off by
bishops
IAN
41 Watchung Plaza,
B242
973.746.2014
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