Showing posts with label 'fixed' annuity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'fixed' annuity. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2020

How to get your retirement fund back on track


How to get your retirement fund back on track
For those of us who have jobs, the most important fact is that no one knows what will happen with our investments. Forget trying to time the market or taking anyone’s advice about the next big thing. We are not going to refill our retirement fund quickly. This event will have HUGE unforeseen consequences. Instead of putting our faith in one person—broker, advisor, neighbor or newsletter—we must hold fast to the market growth over time. The market is down 8% so far this year. A balanced fund is down 2%. Since there is no silver bullet, patience must be our watchword. If you are waiting for your job to return, resist the impulse to raid your 401k or other retirement fund: You give up all your future compounded earnings. Exhaust all the other alternatives first: cut expenses, claim refunds on ongoing contracts, sell what you can, ask for help from employer, landlord, creditor, etc. Last crisis, we lived on credit cards instead of touching our retirement fund. Cash-out your old savings bonds. They probably aren’t earning interest anymore. Loans on cash value life insurance are more expensive than using it for loan collateral. Sell one of two cars. Use your ‘Go to Hell’ fund.

Conservatives want Free-market capitalism
TV star Glenn Beck says conservatives want free markets but do they really? Beck would not be able to right off his expenses as deductions thus lowering his taxes. He would not be able to obtain subsidies for his operations—subsidies we tax payers have to pay for. Free markets praised by conservatives brought us dirty water, air and violence. Richard Nixon had to create the EPA to control them. When companies are free to pollute, they do, move on and then our taxes have to clean the pollution. When companies are free to manufacture unregulated/tested products they kill us. GM killed over 100 because of a $2 faulty ignition; Purdue killed thousands with addictive opioid; NRA promoted guns as mainstays for manhood so America’s unarmed deaths by gunshot soared. Beck makes up stories to satisfy those Americans who feel left behind, left out and left alone. His theme that socialism is a costly and dangerous failure that leaves desperation, poverty, and bodies in its wake is exactly what we have in American’s poverty life. In our capitalist system, the poor are hungry, alienated, and without health care. The rich move their money overseas so they don’t have to pay their fair share of taxes. Check the list of subsidies that we taxpayers have to give large corporations so they can have more money. Even the private jets get paid for by us. America has socialism—socialism for the rich.

Scared people buy annuities: which is right for you?
Indexed annuities sales grew by 44% over the first quarter of 2019. Indexed annuities offer some protection against stock market losses, as well as the potential to profit from the market’s gains. While investors could benefit from gains in the stock market, the annuities also guaranteed a minimum rate no matter how poorly the market performed. Insurers don’t lose money so that guarantee comes at a hefty cost. Fixed annuities are like a bank account with a fixed rate of return. You earn less because the insurer’s current bonds pay less. Variable annuities provide performance based on an underlying portfolio of mutual funds. You pay fees for the annuity and for the funds so the value can fall over the short term. You have costly tax-deferred growth and a death benefit. Finally, immediate annuities pay a fixed amount starting the next month. They guarantee that amount for your life so inflation can cut your real income in HALF over 20 years. Annuities are almost impossible to cancel so they are used to supplement your retirement incomes. The bulk of your retirement income should be from a balanced mutual fund: stocks for growth; bonds for income. Some funds have low fees so you earn more.


**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQMobster?

If it takes a village, the village idiot is in charge: “metrics up here” (his head)







Another corporate socialism giveaway: business loans forgiven for the well-connected

Like 1930s, immediate jobs with pay are needed economically and emotionally.
Biden: “I’m not Trump or Obama” What does that mean for our future?
Trump gives C-19 drug-making $1 billion contract to company started in Jan. Payoff?
96,000 dead: when do we start testing: you can only get test if you already have virus symptoms.
CDC: more than a third of coronavirus patients don’t have any symptoms at all, 40% of virus transmission happens before people feel sick. 

SCAMS/SPINS:
Reopening increases virus: close contacts makes pandemic real for newly infected
New C-19 cases temporarily stopped production at two Ford plants — two days after reopened
Trump screws National Guard out of benefits: helping with virus benefits cancelled

Trump followers believe WH propaganda: virus, cures, work, media, science
Twitter messages are from fake people: bots spread misinformation, lies

Insane Son Eric: Virus is Dem hoax: vanish after election: deaths are not virus deaths

TX halts mail-in ballots for DEMs : Trump is against mail-ins for DEMs: OK for self

Currency scams are old: people still fall: Check reliable sources: EG: Dong Dinar
Class-action suits to recover your prepaid expenses: gym, airlines, events, etc etc etc

NJ dispels fake news rumors and disinformation C-19 plus phishing, malware, fraud loan

Real estate buyers with cash wait for sellers to cut prices: low mortgage rates


Merrill Lynch caught unregistered exec runs brokerage unit: fine, no suspension

Jobs
Priest uses holy water squirt gun to bless cars as they drove by. Really??
Obama on our future: We have to make it.
Pier 1 closing its doors forever, shutting down 540 stores after failing to secure a buyer 


Who owns your account now?
Eviction protections? State and Fed help may save you

Miracle:
Nasal swab tests less accurate: through the nose into the throat. The kits will cost $135. 
Potential vaccine generated an immune response similar to that in people who recovered.
Some feel virus is a sign that we have lost our humanity: Changes must be made.

More clerical child sex abuse lists in Poland: John Paul’s legacy has been stained forever.
Is treating yourself smart Hydrox pills can trigger serious cardiac side effects Pence not on pill.
Virus reopening getting restaurants to clean bathrooms, finally.

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
MontclairNJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts 


Friday, November 22, 2019

Our new medical system: scrubs worn just for the ‘TV show’?


Our new medical system: scrubs worn just for the ‘TV show’?
You get to watch the Dr Skow ‘Show’ while he examines you from his (phone?) screen hundreds of miles away in the telemedicine center that provides remote emergency care for 179 hospitals across 30 states. Physicians for Avera eCare work out of computer screens (soon phones) instead of exam rooms. They wear scrubs ‘to look the part’ of traditional doctors on camera, even though they never directly see or touch you, their patients. If you can’t afford a real doctor, this is what you get for your $144 a month Medicare B payment. Rural America’s busiest emergency room is in fact a virtual ER located in a suburban industrial park. Instead of 25 doctors and staff, you now get 5 people in the room. None were doctors. None had significant experience performing emergency intubations. Downside: you still may receive a ‘surprise medical’ bill since another doctor may ‘consult’ by computer while you are in the ‘ER.’


Holiday gifts for your family

What is the best investment strategy for you?
Fidelity study: best investment strategy for accumulation over time was leaving your money alone to work for you by itself. The accounts that were forgotten or owned by dead people showed the best performance over time. Warren Buffett, one of the best investors, says the same thing—We continue to make more money when snoring than when active." If you are not going to let your money work for you (impatience), it won’t grow as fast. This implies that Wall Street ‘professionals’ cost more than they are worth! Fees, trading, timing, special opportunities, etc are how we give up 50-60% of our overall potential accumulations by giving a ‘professional’ control of our money. In almost every period, we investors are better off using an index than an advisor: 11% vs 3.79%.

Your fund’s return--market index up 26.03%?
Low-cost investing in a diverse company fund like the Vanguard 500 can help you meet your goals. It also provides greater diversification, less volatility and more predictable earnings over time. We don’t need to worry about picking the right stocks or time to buy them. Most working people can accumulate $1 million for retirement with just one fund automatically invested from their paycheck. It is so simple: it’s like brushing your teeth—once you start it becomes a habit you do ‘automatically.’ This is Buffett’s strategy for investors: “A very low-cost index is going to beat a majority of the amateur-managed money or professionally-managed money.” He says you put your investment on autopilot and forget it. Chart: your total goes down sometimes but then it goes up 11% over time.

Is a ‘buffer’ annuity right for you?
Advisors love to have a new product to talk about so you should expect to hear this one buzz at you. Buffer annuities are invested in complicated structured products (such as options contracts). Structured products often provide the potential to offer higher returns, but also carry more significant risks than the traditional mutual fund investment because of the types of underlying investments (including emerging markets and REIT index options, which can be inherently more risky). Thus they do NOT provide full downside stops—only buffering your fall partly. Compare this situation to a variable annuity which provides less and an indexed annuity which provides more protection. Your ‘buffer’ is more complex and thus more misunderstood than a simple indexed annuity. ‘Buffers’ probably cost more because of the controlled risks involved in structured investments.

Social Security benefits
The 2020 cost of living increase will be eaten up with a higher Medicare B 2020 increase to $144. If medical costs are part of the ‘cost of living’ index, you would think the SS increase in 2020 would cover the medical increase. Since all the rules for SS benefits are complicated, who can argue? Most retirees agree that we should have started saving for these increases long ago. We should have dealt with inflationary increases by investing in securities that matched the long-term growth of successful businesses. We must own stock in a bunch of successful businesses and earn 11% over time.

Tax-FREE retirement just got bigger
IRS just increased the amount we can stash in our tax-deferred or tax-FREE accounts. We can put up to $26,000 into tax-advantaged accounts. Regular 401k and IRA reduce current taxes but cost more when we retire. Roth 401k and Roth IRA provide more tax-sheltered money when we take money out. We could invest $250 a month in a Roth 401k, receive our company match and spend $1,000,000 tax FREE later: Cost only $99,000.



**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQMobster?





$7.5 Trillion uncollected taxes from ONE percenters makes our system a joke for US.
Supremes hide Trump’s financials from Congress: democratic check-balance dead!

Trump’s businesses funded by US: mob lieutenants eat/stay only at his restaurant/hotels.
GOP buying up Jr’s book in bulk making it a ‘best’ seller

SCAMS/SPINS:
Frederick Randhahn caught selling Woodbridge notes; not allowed: suspended & fined
Neil Burkholz Frank Bianco caught taking $6 million in Ponzi; options ‘profitable’
Joseph Viet Duy Phan caught borrowing from client w/o OK: defrocked
Financial firms fight for growth by grabbing others’ clients: Goldman’s retail bank



Goldman Sachs caught rigging prices for bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
"Secret Sister" an internet-wide gift exchange: pyramid scheme scams name, address, etc

House to help SEC “recover money scammed from hard-working Americans." GOP ‘no’
Online scams: too-good-to-be true pattern discounts on Facebook Instagram: Research

Sutter Health caught paying kickbacks to Sacramento Cardio Surgeon’s 3 docs for biz.
Hospitals/insurers to post prices: but actual full price omits millions of add-ons to bill. 
Drug makers caught pushing drugs through gifts to charity: healthcare system broken!

Overpriced unreliable vehicles from CR: Chevy, Jeep, Chrysler, Acura, Tesla, VW, Alfa,
Boeing board did nothing re: 737 until 2 plane crashes: investor lawsuit claims on board.

Juul markets flavors to underage kids because Juul knew unverified age: Follows tobacco

Netanyahu indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, breach of trust: sound familiar?

N Korea says can’t use meeting with Kim for Trump propaganda anymore. Waste of time
Trump claims to open new Apple plant open since 2013. Exempted Apple from tariffs.

Elections administrators: 2020 preparations for what could be record-breaking turnout.

Who owns your account?

Jobs

Miracle:
Venice under water again—can art history be saved? Reversing the tide of warming

Pakistan’s glaciers melt: taking out farms; everything

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
MontclairNJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alert

Friday, November 15, 2019

Financial revolution offers more for less


Financial revolution offers more for less
The financial revolution is the work of John Bogle, Warren Buffett, and William Roth. Bogle gave us low-cost index investing, greatest accumulations and robo-advisor. Buffett gave us advisor-free management, single fund investing and realistic income projections. Roth gave us tax-free accounts. We can now avoid being ripped off by the industry. We can earn more by paying less, with greater diversification, less volatility and more predictable earnings over time. We don’t need to worry about picking the right stocks or time to buy them. Most working people can accumulate $1 million for retirement with just one fund automatically from their paycheck. It is so simple: it’s like brushing your teeth—once you start it becomes a habit you do ‘automatically.’

Financial industry pushing annuities on women/younger caretakers
Women and younger parental caregivers are being targeted for annuity purchase because they have less income and live longer. The National Institute on Retirement Security found that the average income of women 65 and older was 25% lower than that of men. In addition, women live longer, so their savings have to last longer. And fewer employers today offer traditional lifetime pensions. Annuity sellers are appealing to women by highlighting the need for more income from fixed annuities compared with low-interest CDs. Sellers say economists recommend putting up to 80% of assets into annuities. That’s B.S. Great for insurers but women then carry all the risk of reduced purchasing power over time. This is not ‘worry-free’ retirement because 1. how much annuity to buy, 2. when to buy, 3. what about inflation: it reduces by HALF the buying power of the benefit in 20 years, 4. not much for a legacy, 5. there is no upside potential and no large asset in case of emergency needs, 6. annuities are non-refundable, 7. you forgo the total return of a stock portfolio—no dividends and no capital appreciation. Yes, annuities last for your lifetime but spending power and assets decline over time.

Can you afford an adult child moving back?
More families are becoming depression-era extended families. The question you need to discuss is ‘how this changes your plan for retirement’? If your child cannot afford to pay for some of their costs, are you willing to cut your retirement expenses short? More than 15% of 25-to-35-year-olds lived at home in 2016, according to The Pew Research Center, 5 percentage points higher than the previous generation. Sure, you can plan to work longer but not everyone has that opportunity. Ask for rent so they know you have limits. Let them know all their regular expenses like cell phone are theirs alone. Make the rules BEFORE they move back so there are no misunderstandings. For instance, they can do their own laundry—you’re lending them your machine and water. Remind them that you paid for their college education—running over $10,000 a year. The purpose of moving back is to give them money to finance their own independence eventually. Set a time limit so they don’t take over your home. It’s too easy to become dependent.

New tax rates are issued but what about the $31 million watch?
This is a perfect example of what is wrong with our tax rates. How many dams could we repair with $31 million? Instead, someone spends $31 million for a watch? Something is wrong with our tax system. How can our society afford to buy a watch for $31 million but can’t fix the places where we spend most of our lives? Are the tax rates and code created for the rich so they keep more money for themselves? The rich get richer and the poor get poor—pretty soon there won’t be anyone left to pay the taxes. Example: Warren Buffett pays only 17.7% total taxes; all his employees pay 32.9%: HALF. Expert tax avoiders like President Trump, Mitt Romney and John Kerry pay less than 15%. Most corporations like GM Apple and Google hide income in corporate shells and pay 10% or less. Taxes fall much more heavily on labor income than on capital income. $31 million watch! How fair is a system designed to tax us DOUBLE what the rich pay.

Another way the wealthy avoid their fair share of taxes
IRS says they are going to crack down on conservation easement transactions. Basically you get to deduct the reduction in the value of your property if you donate property for the public good. The reason the IRS is cracking down is because wealthy people overstate the amount of the reduction in value. IRS says there are billions of dollars of potentially inflated deductions as well as hundreds of partnerships and thousands of investors. Apparently there are people who promote this activity for profit. We are talking lawyers, appraisers, tax return preparers and others. President Trump used this trick to ‘donate’ unusable land (now an unused state park) and claim a huge income tax deduction. He said the land was worth $26.1 million: he paid $2.75 million. Syndicated conservation easements are included on the IRS's 2019 "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams to avoid. There are easier ways to avoid income taxes.

Do you really need life insurance?
Are you single? Are you getting life insurance as an employment benefit? Does your spouse have a job? Do you have over $50,000 in all your savings/investment accounts? Do you have a HELOC or over 50% equity in your home? Do you own a business? Are you in the armed services? Do you have medical or student loan debt?

Don’t forget to take your RMD by Dec 31
Every 401k, IRA and pension must be distributed annually after you reach age 70.5 otherwise you get fined by the IRS. The scheduled annual distribution amount is calculated on your balance of ALL tax-deferred funds the year before. You can rely on your fund company if ALL your accounts are held by them. The rates are determined by your age and life expectancy. Since we are all living longer, IRS will adjust the RMD rates next year. Since they will be spread out over more years, we will have to take LESS income each year. Taking less means adjusting our income requirements next year. RMD works just like an annuity—guaranteed income for life based on your assets each year. Unlike annuity, you don’t give up control and your purchase power may go up. You may leave a legacy too.

Why 25% of wealthy don’t use a financial advisor
Wealthy folks want an advisor with experience, with fiduciary pledge and holistic perspective. Apparently, 25% of them can’t find this advisor or they don’t need one. Those who do have a strategy rely on diversification to manage market risk. Some folks see diversification as the answer to the advisor question. They don’t need an advisor if they know they can’t beat the market with quick trading, market timing, sector rotation and other crystal ball strategies. Besides, paying advisor fees, charges, and retainers can cut their potential accumulation in half. Some might even be taking Warren Buffett’s advice. You may be better off with Warren Buffett as your advisor.


**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQ’ as prez?



Trump to just take land for WALL in TX: Family-owned land for generations not selling

SCAMS/SPINS:
Boeing moving lawsuits abroad to save money after killing 346: CEO clueless.
Security Benefit Life caught misleading indexed annuity sales: doctored indexes


Google Apple vie for our checking account biz: all retail banking by phone?
Ed Sec DeVos backed Neurocore, a “brain training” company, offers fake cures

“Aleve is proven better on pain than Tylenol” is fake claim: no proof, it’s all in head.
Medicare Part B—doctors' fees outpatient services—increases to $144.60 per month.

SCAM ALERT: Facebook shut 5.4 billion fake accounts but billions likely remain!!
SCAM ALERT: Which debt collectors work for IRS? CBE ConServe Pioneer Performant

Bath power with talc being changed due to J&J asbestos talc legal history

Nikki Haley fmr ambassador said Trump is truthful.

ObamaCare subsidies: $774 per month covers 67% of costs for family of 4: $60,000.

Mustang electric SUV? Who is marketing appeal to? An electric Mustang SUV? Uh
New cars/trucks to avoid: 37 poor choices—quality, price, reliability, etc.
BEWARE: Self-driving Uber killed woman: not programmed to recognize people!!


Jobs
80% Millennials Believe Aren’t ‘Good Enough’: constantly feel “overwhelmed” by pressure to succeed

What you should be earning if your 1980 job kept up with inflation: 30K then; 98K now.

Miracle:
Small town hero shows love by example: He could have wasted $ on homes, cars etc
Venice under 6 ft flood: 6 times 1200 years; 4 in last 20. Climate change!
Germany ends coal mining in 20 years: currently 1/3 power from coal. US ends Paris A.

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
MontclairNJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts 

Friday, November 8, 2019

Do income annuities really provide a “Worry-Free Retirement?”


Do income annuities really provide a “Worry-Free Retirement?”
Here is the claim: an income annuity provides insurance against outliving assets and not having sufficient spending power late in retirement. Income annuities are actuarial bonds. They provide longevity protection that is unavailable with traditional bonds. Retirees receive the bond yield curve plus mortality credits. Annuities increase risk capacity because the retiree's lifestyle is less vulnerable to a market downturn. Also, distributions from the stock portfolio can be lessened, reducing sequence risk and helping to preserve the investment portfolio. For those with a family history of long life, you will be assured of having some income for the rest of your life. You benefit from other annuitants’ short lives. However, this strategy is hardly ‘worry-free’ because 1. how much annuity to buy, 2. when to buy, 3. what about inflation: it reduces HALF the buying power of the benefit in 20 years, 4. how much for a later legacy, 5. there is no upside potential and no large asset in case of emergency needs, 6. annuities are non-refundable, 7. you forgo the total return of a stock portfolio—no dividends and no capital appreciation. Yes, annuities last for your lifetime but spending power and assets decline over time.

Even part-time self-employment can improve your situation
IRS just gave us the new rates in 2020. The Self-employed use many tax benefits not available to most mortals. For example, for tax year 1995, Trump claimed a $916 million LOSS that could have allowed him to legally avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years. He and his accountants created the $1 billion paper loss by claiming business losses. Your business loss can offset your other family incomes like his did. Your business can even fund your retirement nest egg and still show a ‘loss’ on paper. You can deduct the cost of improvements (new tools, truck), meals for employees (family), your (QBI) rental real estate, routine maintenance, etc like corporations do. Most corporations pay no federal income tax. You can even claim part of your home and its property taxes. Also you can use these elections post-year end to achieve a desired tax result. You can pay your employees (family) as contractors and avoid some taxes and forms too. Some IRS changes hurt; some help.

Our Attorney General told to find dirt for 2020 election
Trump pushed the Australian prime minister during a recent telephone call to help Attorney General William P. Barr gather information for a Justice Department inquiry that Mr. Trump hopes will discredit the Mueller report. If Trump can Bribe Ukraine for investigation of Biden then we won’t be surprised if he encourages other countries to buy adverts in Facebook and other media to present Fake News for the 2020 election. Trump has Barr working Europe to dig dirt. Trump has McConnell stocking the courts with his disciples so he will win any lawsuit against him in the future. Trump has ‘moved’ to FL to assure safety in this GOP state. Even the Supremes may be asked to keep his tax returns from a legal investigation. This sounds like a right turn in American ‘democracy.’ There is hope in a new FoxNews poll that has voters choosing Hillary Clinton over Trump and she isn’t even running.

Trump tax cut has cost $ Trillions with no economic expansion
Last quarter economic growth of 1.9% is a far cry from the “4 percent, 5 percent and even 6 percent” growth rates that Trump once promised to deliver. Every time the GOP controls Washington, they promise the tax cuts that will be paid for by more growth. This is like the gambler who takes the family paycheck and promises that this week they will win the lottery. Thanks to both a tax cut that did not deliver growth and a trade war that backfired, most Wall Street economists believe manufacturing is already in recession. Even steel plants, which were supposed to be among the biggest beneficiaries of Trump’s tariff strategy, are shuttering. Since most of us got little out of Trump’s massive tax cuts, we must prepare for the coming tax increases. GOP used to care about deficits.

Is no-cost trading right for you?
Many brokerage firms are trying to get us to trade securities at no cost. But is this strategy working for you? A simple low-cost market index account is up over 24% so far. Even with no trading costs, can you really do better? How many market timers and special situations have beaten the market? Does your statement show the benchmark for comparison? Most don’t show your YTD total return number side-by-side with index. So how do you know how well your 1-2% fee strategy is doing over time? Most of us don’t take the advice of one of greatest investors, Warren Buffett: "The stock market is a device for transferring money from the IMPATIENT to the PATIENT."

Is your broker predicting bad returns in the future?
Morgan Stanley sees the market returns ‘tumbling’ in the future. Goldman sees no recession. Whose crystal ball do you believe? The analysts see the U.K. having the highest return potential for equities, followed by emerging-market shares. However, if UK is locked out of the EU by closing all borders, how can that happen? Is it even possible to predict the future? And if your broker can predict the future, what makes them think the UK is solid? Are you going to bet the ranch on your sales person who earns a living by thought persuasion? Predicting doom is easy since most of us are optimists and aren’t going to sell all for CDs. Is it more likely that a broad exposure to most of the markets will provide your best chance of positive 9% returns? Are you going to keep your money in 2% CDs for 10 years? Really? How will you know when to buy again?

What does one of the greatest investors recommend?
Buffett bet $1 million that his recommended investment—just one simple fund—would beat a Wall Street guru with 5 different strategies. Active money management does not help you more than it helps its manager. Buffett says: “A very low-cost index is going to beat a majority of the amateur-managed money or professionally-managed money.” So why don’t more people take his advice: everyone thinks they are smarter than the market and can find the needle in the haystack. Over and over research shows you can’t. Most investors earn just 3.79% not the market index return of 11% over time.

Looking for a trustworthy broker?
All the advice articles, including my own, suggest you do a search of complaints at the self-regulation organization called FINRA. However, its BrokerCheck does not have all the bad news and troubled past of many brokers. Those who have problems move to another firm and state and have their records expunged. Take a recent example: First Standard Financial was a registered investment advisor recently caught for unauthorized, unsuitable, excessive trading. It was notorious for hiring bad brokers who joined with questionable past activity and many customer complaints. The owner of First Standard is Carmine Anthony Berardi. His securities record has no listings for his 11 years in the business: https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/4879362#timelineSection. First Standard worked out of offices in New Jersey even though Carmine acts as chief compliance officer from Garden City NY. New Jersey shut down First Standard and froze its assets after finding its agents raked in more than $28.7 million through “pervasive unauthorized, unsuitable and excessive trading.” Potential customers would have no idea they would suffer under the brokers from this firm. You would have had to do exhaustive due diligence to find the true record of brokers like Andre Pierre Davis and William Christian Gennity who worked at First Standard. https://stockbrokerfraud.com/tag/first-standard-financial-company-llc/ Note that this malfeasance has gone on a long time and only now has First Standard in NJ been stopped. Customers will have to wait a long time if ever for their money back. You are better off with Warren Buffett as your advisor.




**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want a Tzar as prez?


FoxNews Poll: Clinton 43%; Trump 41% and Clinton isn’t even running. Void 2016 election?

Trump’s WALL is being cut open: smugglers know no boundaries—saws made in US.



SCAMS/SPINS:
Justin Amaral, MorganStanley caught churning (“rebalancing”) clients: defrocked
First Standard Financial caught unauthorized, unsuitable, excessive trading: bad brokers
BEWARE: ETF ‘free trading’ means you pay another way: “Wall Street not UNICEF”
Linan Abrego Merrill caught misappropriated client funds: defrocked.
Bolton Securities, MA caught overcharging fees: self-dealing 12b-1 fees

Early retirement can accelerate the usual rate of cognitive decline: Less interaction too
Living in especially noisy areas are at a 30% higher risk of stroke with increased severity
WOW Self-driving car that killed AZ woman 2018 wasn’t programmed to recognize pedestrians!

Fake Social Security and IRS agent scammers lead the theft industry: Ask to call back!

Merrill Lynch and Raymond James caught overcharging 529 college plan fees: no jail
Schwab: I always “hated commissions” but he can always go back when he needs money.

Trump’s lieutenant Parnas thrown under bus: Giuliani strong-arm to Ukraine detailed
Trump undermines “good order and discipline”; military morale: pardon for war crimes 

Trump counting on GOP’s Supremes to keep his tax secrets from the law

Jobs
Trump had told the Bevin rally crowd on Monday. "You can't let that happen to me!"

Trump is beaten by any Dem in national polls: KY VA suburbanites woke up for Dems
Trump’s lawyer Giuliani lawyered up with 3 as his mob indicted: impeach details.
Trump’s ‘Deep Throat’ tells story of madman in WH: How to thwart mob boss.

Who owns your account now?
JPMorganChase tests new health plan on employees in 2 states: see cost before service!
401(k) contribution limit increases to $19,500 for 2020; catch-up limit rises to $6,500

FL Blue ObamaCare customers access to Lyft rides as part of the benefits package!
Health care scammers have upper hand with hospitals, etc: fail to fend off cyber attacks.

Rating quality of health plans on ACA ObamaCare’s marketplaces not complete.
Mutual fund ratings to include fees so harder for managers to get Morning’s Gold Silver

Miracle:
Rubio thinks Catholicism can save capitalism: “social doctrine does not get lot of attention.”

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
MontclairNJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts