Tax-FREE account for retirement income

 

Make the New Year better

 

Is automatic bill pay right for you?

There are severe penalties for not paying your bills on time. You will get hit with charges, interest and lower credit bureau scores in many situations. You also may be paying higher mailing rates. How do you avoid this situation? Your bank may offer auto bill pay. I have been using this for about 10 years. Using your checking or business account as the source, you set up a vendor account with the name and address of the entity you owe. My monthly house mortgage loan is paid to Quicken at the same amount each 1^st of the month. The bank posts this amount the Quicken’s bank by the 1^st automatically. I do nothing after I set the amount monthly. For credit cards with different amounts, I enter the amount when I get the bill and set the date I wish the amount to arrive at the card’s address. For all others (utilities, doctors, newspapers, insurance, and individuals), I decide the amount and time to arrive at their address. All I have to do is have all my income deposited directly into my checking account. Some times I have to move money from my savings to my checking for emergency bills. Sometimes I have to reimburse my daughter and (she me) via direct transfers or Zelle. Her account is at the same bank but I can do a transfer to another person at their bank for large fee. The best part is I have monthly records on paper and any period totals digitally. I can also find and print any transaction during the past 12 months. I don’t pay extra for auto bill pay since the bank has my money from direct deposit. In fact I have saved over $50 since starting. 

More ways to save: https://www.amazon.com/Save-3000-every-year/dp/1500681571

 

 

You need a tax-FREE account so your retirement income is FREE

This book will show you how to: Create a $2,000,000 tax-FREE Retirement System. Use the best legal tax shelter: no taxes . . . ever. Tax-favored over a 401k even with a match. Protect your family and assets with your System. Borrow from your System to pay for large purchases. Buy whatever you need without going into debt to others. Self-insure manageable risks—invest the premiums saved. Buy financial services at wholesale prices—save $3,000 a year. Manage your System in 1 hour per year. $2 million nest egg can produce $160,000 a year in retirement. $1 million produces $80,000 income FREE.

https://www.amazon.com/New-American-Retirement-System-ReserveTM/dp/1461030072/

 

 

New Year fresh start for your kids/grandkids

Make sure you teach your kids how to create wealth the easy way. My parents were not investors. At my first job, I had no clue which investment option to use for my 401k contribution and company match. The HR person told me to put it into the 'safe' stable value fund. That was the worst choice at my age I learned later when I got my securities licenses. If I had followed their advice I would have ended up with $150,000 instead of a Wealth Reserve of $877,233 about 33 years later. We have used this 'Wealth Reserve' as I call it to have funds to use low-cost high-deductible insurance, to buy two homes and 5 cars with higher down payments or cash, and now to receive $2,500 a monthly in a retirement supplement. Your kids use the Buffett investment strategy for any amateur. Buffett recently proved his method, though simple, beat the strategies of the best hedge funds. Start with only $1,000.

Start in 30 minutes: https://www.amazon.com/Give-your-child-leg-manage/dp/1096505355

 

2022: another stock market high?

You may have noticed that your 500 index fund returned about 29% last year. Your real estate index fund provided 40% return. Like 2019, 2017 and 2013, these highs might start convincing you that an average for this period of 17% might continue. Using the 500 index would have quadrupled your retirement nest egg. But before you get greedy, you might want to move some of those gains to a balanced account like Wellesley Income Fund. This low-cost managed fund has provided steady income to retirees since 1970. This balance of stocks and bonds could help you through the anxiety of 2022 since the Fed (US gov money manager) will stop pumping up Wall Street firms and will increase interest rates soon. This situation has already changed market forecasts so you know we are not likely to be so lucky in ’22. Remember the cardinal rule of managing money, especially in lower return periods: low-cost beats high-cost in every period.

Low-cost leader: https://www.amazon.com/Vanguards-Top-Ten-mutual-funds/dp/150073909X

 

What is your retirement dream?

Travel, hobbies, family, business, volunteer, keep favorite job, other? No matter your dream your first concern is health. Our dream can motivate us to save for the time when we don’t NEED to work at a job for money. Thus there are folks who have prioritized saving over spending, even when family obligations are great. Take the story of the Howell family highlighted in a recent Money newsletter: the Howell's could save 21% of salary and put kids thru college. Randy retired at age 56 from a variety of labor and management positions with United Parcel Service, and LuAnne worked as a school secretary. They enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities. However, without a health plan from work, it is doubtful they could have retired early to do what they wanted to do. For other folks, what happens when their health requires them to interrupt their plans? Our health system is a ‘for profit’ system so that my health needs are in conflict with the industry need for profits. I, NOT them, will suffer when I can’t afford to maintain my health. My dream is crippled while they earn more. The need for affordable health insurance becomes the No 1 priority for America.

Health insurance first: https://www.amazon.com/Health-Insurance-ONLY-right-policy/dp/1480125083

 

 

Is using a 401k brokerage account right for you?

New research by Empower shows that while the average age of participants using the brokerage account is higher than average, the effect has to do with older participants having higher incomes and balances rather than just because they are older. This makes sense from the view that buying individual securities when you already have a nest egg built up provides some further diversification or specialization. One reader had 80% of their 401k money in a low cost S&P 500 index while they continued to buy DMYI which is involved in quantum computers. This arrangement is sometimes called a “hub and spoke” strategy. Any loss in the spoke does not destroy the wheel.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Both-Worlds-Spoke-Investments/dp/1533307326

 

Which used cars to buy now?

Vehicle dependability is at an all-time high, according to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Owners of 2018 models reported on the number of problems they have had. Lexus, Porsche, Kia, Toyota head the list. Rover, Jaguar, Chrysler come in last. By the way, Jeep, Dodge Chrysler, is now stellantis. Because of the lack of chips for new cars, used car prices have gone up to meet the demand. However, if you are looking for a bargain, you need to compare this list to the list of vehicles from iSeeCars that depreciated more than 1.3 times the 39.1% average three-year depreciation for all vehicles. This list shows that Audi 6, Ford Fusion Hybrid, BMW 3, and Volvo S60 lost the most value. In 3 years, these cars lost over HALF of their value. However, one vehicle shows up on both lists: Lincoln MKZ. The Lincoln MKZ was discontinued after the 2020 model year, which shows that demand isn’t high for this vehicle perhaps because it isn’t as luxurious as its competitors. However, at $21,500, the used Lincoln may be a bargain since you have some dependable lux at a reasonable price. Avoid flooded ones. Shop around for insurance. High deductible reduces premium. Save $22,000 over time.

Ask for each discount: https://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Insurance-Beware-Double-Coverage/dp/1480027634/

 

Are buying art, wine, gold the right investments for you?

Many internet blogs run by journalists provide misleading investment advice to sell clicks to other for profit sites. Example: 6 Brilliant Ways to Build Wealth After 40 Misleading advice 1: Invest in art that has outperformed the S&P by over 180%. Claiming that wealthy people make huge profits, the authors don’t cite which art they mean and how much the rich paid for the art. 2: Get $10 by starting to invest in Apple, Tesla, Amazon. The fees for investing small amounts may take all your profits and won’t build wealth. A free index account of the top 500 stocks may build wealth over time using the Miracle of Compounding. 3: Buy gold from a dealer to avoid volatility. The authors don’t explain that gold prices fluctuate too. The dealer fees may also take all your profits. 4: Shopping for car insurance can save you money but you need to shop the carriers directly not from the editors of this blog. Each carrier has their own discounts/rates. 5: Buy wine from their firm for an investment return of 10.6%. Speculating on bottles of wine is not smart no matter what “sommelier knowledge with AI-driven algorithms” they use. 6: Stop overpaying for stuff online. Using a browser extension, you can save on some goods. However, when I used it I found that the pop up usually shows the same price on Amazon or at another site but without adding in the shipping costs. Since I have paid for shipping with Prime, the alternative was misleading and I needed to create another seller account. 7: Invest in real estate and art through a 3^rd party to earn “passive income.” Low-cost index accounts with no 3^rd party fees provide these important diversification asset classes. However, the authors don’t explain the fees charged on the interest income paid.

Use Compounding: https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Compounding-Turn-day-into/dp/1470176513

 

?**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************?

 

 

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—We rejected an "American fascist" once

 

 

The Path to Dictatorship: 2010-2030

 

 

Sedition: Trump’s plan to keep power

 

Trump co-conspirators charged?

 

Terrorists send Congress to floor

 

Cheney: Trump or truth

 

725 terrorists charged

 

 

US civil war II

 

 

How Govt wastes our money:

Congress fails to pass law against abusing women: no votes since 2013: NRA blocks it

Sedition: ‘speech that incite people to rebel against the government’: Trump incites Jan 6

Sedition: Trump called on his "MAGA nation" to "rise up" against President cost $30 mil

 

SCAMS/SPINS:

Kids with Covid fill hospitals: unvaccinated; 378 children admitted per day

GOP Jordan claims booster not effective but NO facts more Trumpers die for lie 840,000

 

TX tells Navy it has no jurisdiction over antivaxxers despite orders: 35 may kill hundreds

TX bans books on race and sex they don’t like in secret meetings: teens buy own books

 

NJ caught negligence in deaths of 100+ veterans in state-run facilities: fine $53 million.

Surprise medical bills now illegal: Just say ‘no’ to med providers who spring bill on you

Call a taxi: ambulance rides $450 or more are exempt so we still face surprise bills.

 

Teva Pharmaceuticals caught providing opioid leading to deaths of 500,000 users

Rich need a raise?: Time to raise prices on Covid tests, treatment, vaxx, swabs, etc

 

Manchin decides Dems not break GOP block vote rights: takes McConnell’s job

GOP halts Voting Rights Act: states block vote expansion: Trumpers hold key jobs

Only 1 Republican showed up to remember the 1^st and only attack on our government

Most Americans don’t think state GOP will accept Dem win: GOP war for Trump

24^th Dem quit House: GOP win without a fight

725 terrorists charged: most convicted rioters received no jail time: ready for 2^nd attack

 

Trump terrorist attacks covid vaxx clinic shouting “murderers” 1 hospitalized from hate

"There’s a demand for misinformation; so people are always gonna find a way to get it."

 

21 million Americans believe violence is justified to overturn the 2021 US election

75% of insurrection supporters: Dems trying to make US “obedient” Third World voters

 

40% GOP: “violent action against the government" sometimes justified: 2^nd civil war

30% Americans think Biden illegitimate elected president: 30% think election fraud

Sedition not charged because Jan 6 attempted coup was run by white supremacists

 

Trump’s TX recount: 0.0006% discrepancies: Biden did not win TX: Trump lost votes

Putin hackers behind election probe of Dominion Voting Systems in cities w/o machines

Western allies fear erosion of democracy in US: riot, insurrection, or armed coup?

 

Ivanka, Don Jr caught in subpoena by NY attorney general: long delay tactic; no jail

Prince Andy says 17 year old has already been paid for his sex: $500,000 voids her suit

 

Mel Trump is selling her hat: needs money; divorce? They lost their shirt on Wash hotel

Marlboro cigarettes changing image: “moving beyond smoking” to smoking in space

HeartWare pump taken off the market after years of problems: still in chest of thousands

 

Allen Giltman CA caught selling fake CDs from fake websites: $50 million

John Piccarreto NY caught Ponzi fraudulent promissory notes $20 million prison 7 yrs

Susan, William Harris caught stealing funds from special needs folks prison 47,15 yrs

 

Petra Gomez Jakeline Lumucso caught prep fake tax returns $25 million prison 8 4 yrs

Kent RE Whitney CA caught investment scam at his church $33 million prison 14 yrs

Jeff Carpoff CA caught fake mobile solar generators Ponzi $1 billion prison 30 yrs

Richard Terabelian Ayvazyan CA caught $10 million Covid relief funds prison 17 yrs

 

Private equity–backed RIAs had a 147% increase in advisors misconduct after takeover.

 

Jobs

Nevada fires unvaccinated higher ed employees after mandate left in place

Walmart to hire 3,000 drivers as it expands home grocery delivery: put fridge for you

37 Bed Bath & Beyond stores are closing

 

 

Who owns your account now?

Mortgage rates rising: refi before Fed raises rates: 1.750% 15 years

Avoid delay in tax refund: enter the exact amount of Child Tax Credit: look it up at IRS

AT&T and Verizon delay new 5G service: why pay more for no better service: airports

 

Student loan borrowers will have an extra 90 days to begin repayments

Removing all your personal data from internet data brokers can be time consuming

 

Miracles:

10 year old refused Alexa challenge to shock herself in outlet: Jeff’s fun is deadly

Nuclear war “avoided” say world powers: Gee, I feel better: what did we have before?

We need more air: Seed-dropping drone can plant 40,000 trees a day

 

GA to allow everyone to carry gun without a license or background check or training

 

Pope wants more children

Child abuse: 300,000 children were taken in marriage by older men: still legal in US

 

 

We can apply for Medicare online: https://blog.ssa.gov/apply-for-medicare-online

We can apply for Social Security online: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/

We can apply for health care online: https://www.healthcare.gov/

 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/

 

How much of your credit limit should you use?

 

How much of your credit limit should you use?

Why is this question important to answer? Your credit score, which is used for everything from loans to rental agreements to job offers, is determined in part by your credit utilization—how much of your card limit you are using. Maxing out a credit card—having a balance equal to the card's borrowing limit—has a negative impact on your score. Folks with the highest credit scores often have (and use) multiple credit cards every month. So how much usage is too much? Most of us that pay all of our balance each month tend to have the highest scores. When I shop for a used car, I give the dealer permission to check my score. I know it is over 800 because I have been given a high limit but I don’t use it. When I bought a fridge recently, I paid with my credit card (to protect me if it didn’t work) and earned points. I had saved up before hand so I could pay off the monthly bill when it came due. Most credit bureaus do not cut your score if your ratio is under 30%. For instance, total cards limit $5,000, balance carried $1,500, ratio = 30%. People with the best scores tend to keep utilization under 10% for each card and for total credit card use, according to Experian.

Get the best deals: https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guides-Discount-Financial-Services/dp/143480593X

 

Is a South Dakota tax haven right for you?

South Dakota has become one of the most popular tax havens in the world. South Dakota offers everything a wealthy person setting up a trust could want. There is no state income tax or capital gains tax, so investment gains on assets placed in the trust are tax-free if it's structured correctly. Robust protections provide anonymity and shield assets from creditors and governments. And special provisions allow trusts established there to last forever, which means those assets would never be subject to the federal estate tax (40% for estates worth more than $11.7 million). However, the popular types of trusts used in South Dakota and Nevada have never been tested in a court of law. That means it's unclear if it would last. This trust, known as an incomplete gift non-grantor trust, or ING, could be challenged because the user is actually lying. They say they are hands off but they also claim they still have some control over the assets because the gift to the trust is ‘incomplete’. They claim they aren't tapping the annual $15,000 limit for gifts or the $11.7 million lifetime exemption before the federal gift tax starts to kick in. They claim a special ‘committee’ has to approve any payouts made to the creator of the trust.

Use the IRS approved tax haven: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Tax-Haven-Tax-FREE-working-Americans/dp/1482659441

 

How much tax will you owe for this year in April 2022?

With all the changes in income this year—unemployment, new job, child tax credit—etc, you may owe taxes that you have not had your employer withhold by December. So this calculator may help you understand where you stand: https://www.cvnb.com/calculator/tax-margin. Usually there is no penalty for under paying by December if you owe less than $1,000. If you will owe more, send in more by changing your W-4 with your employer or using this form: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf. You can wait to complete your taxes before April 15 and ask for a waiver of the penalty. There are no guarantees of course.

Consider changes: https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/tax-law/603037/tax-changes-and-key-amounts-for-the-2021-tax-year

 

How to remove fake bad credit info from your credit report

Although one credit inquiry is not going to hurt your credit score it can affect your credit scores for up to two years. You may have looked for a new or used car or credit card or house, but that inquiry may also have come from some fake internet site or merchant trying to punish you. If you are not checking your credit report regularly, you will never know why you don’t get the best rate or rental deal. When you find the questionable hit on your report, don’t hire a credit repair firm. That may just add to your unfavorables. Use the online request form at the credit bureau to request bad info removal. Congress gave bureaus the right to ding you but not the responsibility to check data. You have to do it yourself. Thanks for nothing Congress! Around 25% of U.S. consumers found errors that could affect their credit scores in one of their credit reports. My report had data from someone in Long Island with my name and another from Maryland who stiffed a hospital and owed a lot of money. I filed the forms and got them removed after months. Bureaus don’t have a time limit on their failures. If they don’t act, use the sample credit dispute letters from the Federal Trade Commission. Let the FTC know about your dispute.

Show your child: https://www.amazon.com/Give-your-child-leg-manage/dp/1096505355

 

Is “personalized investing” right for you?

Headline: ‘Personalized Investing Coming Like a 'Freight Train'. If you were a broker/advisor this is sweet music to your ear. But guess what—this is just a marketing slogan for a sales person pushing the firm’s ‘selling list.’ And we get to pay through the nose for their guesswork. A Schwab employee said “investors were seeking an “even higher level” of personalization.” Yes, if your advisor asks enough questions about your situation and goal and objectives, they are bound to be able to find some securities that you personally will like. Yes, over time and through experience, your advisor should be able to assemble securities you feel meet your needs—but at what cost? Some picks will be winners and some losers and advisors don’t know. They can’t predict the future no matter how well they know your data. The reason passive investing has done so well for index users is that no matter how much you pay for ‘personalized investing,’ you may not do well. Warren Buffett who is not a sales person has proven that most folks do better without the ‘personal investing.’ The stats show you do better with an index alone.

https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Vanguard-Funds-Retirement/dp/1496148592

 

What is your retirement dream?

Some folks working to attain or maintain their middle class status are now questioning the path to their retirement dream. The pandemic and the shift in steady wage growth and asset building have made some folks reevaluate their situation. If they have had to change jobs and start all over again in a new career, can they ever catch up to their dream amount? Traditionally we have planned our retirements around the expectation of combining a pension, Social Security benefits, and personal savings to provide sufficient income for later years. These days we change jobs, our employers don’t pay pensions, and wages have been flat since the 70’s. The median retirement savings of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 is currently zero. For those with retirement savings, the balance is less than in the past. Many of us have turned to ‘professionals’ with mixed results. It is estimated that retirement savers lose $17 billion to conflicted advice each year. This is a staggering sum that has real world consequences for retirees. Regulators have failed to fix the situation. The middle class has given up assets to the upper class. Here is how: One analysis shows that over a 50-year investing lifetime, that 2% [total annual cost of investment advice and trading] will erode 63% of what you would have had. At $250 a month, that means you will have $660,000 instead of $1.3 million. Some folks have solved this problem by doubling the amount they save/invest. Some have taken John Bogle’s advice and cut out the middle person by using index funds.

Dream and plan: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Robo-Advisor-Ultimate-Automatic-Management/dp/1537111957

 

 

 

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

 

 

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—We rejected an "American fascist" once

 

Our Jan 6 ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’

 

 

Seditionist Bannon snubs Congress: jail?

 

Capitol police help hide terrorist

 

Trump sues Jan 6 Committee to hide terrorist ties

 

Trump’s Big Lie: repeat repeat eventually believe

 

 

How Govt wastes our money:

What is wrong with this tax system? Workers pay 33-41%; wealthy pay 0.00001-17%

TX mandates business cannot reopen business if require vax: TX to control biz operation

Coal lobbyists determine Manchin vote on Dem budget: Manchin gets $491,949 a year.

Manchin cuts: funding for child credit, elderly and disabled reduced/cut: WV loses 

 

Drug lobbyists pay 3 Dems to kill lower-drug prices bill: Schrader Peters get $1.6 million

We gave oil company that spilled in CA $20 million in subsidies: Socialism for the Rich

Rich don’t pay Social Security taxes: Avoid taxes when earning over $147,000 in 2022

 

Wealthy receive increase in SS benefits: $3,345 per month in 2022—avoid taxes too

Democrats scale back plan to raise more money from wealthy tax cheats: IRS lacks teeth

Sinema AZ Dem told lobbyists who give her money she opposes any tax on anyone

 

DINO Manchin and Sinema already in Republican Party strategy to end Biden promises

 

SCAMS/SPINS:

60,000 Air Force fear needles: barracks becomes killing zone: going for 800,000 dead?

FoxNews praised SW pilots “act of nonviolent civil disobedience.” But Cxl NOT for Vax

GA Cobb Co loosened COVID protocols: wave of children were infected: no school

Salem witch trials: Anti-vaxxers blame hospitals for not using malaria pills or de-wormer

 

Trump set up network to compete with FoxNews: ‘TRUTH Social’: Goebbels’ style

 

“I wish that I’d got the shot,” Dad tells Mom as he and wife die and leave 4 kids alone.

FL private school: quarantine students 30 days AFTER get vax: Crazy misinformation

American and Southwest employees with vax exemptions: still passing Covid to us

 

Infect and shoot: police fear needle vax and shoot before question: let riot proceed

Police refuse vax and die: 476 have died of COVID: 93 by gunfire since 2020 

 

Police deputized ‘vigilantes’: Kenosha protestors shot by terrorists helped by cops

 

Gunman ambush kills Houston police: others shot in the back; terrorist got away

 

Mark Forkner pilot caught hiding Boeing flight control error that may have killed 346

Ronnie Floyd SBC resigns fight over sex abuse investigation: pastors abuse 700 kids

GOP senator calls for senility test for aging leaders: Trump: don’t like pee from women

 

Redistricting means our votes won’t count anymore: TX puts Dems in smaller box!

TX following Poland’s anti-Constitution path: limit voting, abortion, gun control

Senate undemocratic: Wyoming voter has 68 times the voting power as one in California.

 

MD GOP Doctor Harris promising Covid treatment from horse pills via radio

NE GOP Fortenberry caught laundering Nigerian billionaire’s money via CA donors

JPay caught charging consumers fees to access their own money on prepaid debit cards 

 

Michael Moore caught stealing $1.5 Million using romance scam: gang hit lonely

Amanda Dawn Rains caught stealing $3.9 million with doctors for ‘pain cream’

Ravkoo Online Pharmacy caught $8.5 million fake COVID Drugs: Gov helped faud

 

Online brokers caught making trading into game enticing novices to fail

Facebook caught discriminating against U.S. workers in favor of foreigners

 

Facebook changes name avoid ills: new ‘metaverse’ virtual, games, fantasy, holodeck?

 

Fake news easy to mislead on shortages and mandate disasters: pick sources carefully

 

TurboTax stopped CA from letting tax collector bill us instead of doing 10 page $300 returns

 

Jobs

Most in demand: service jobs seeking higher wages

Young leaving jobs since pay level same as 1976 adjusted for higher prices: rich take all

200,000 shipping containers were backed up off the coast of Los Angeles: toys, cars, etc

 

Who owns your account now?

Why using debit card is unwise: $12,000 for 3 oranges then all purchases fail

Are you paying too much for homeowner’s insurance: average cost per state HI is cheap!

10 most commonly stolen vehicles: avoid most common mistake—leaving keys inside

 

Mortgage forbearance ends: payments restart: negotiate with servicer critical

Medicare Advantage plans added home visits for some: more choices drive Advantage

Streaming services cost $ hundreds; some are free but limited

 

 

Miracles:

CA has driest water year in a century: golf courses drink millions/night reduced price too

¼ Republican voters still believe Trump reinstated in WH before the end of 2021 Coup?

Covid vax technology, may be key to stopping cancers, autoimmune diseases, etc

 

 

We can apply for Medicare online: https://blog.ssa.gov/apply-for-medicare-online

We can apply for Social Security online: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/

We can apply for health care online: https://www.healthcare.gov/

 

Wisdom comes only thru suffering Aeschylus

 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/

 

The only advice you need for financial success

 

The only advice you need for financial success

I managed financial sales programs in brokerage and banking firms as well as my own company. I learned that we made things complicated so that we could take commissions and fees from product buyers that were not the best for most folks. Yes, there are special circumstances for special costly products but 98% of people don’t need them. For instance, most people waste money purchasing whole or universal life insurance with a savings component. In like manner, high-cost mutual funds and packaged products are a waste of money for most folks. Advisors won’t tell you this but Mr Buffett will. He does not need your fees. Sales people only make money with products that cost you more: end result, you earn less than you would have if you followed unbiased advice. Advisors don’t sell unique financial best buys that are tailored just for you. They can’t. Their firms would be out of business. Warren Buffett gave us the simple best advice: buy and hold low-cost Vanguard funds. He proved it by betting $1 million his choice would beat the top hedge fund options. It is time and compounding that makes you rich.

Use the best: https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffett-Your-Investment-Advisor/dp/1518690963

 

Buy life insurance when you don’t need it

Most of us don’t buy life insurance until we have someone to protect. This is not always the best strategy but it is reasonable. I bought life insurance with a saving component (Universal life) when my wife and I had a baby. I gave it up 10 years later as soon as I discovered I could save a huge expense by buying term and investing in a mutual fund earning over 12% per year. Instead of paying $250 a month for enough coverage to protect my family, I could buy $1million for about $21 a month. By the time our child left home, I did not need coverage at all (term gets expensive after age 55). I put the $250 a month into a broad market stock fund. If I had purchased the fund and term life 10 years earlier I would have had my $2 million retirement fund earlier. I could have retired earlier. I would never need the $250,000 life policy.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Tax-Free-American-Retirement-System-Reserve/dp/1461030072

 

 

Stock buying sale!

Do you really think that the US will default on its debt? Do you own China real estate for a loss? Will the economy collapse when our government (the Fed) stops propping up capitalism by selling the corporate bonds it bought in 2020? Wall Street selling on Monday despite economic growth seems just a fake news story to generate activity and revenue. Where else can investors go—bonds pay 1.3%? My September BUY light went on. Bits fell but if you own virtual money you already are prepared for speculative swings. The real economy is humming along very well—17+%. You have heard the line about ‘taxing the rich’ before and yet we are well on our way to the most unequal Robber Barron period in the history of the world. At this point, the Dems couldn’t pass a ham sandwich. Facts are clear: Bezos, Musk, and Icahn managed to pay virtually no federal income taxes at all while breaking no laws. Like the former reality TV star, they have discovered enough cracks in our system to leave the IRS impotent. They just moved their assets to places where the US can’t tax them. Since that won’t change soon enough, you should do the smart thing so you don’t get charged for their taxes. 

https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Vanguard-Funds-Retirement/dp/1496148592

 

Is a “structured note” right for you?

Up side and down side are not clear in advance. In theory you would enjoy upside potential growth with low down-side risk. However, the truth is in the details. Call risk, lack of liquidity, and inaccurate pricing are other disadvantages of structured notes. A five-year bond with an options contract is an example of one kind of structured note. Your advisor will claim a SN gives you diversification but you have better options. Check the issuer for yourself since the seller may not share the risks with you. You may have trouble unloading a SN if you need cash fast. The issuer can end your contract anytime. Remember, no one gets paid to give you a great deal.

Get diversity here: https://www.amazon.com/Vanguards-Top-Ten-mutual-funds/dp/150073909X/

 

Are you using your retirement funds too fast?

Without the guaranteed income stream that a pension provides, baby boomers may run a higher risk of outliving their retirement savings, known as longevity risk. In fact, according to a new survey by Siliciano and Wettstein found that retirees with pensions (defined benefits) had slower drawdown rates than those without fixed payouts. The survey compared the drawdown speed of retirees, both with and without access to DB plans, at age 70, 75 and 80. At all three ages, retirees with DB plans had slower drawdown rates. The researchers concluded that baby boomers who base their forecasts on the drawdown speeds of past generations “likely underestimate” the speed at which they’ll go through their retirement savings. On the other hand, some retirees spend more early in retirement (traveling while they still can) and assume they will need less when they are older. A one-time fee financial planner can help customize a plan for your needs.

Plan ahead: https://www.amazon.com/What-your-RMD-much-spend/dp/1718946716

 

 

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

 

 

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—We rejected an "American fascist" once

 

 

Our Jan 6 ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission

 

Trump ideologue Bannon planned failed Coup

 

Generals feared Trump refusal to give up power

 

General regrets being used: “Trump military display”

 

How Govt wastes our money:

Gov admits they kill 10 Afghans not terrorists bombs: drone driver can’t ‘see’ family

 

GOP helps kill over 690,000 of us, beating 1918 flu record: Will your kids be next?

 

The $28 trillion national debt rose $7.8 trillion (40%) Trump/GOP tax breaks for the rich.

 

FBI assisted hackers cost business schools hospitals $ millions: ransomware key withheld

 

Congress can’t reform police: killing beating continues with impunity shoot/taze OK

 

TX parks cars near river ‘steel wall’: but immigrants can walk around: state workers walk

 

SCAMS/SPINS:

Trump terrorists threaten reps who voted to impeach: “toxic dynamics” against family!

Capitol Police recorded 4,135 threats against Congress: domestic terror empties Capitol

McConnell: Republicans will not vote to increase the authority to borrow: bankrupt US

 

Thomas: Supremes’ politics ‘destroying our institutions’

 

Southern Baptists have hundreds sex abuse cases like Catholics: perps remain out of jail

 

TX adopt more babies: Birth choice shifts to Christian Nationalism’s cradle to grave care

TX doctor: 'I had a duty of care': we can’t let pre-Roe bad abortion deaths happen again

 

125 IU Health workers lost their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

 27% of health care workers have not been vaccinated: carriers make patients sicker

Anti-vaxxers send kids home from schools; teachers quit; hospitalizations jump; kids hurt

 

Anti-vaxxers won’t be around to vote Biden out in 2024: no MISS ICU beds left

Fox: 54% favor proof of vaccination in indoor spaces like restaurants and gyms

LA getting control of Covid hospitalizations: masks and vax work

 

Covid victims billed for care at full hospital prices: end to gov help, insurers want profits

TX anti-mask really aggressive: kick couple out and punch hostess in NYC: Civil War II

Unruly unmasked air passengers should be given a parachute and pushed out the door

 

North Carolina judges cancel voter ID law: right to vote “not be denied or abridged by … State”

 

Daryl Bank FL caught selling unregistered securities fraud $25 million ‘safe returns’ 35 years jail

Credit Repair Cloud Daniel Rosen caught helping firms charge unlawful fees for credit repair

It is so easy to make a fake; teens learn how to tell the real thing

 

Fake diabetes cures and claims by drug firms: will FDA letters stop greed? Bamboo cure?

FTC Complaint Against New Balance for Misleading ‘Made in USA’ Claims  

42% of Texans would vote to make Bitcoin an official currency.

 

Nursing homes with worst record of care: average cost semi private room $7,441 /month

Food  prices jump 40-50%: 14.25oz can green beans $.50 to $.69 in one week NJ store

Boy Scouts to pay $10,000 for each sex abuse case: all adults get off free of liability/jail

 

CA running out of water and wealthy keep watering

Car gadgets make us dangerous: no focus even for a second may kill

How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace

 

Avoid home buying errors: a little plan saves $ thousands

 

 

Jobs

Retiree work for love or money

Alaska needs 500 health care workers for stretched hospitals

 

 

Who owns your account now?

Chrysler had over 250 problems according to new car survey: Audi,VW,Acura over 200!

Insurer to use robot and drones to settle our big claims: can you talk robot?

Tenant screening: personal details used in secret algorithms to rate you as tenant. 

Fed rate hikes in ’21-’22: credit cards, mortgages, auto loans go up: pay down this year

 

 

Miracles:

Anti-vaxxers flying on plane sitting right next to you: no vax mandate for Covid carriers

Trump sues reporters who claim he’s not self-made $billionaire: $413 million from Dad

Free media streaming: movies, ebooks, TV, etc

 

Columbus did NOT discover America: 22,000 years old footprints NM kids did

 

We can apply for Medicare online: https://blog.ssa.gov/apply-for-medicare-online

We can apply for Social Security online: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/

We can apply for health care online: https://www.healthcare.gov/

 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/