Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2022

Safest way to build a nest egg

 

Which is the safest way to build a nest egg?

A recent survey listed the most popular places to save for retirement. Unfortunately, most of us do not understand the safest way to build a future nest egg. My readers have shared their experiences over 20 years with me. Here are the pros and cons of each place the survey listed: Building a successful business. Most businesses fail even those established for years. Competition is fierce. An annuity is a very expensive bank savings or CD. It is not good for building a future nest egg since the earnings are low or reduced by costs. A health savings account has tax advantages and can help us pay for future expenses. It can be a supplemental savings vehicle since it is not the best for long-term investments. Rental real estate has built tremendous wealth for many generations of Americans, including my readers. Some readers have managed their own buildings and done very well. Others have part of their 401k invested in a REIT fund like Vanguard’s. This low-cost investment has earned over 9% over time. Survey respondents like saving for the future in their own home. Some readers have done this as a supplement to investment since they primarily use it as their residence. Long term, earnings have averaged about 5% but most readers feel this asset is not the safest way to build an asset for retirement income. They can’t sell part to cover expenses in retirement. Permanent life insurance may provide you with a legacy to your heirs but is an expensive savings vehicle. A 401k at work or a self-directed IRA holding low-cost stock funds is the safest way to build a nest egg, my readers agree. There are two flavors: contributions can reduce current taxes or much more tax-advantaged, all future earnings (11% a year is average) are tax FREE.

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

 

How large a nest egg will you need to live on?

The same survey above shows that 29% think they can make through 20 or more years with less than $100,000. However, most people have never done the math—they guessed.

Many think they will work past age 65. Depending on their current income and assets, each group of responders said they will need higher amounts in retirement:

 

$2 million or more: 17% of respondents’ amounts

$1 million to less than $2 million: 16%

$500,000 to less than $1 million: 16%

$100,000 to less than $500,000: 23%

Less than $100,000: 29%

 

My readers said they spend about 3.5% of their nest eggs each year so they have enough for 30 years. $1 million provides about $35,000 in addition to their Social Security and other income stream. My readers used a Monte Carlo estimator to help them plan for their spending in retirement.

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/What-your-RMD-much-spend/dp/1718946716

 

Investing is not gambling

Professional gamblers love to say that if you find gambling exciting, you are doing it wrong. The same wisdom applies to investing. The myth of making a fortune by buying the right stock at the right time is fake news; broadcast hype to enrich the media. The real story is how steady contributions to a low-cost index account use the Miracle of Compounding to turn $9 a day, $250 a month, $3,000 a year into $2,000,000 during your lifetime. A $2 million doesn’t come overnight. Most of us couldn’t manage $2,000,000 if we won it at once. Most lottery winners are broke in a couple of years. Compounding is money making money on itself. $3,000 becomes $50,000, then 210,000, then $660,000, then $2,000,000 in each 10 years. Warren Buffett proved this by beating 5 hedge funds with the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. In the last 10 years, investors gained 11% total return in their mutual fund investments. For those who gambled on timing—buy and sell—Morningstar found they earned 9.3%. Pay less; earn more—boring—buy and hold.

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

 

 

One account to invest for tax-Free benefits now and for the rest of your life

This account provides you with best way to save for all your financial needs. And the earnings can be used without taxes. You can keep making contributions so you have more later and you can leave a legacy with any remainder. You don’t need to take money out to be taxed like a pension. You can make contributions each year up until tax time of the next year. You can take out contributions for emergencies anytime. You can use your money for a home down payment. A non-working spouse can have their own account which the working spouse can fill so you double your benefits. You can use some of the money to pay for college. This account, §408A was created by the IRS so that working people could have tax-FREE retirement income. It is available through any financial institution and operates like a ‘tax haven’ without the expense of an overseas trust.

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Tax-Haven-Tax-FREE-Americans/dp/1482659441

 

Our readers have survived the 2022 market downdraft by looking away. As long as they don’t sell, they don’t have a loss—it’s only a paper loss. They conclude that unemployment and consumer buying are still strong, so they can wait markets out.

 

2022 Total Return Fund                    Long-term Return      Longevity

-17.5% 500 Index                                            11.2% since 1976

   6.5% Energy                                                   8.8% since 1984

-25.1% Extended Market                                 10.7% since 1987

 -5.8% Health                                                   15.8% since 1984

-29.7% International Growth                            11.4% since 1981

-15.3% PRIMECAP                                        14.0% since 1984

-19.2% Small Cap Index                                  10.6% since 1960

 -9.9% Wellesley Income                                    9.6% since 1970

 -7.8% Windsor                                               11.4% since 1958

-15.4% Windsor II                                           11.2% since 1985

-13.92% Average 6 months 2022                     11.5% *

            *Average Annual Returns as of 6/30/22

 

 

Help your child, grandchild start a $1 million fund

They will need a million dollars since inflation can reduce the buying power by 50% in just 20 years. Since common stocks have the best history of keeping ahead of inflation, a broad portfolio has the best chance of delivering steady returns. Since 1871 a basket of stocks (dividends reinvested) has provided 11% returns. Ordinary inflation is 3% not 8.6%, so right now stocks are cheap. If you show your kids that an 11% long-term return can turn $250 a month into $1,000,000 in about 34 years, they will not try to beat the market with fast trades through a $0 commission broker. Show them the math: $250 per month for 34 years costs $102,000 in contributions. They earn $898,000 in dividends and capital gains. If they use their special IRS tax-FREE account, they avoid about $225,000 in taxes when they take their money out to live on. Remind them that Warren Buffett bet a million dollars on a low-cost market index fund to beat 5 super stock pickers. Buffett recommends you use the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. Why? You can waste up 63% of your returns when you use an advisor/broker. And if the kids trade to beat the market they may end up with the historical broker account average of 3.79% not 11% a year. That’s $208,865 instead of $1,021,768 after 34 years. Show them the Way.

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

 

You don’t need an advisor if you start investing early

The method of investing above in “Help your child, grandchild start a $1 million fund” shows that it is easy; but hard to stick with. Learning how to manage money early makes it clear that you don’t need an advisor taking up to 63% of your long-term accumulation by charging you every quarter and trading on hot tips. Those who start SS benefits early are missing out on 8% guaranteed accumulations from age 62 to 70. If you start early, your nest egg has grown enough to take out money for an emergency. Same with the IRS requirement to take IRA distributions (RMDs) by age 72. If you are contributing to a tax-FREE version of an IRA, you never have to take RMDs until you really need them. Even then you avoid extra taxes. By the time you retire, you can have a non-commission one-fee financial planner scope out your income and expenses so you will never run out of money. They can advise you on taxes, charity, legacy, etc without having to pay for an expensive annuity for the rest of your life. Retirees cite early start as their best advice.

Start NOW: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Robo-Advisor-Ultimate-Automatic-Management/dp/1537111957/

 

 

Another business subsidy paid from our taxes

We taxpayers will pay for the pensions of workers who were left with almost nothing by their employers. Workers’ pensions are backed by the govt’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation when their employers fail to pay what workers were promised. Usually retirees receive 60-75% of what their contract promised. Treasury gave $90 billion to rescue troubled multiemployer pension plans. The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act will save an estimated 268 plans and the pension benefits of millions of workers and retirees. These multiemployer pension plans have been in trouble for years as more employers walk away from their obligations to retired workers and their spouses. Like the Social Security trust fund, future obligations were not supported by the firm’s management contributions. Future SS benefits will be cut by 2034 because senior management with salaries over $142,800 is exempt from the SS tax. Current political trends do not support tax proposals to save fully funded benefits.

We are on our own: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Socialism-Rich-little-people/dp/1535218584

 

 

 

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

 

 

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracyWe rejected an "American fascist" once

 

 

The Path to Dictatorship: 2010-2030

 

Jan 21 2010 Corpor­a­tions’ election-spending unlim­ited

 

Nov 2020 Wealthy discredit election process

 

Nov 21 2020 Trump’s Plans for a Coup: criminal

 

Nov 21 2020: Trump plan: US Marshals seize voting machines

 

Jan 6 2021 Direct assault failed: guns & bombs ready

 

Trump engaged in a "criminal conspiracy" to stop Biden

 

I don’t f—ing care that they have weapons

 

Trump “detached from reality”

 

Trump used mafia intimidation on the defenseless

 

Parscale: “a sitting president asking for civil war.”

 

Trump: “Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me” 

 

GOP fascism: “RINO hunt armed; no bagging limitJ6 comm threat

 

Trump’s Supremes END personal rights & state laws except for weapons WMDs

 

Fascism: GOP to stop women leaving state for abortion

 

It’s not a court. It’s a junta

 

 

Nov 8 2022 Trump’s “national revolution

 

 

 

How Govt wastes our money:

Supremes decide coal and steel industry better judge of how to stop warming than EPA

Supremes’ EPA condemn US to more heat, fires, floods: no limit to warming; then deaths

Biden bows to prince for oil: US needs more refineries not more oil: Big Oil say no new

 

In some states, unborn ‘child’ viewed by law: provides higher child tax credits; deduction

 

Christian Nationalist lobby hides donors, avoids taxes: filed as “association of churches

Washington or Sri Lanka: armed mob overthrows the government

J6 Terrorist outlines domestic extremism vision USA: Defense to grab voting machines

 

John Bolton said he planned overthrows in our name. Trump’s coup did not work well

Congress to vote on banning WMD weapons of mass destruction: kill 30 with one spray

 

SCAMS/SPINS:

Bullets of war weapon are meant to destroy kids, families, lives: fun to shoot 30 rnds/min

Private citizens CA local governments can sue firearms businesses when harmed

Manchin coal firm owner, kills climate change initiative keeps $ millions from taxation

 

Bank America caught freezing unemployment benefits in pandemic: faulty fraud alert

Dean McDermott PA caught selling unit investment trusts with extra charges 

Matthew Eckstein NY caught $12 million Ponzi 50 retirees “safe 2 year” prison 3 yrs

 

ACE Cash Express caught overpaying payday loans: fail disclose no-fee plans  

Auto Warranty Scams: ID thief uses your actual data to trick for more

Scam: car dealer tricks that give car sales the worst reputation among the worst

 

Scam $199 claims to stop home ownership title fraud: Home Title Lock deception

Most Medicaid mental health directories list ‘phantom’ providers that don’t exist

Medicare Part D Patients Overpay for Scrips: Huge Price Variation in Part D Plans

Worst Minivan: Consumer Reports and J.D. Power agree: Pacifica

Tesla head Elon says no self-drive has ever crashed: 8 owners filed claims already

 

SS members erase text messages about their activity as Trump coup fails. SS denies it

General Flynn Trump advisor caught taking unreported $450,000 from Russia/Turkey

How the gun experts justify kids buying AR-15 30-round war weapons

 

Crypto giant Binance became a hub for hackers, fraudsters and drug traffickers

Crypto lender Celsius is "deeply insolvent" can’t honor its obligations to customers

Axie Infinity game fraud $620 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen

 

Beware: Travel fees are back in 2022: everything fees

Beware: Biden Jul 4 slow speech vid faked to imply Biden slurred speech mental health

 

Forget brain drugs: train your brain to avoid Alzheimer’s: Cross-train your brain

 

Jobs

Most in-demand high-paying jobs: nurse, drivers, sales, manage ops, retail manager

best-jobs-of-2022

richest self-made women $215 million minimum for top Forbes list

 

Who owns your account now?

California will make its own insulin to fight drug’s high prices: Medicare for all?

Inflation 9%: fuel, food up but not wages

 

Miracles:

Great way to beat high cost of wedding and make American culture great again!

New quantum communication: instant internet ‘entanglement’ demo

TX driver got ticket in HOV lane: police says unborn child does not count as child???

 

Jane Rigby, Webb’s operations project scientist: how she makes it work

Webb photographs stars near beginning of time: 13.5 billion years ago: light just arriving

 

New: Birth Control Pill Available Without a Prescription HRA Pharma

New proposed rule could transform student loan interest: savings

Italy has declared a state of emergency in five northern regions: Po River dried up

UK issues first extreme heat warning as record temperatures loom

 

 

Church sued for sex abuse child’s parent psychological injury: many parents suffered

LA to mask up: immunity-evading Omicron subvariant, called BA.2.75 in breath

 

 

 

@

I don’t think that there is any such thing as a position or a velocity of a particle.

Light is both a particle and a wave depending on how we look at the light.

Everything in universe: galaxies to stones made of subatomic energy ‘vibrations’

A subatomic ‘particle’ is the smallest possible vibration (quantum) of a quantum field.

Mass–energy equivalence: E=mc^2.  At the smallest level; Everything is moving!

Inside protons, neutrons, it is the fields of the virtual particles that creates its mass.

“Empty space is a boiling, bubbling brew of virtual particles that pop in and out of existence in a time scale so short that you can’t even measure them.” Space expanding.

 

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

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

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

 

 

Friday, September 21, 2018

Deduct the full cost of your ride!


Can you deduct the full cost of your ride?
The recent changes to the tax code are giving business executives a new perk: the opportunity to deduct the entirety of a corporate-jet purchase. “That is a major change. Before, buyers of new planes could generally deduct at least 50% of the cost of an aircraft in the first year. Buyers of used airplanes had to take those deductions more slowly. Marcus Adolfsson, [CEO of online tech] publisher Mobile Nations, bought a used Embraer Phenom 100 for just under $2 million at the end of December, right as the new tax law was going into effect. The rule allowing owners to deduct 100% on used equipment was retroactive to late September … Mr. Adolfsson, a CEO and licensed pilot in St. Petersburg, Fla., has used his jet to skip the hassle of commercial flights, flying to New York to meet with advertising partners and taking jaunts to Miami and Winnipeg to visit his remote employees. He lovingly compares the plane to a minivan: less sexy than some smaller planes, but a comfortable time saver. ‘It’s kind of my office on the road,’ he said, adding that he can lease it out for $1,300 an hour when he isn’t using it.”
Avoid paying the taxes these jet owners don’t pay: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300

Another tax from your take-home pay
Americans spend tens of billions of dollars on government-run lotteries each year. But as income inequality widens, low-earning households spend a disproportionate amount of money on lottery tickets. The lowest-income households in the U.S. on average spend $412 annually on lottery tickets, which is nearly four times the $105 a year spent by the highest-earning households, according to Bankrate.com. Americans making less than $30,000 a year are most likely to buy multiple lottery tickets each week. We are putting ourselves in debt—more bankruptcies than 10 years ago—in an effort to escape our economic crisis. Our economic situation hit a wall in the 1970s-1980s. Now the state licensed on-line gambling which can only make matters worse.


Coins with no value continue to make sure you lose your money
Crypto money has outdone the dot-com bubble burst in 2000. You are guaranteed to lose because you didn’t buy when this pretend money was 1 cent. Because crypto is just computer blip, it is easy to steal. Some exchanges may be operating illegally. Lesson: buy low sell high or just go to the casino. You would be better off in the gambling game—NOT as player but as an owner. For instance, Wynn Resorts stock returned 98% so far. At least they are real and have value to some. Gambling will always be with us but you are better off as owner than participant in a bubble. Or start your own currency for a true losing game. Alternative: own part of successful companies; leverage compounding.

Are home equity loans still deductible?
The IRS said that taxpayers can often still deduct interest on a home equity loan, home equity line of credit (HELOC) or second mortgage, regardless of how the loan is labeled. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, enacted Dec. 22, suspends from 2018 until 2026 the deduction for interest paid on home equity loans and lines of credit, unless they are used to buy, build or substantially improve the taxpayer’s home that secures the loan. Under the new law, for example, interest on a home equity loan used to build an addition to an existing home is typically deductible, while interest on the same loan used to pay personal living expenses, such as credit card debts, is not. As under prior law, the loan must be secured by the taxpayer’s main home or second home (known as a qualified residence), not exceed the cost of the home and meet other requirements. One of the criminal charges on Manafort was that he lied on mortgage loan. Many foreigners get caught because they use questionable money to buy property and then mortgage it so it is ‘clean’ money to live on. The questionable money is not taxed and using a loan for income is also not taxed.

What to do when your life insurance premium balloons?
Policy owners of universal life insurance are suing insurers for raising the premium on policies sold in the 1980s and 1990s. Insurers offered an attractive guaranteed minimum interest rate to policyholders of about 4%-5%, experts said, supported by higher interest rates. But the returns on bonds have been lower. Plaintiffs claim that insurers raised costs to make up for bad bets on interest rates. Insurers claim the increases are warranted, due to things such as mortality conditions that increase the frequency of claims they have to pay. However, people are living longer not shorter and extra costs are the insurers’ responsibility. Insurers have tripled CEO pay over the past 35 years. Your options: reduce death benefit, take surrender value, pay more, and ask your carrier if your policy has other options.





Is a deductible co-pay LTC policy right for you?
Since prices have been rising and current owners of these products keep getting premium increases, you might guess that this ‘new’ coverage from NY Life is too late to the party. Yes, boomers are getting older and on paper, there is a huge unfilled need. However, this coverage has a deductible and a 20% coinsurance to lower the cost. Policy benefit caps mean that you could easily run out of benefits. To sweeten the deal, you can earn a dividend. If you don’t need it, there is no refund.




Is a ‘Retirement’ bond right for you?
The retirement bond would not pay back the principal; instead, after 20 years, it would become more like a deferred annuity paying a stable, secure income—but investors would get more bang for their buck. Martellini says the retirement bonds could be offered as transparent, low-cost products that are easier to get out of than a typical income annuity. Someone five years from retirement today, a 61-year-old, would be buying 2023 retirement bonds. The bonds would start paying cash in 2023, and continue paying for 20 years. If launched, the new retirement bonds could be offered in lieu of bonds or annuities to investors. 

Is your 401k may be robbing you blind?
M&T Bank workers’ lawsuit challenges high fee, poor performing proprietary mutual funds in the bank’s 401(k) plan. Many other lawsuits against financial companies have accused employers of adding affiliated, high-fee, poorly performing funds in 401(k) plans at their workers’ expense. Some employers have had to settle: Deutsche Bank ($21.9 million)American Airlines Group Inc. ($22 million)Allianz SE ($12 million)TIAA ($5 million)New York Life Insurance Co. ($3 million), and Principal Life Insurance Co. ($3 million).

Should Congress force employers to offer high-cost annuities?
All the big annuity insurers are greening Congress to make it legal and easier to put their products in your retirement plans. Hoping to cash in on all the retiring workers of America, insurers are calling their products a “boost to Americans' retirement security through greater access to products that provide guaranteed lifetime income in retirement." What most of our Reps don’t know is that we could give up over 50% of our retirement dollars to fees, costs, and charges built into the contracts. Every year insurers take 2-3% of your total nest egg. That could be $3-5,000 a year. Sure, annuities are secure and can provide ‘guaranteed’ income. However, over time the purchasing power of the income is cut in half--$1,000 a month benefit becomes $500. Unlike Social Security, most plans don’t raise the income to keep up with inflation. And when interest rates go up, you will want to cancel the contract for a higher income. Then surrender charges apply.


Wealthy buying into companies directly: skip the hedge fund commissions
The superrich have invested in businesses directly for a long time. One of the oldest direct investments has been real estate. Family money built the malls, the department stores and commercial buildings directly. Many billionaires have been rewarded by purchasing shares in Warren Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway 40 years ago. The wealthy are now envious of those who bought early in Uber Airbnb etc. They want the prestige of being the early investors. This requires understanding the risk/reward of direct investing. They think they are smarter and can save on the costs. And so can you with the help of industry insiders. However, if you are NOT connected to an insider, you might want to follow Warren Buffett and John Bogle advice about investing.

Who is taking our money on Wall Street
This is the AVERAGE: $422,500 up 13% in 2017. They hired only 1700 last year—keeping more for the owners like the Johnson family. Automation has eliminated most of those who actually work on ‘Wall Street.’ My job and staff in the ‘back office’ are gone. In 1988, I automated the variable annuity sales process so no need for this staff. All the profits from my and other areas went to senior management who went out and bankrupted the firm. The profits came from the fees, ‘haircuts’ and kickbacks from the money Wall Street clients give to the sales people. Sales people earn an average of $47,000. The guys you see in the pictures of the exchange make even less. If you are trading or paying 2% for your account and products, you are giving up 63% of your potential earnings to the owners. Money management is the 2nd oldest con. The top 1% own 25% of everything of value in US just like 1920s. We started losing ground in 1980.

Are donor advised funds right for you?
DAFs are the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) philanthropic accounts established at a public charity. They allow donations of cash, property, appreciated assets and more—and donors receive immediate tax deductions. The DAF legally controls the money from the point of donation. Subsequently, donors can advise regarding specific charities that should receive donations. Generally, the DAF follows the donor’s advice. Plus, DAFs offer the option of completely anonymous donation. Despite fast growth and unique advantages, DAFs have recently come under increasing scrutiny and criticism. Among the concerns are a lack of transparency and potential conflicts of interest for financial institutions that offer the funds while earning fees for their investment management. Besides financial institutions, DAFs are housed at more than 700 community foundations in cities across the country.



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Make America, “The Don”, Great Again

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

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Trump spent 33% more than he did last year: $895 billion more than brought in. 
Corporate tax receipts fell 30 percent in the past 11 months: CEO & shareholder benefit

Trump raises prices by 10% in trade war. We pay for his war and we vote in Nov.

SCAMS/SPINS:
Tamara Steele IN did not disclose 18% commissions on risky stock to clients 
Capital Analysts PA put clients in high-fee fund shares inside wrap account. 2x fees
J Laura A Sichenzio W Gil de Rubio caught fraud oil processing $3.7 million securities 

Peter Mallouk KS caught making illegal adverts; ethics violations; trades not reported
Kevin Merrill Jay Ledford Cameron Jezierski caught ponzi--returns from fake debt resale

World Tree indicted on fraud using “cherry-picking” scheme: keep good trades.

Hedge funds are raising fees as their portfolios shrink—owners still want their fees.
Florence scams: fake investment opportunities fake charity; corporate paid promoters.





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Trump is finally fighting cyber war with cyber: Target Russia, N Korea, China likely.
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Jobs:
Jobs are not hard to find; living-wage jobs are hard to find.


Who owns your account now?
The 70 yr old Beetle is killed by VW in favor of Porsche SUV? [SUV by Porsche?]
TIME mag sold to Salesforce
Hurricane strategy: those with actual cash not card can but gas and food till electricity on.

Nestlé’s Gerber Life to Western & Southern Financial (annuities)

Miracle:
One man drove into Florence to save 53 dogs and 11 cats and then back again next day!


Anti-Muslim mayor actually talks to Muslims and admits fear of unknown drives bigots.

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
MontclairNJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts 

Friday, May 18, 2018

What to do with your RMD: 17 alternatives


What to do with your RMD: How much will you spend?
Your RMD or required minimum distribution is the amount the IRS calculates for income tax purposes from your retirement accounts annually after your turn age 70½. You may want to invest part of it for the future or cut the amount in your IRA that you will pay tax on in coming years or contribute to legitimate charities. I help you answer these questions now: Will you have enough? How will you invest? How much will you spend? Explore 17 alternative uses of your RMD. Create tax-FREE income from your IRA while reducing future RMD. Take advantage of the miracle of compounding: $100,000 may become $500,000 in 15 years. Create an investment plan for 30+ retirement years. Self-insure and self-fund all your financial needs. Social Security to cut benefits in 2034 so you may need more income later. You have time to do something about the future.

Trump tax plan has NOT brought outsourced cash back for jobs in US
GOP gave corporate America a great deal besides cutting rates so actual rates are less than 15%. Apple, Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Netflix have removed from reports any mention of their overseas cash totaling $ TRILLIONS. Most corps have given their senior staff and shareholders BIG raises but have hired few new taxpayers. GOP’s new 15.5% rate on repatriated cash seems to have few payers. But if the $ Trillions are not tracked, how will we know if the special tax deal we must pay for is effective? We taxpayers will still have to pick up the slack since most corps don’t need capital or jobs here in US. Most will find their next decade of profits overseas so they plan to use the money there. Why pay 15.5% when they can pay 0% in most tax shelters. Apple hides their cash in Jersey, an island off France. I would keep my money in 0% tax Jersey if I could too.

Do you need a gift for your grad?
Best gift for your graduate: The Gift of a Lifetime.
Your monthly gift could provide your grandchild with real ‘social security:’ their own tax-FREE money. You take advantage of the miracle of compounding. Your gift becomes a $2,000,000 tax-FREE Wealth Reserve. You could reduce your taxable estate by $500,000 for each grandchild. Your grandchild will NEVER have to pay taxes on the money either. Social Security will exhaust its funds in about 2034. Every year you delay costs your favorite kid $100,000 later. 


Are you eligible for Medicaid to pay your long-term care costs?
The way annuities can help with Medicaid eligibility is that they can transform otherwise countable assets, such as savings accounts, into a non-countable income stream, thus protecting assets for heirs while spending down what counts against you in Medicaid eligibility. You are essentially giving up your asset temporarily. So the annuity must be non-cancelable and non-assignable and name the state as beneficiary for at least the value of the Medicaid assistance received (exception for disabled child). Thus most annuities sold do not fit the requirement. You must obtain a confirming statement from the insurer to protect yourself. Typically it is a single premium immediate payout annuity. State law varies so use a qualified sales person. This strategy may not work for you since you won’t know for sure it works until you need it. Your spouse will not be made destitute in this process if you plan well.


How much are ‘reasonable’ advisor fees?
Again, it depends. How much is your advisor doing for you? Money management only costs 0.22% for a balanced (bond/stock) fund with a 40 year history of providing superior returns (9.4% a year). If your advisor is giving you financial planning services, including mortgage, college, tax and retirement funding, quality will cost you 0.30-0.50% of your <$1 million portfolio each year. If you just want periodic advice, pay $500-$2,000 an hour to a certified financial planner, depending on your needs. That way you pay as you go for professional services and leave the money management to institutions that know what they are doing. Investors not traders go for the long term rewards. If your advisor is asking you to move your money to another firm it is because they are getting a bonus up to $600,000 and you don’t want to be around as he has to make it to the firm next year.

Why do you need 12 Energy ETFs?
The fact that every brokerage firm seems to be pushing its own commissioned index with annual fees up to 1% should not surprise anyone. But I am. Some 3 year returns are negative (-16%). Some don’t even have them. All earn less than the proven market leader with over 10% returns since 1984 and no commission and lower annual cost of 0.41%. If you know when energy prices will spike, which one of the 12 should you buy? Can your broker tell you when to sell? If you have insider knowledge, why not just buy the company stock? What about the gains from oil and gas company earnings? China seems to own the solar panel market. Is that your short- or long-term bet?

Can you time the market declines/risings?
Many studies have been done on this strategy. When you listen to market commentators and they talk ‘over weight’, ‘sector rotation’ and ‘moving to cash during the cycle’, remember they are getting paid very well at sounding good trying to predict the future ($1 million is  better than fortune tellers). They are not actually doing what they talk about. Their wealth does NOT come from their ‘insight’ into market tea leaves but from entertainment TV sponsors. The reality is that timing and picking does not work. Look at one study ended 2015. How would you have done if you missed the market’s top-performing days, assuming you can’t predict the future? Your $100,000 investment would have reached $120,230 if you missed 25 days of the 7,300 days. However, if you were out for 20 days, then $148,698; 15 then $186,715; 10 then $238,637; only FIVE then $317,215. If you never left the market, then $478,171! Your money went up 378%! That’s about 8% a year nominal. $478,171 is more than $120,230. It’s time not timing!

Advisors are now allowed to sell you the worst products (best for them)
A court struck down Labor’s fiduciary rule so the DOL said it won’t enforce ‘prohibited transactions’. Sellers will go back to selling annuities to 90 year old widows as they did before. Lawsuits have been brought that allege that certain insurance companies and banks target elders and use scare tactics to pressure seniors into investing their life savings in deferred annuities, which can make the seniors’ savings inaccessible for 10-20 years, can carry exorbitant surrender charges and severe tax penalties, and can create complicated estate problems after death. Appealing, yet misleading, sales pitches to seniors often describe annuities as “guaranteed” and compare them to having money in the bank that is “safe” but pays a better return. Confusing language in the annuity contract often obscures the devastating fees involved if money needs to be withdrawn as the senior citizen ages. Additionally, many of these annuity products are sold by agents being paid significant commissions for such sales, creating a potential conflict of interest. Don’t settle for poor products. Use firms that put your best interests first.

Is it worth making a financial plan?
People who make a financial plan are more likely to be ready for whatever our economy throws at them. Companies and their jobs can come and go in a very short time. Even though it seems that people who want to work can find a job in today’s market, our situation can change quickly. If there are tons of jobs in another region, can we just pick up and leave? Most people need time to adjust—move or find another job. This takes an emergency fund. According to a Schwab study, 65% of people who plan have one; 24% of non-planners do not have one. People who plan are less likely to live paycheck to paycheck. They feel financially stable. Making a plan does not require you to hire a financial planner or open a brokerage account. It takes just 2 weekends.

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Make America, “The Don” Great Again







Trump thinks the govt is ‘conspiring against him.’
(Dictators often have delusion they are being attacked by insiders)

Trump gives Putin control of election: eliminates U.S. cyber advisor
Treason definition: ‘giving them aid and comfort within the United States’

Fake ‘Witch Hunt’ produced 5 guilty; 17 indictments.

Putin controls US power utilities and 21 state voting files, Trump slush fund, etc

The election is going to be rigged—I’m going to be ‘honest’” 

Could Trump postpone Nov 2018 election using excuse of Putin meddling needs fixing?


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            Is The Don still getting tax breaks from taxpayers? Fills DC hotel and winter WH.
            Trump lifts sanctions on Russian aluminum billionaire but not everyone else.


SCAMS:
Jared’s ‘peace within reach’ solution—Israel snipers kill 60 after rocks thrown. Qatar?
What is this ‘deep state’? Fed govt that groups don’t like who control no accountability.
GOP hits zenith: states can now take money from every gambler instead of the mafia.

Trump’s greatest con continues as victims believe he protests against being disrespected
Hannity becomes Trump’s last ‘advisor’—con men share jokes/domestic policy/hate.




Fake memory enhancement Prevagen sued for false claims but still makes $ millions.

Jobs:
GM to stop making cars; joins Ford and Fiat keep trucks and electrics
Truck drivers to $150,000 in TX; nurses signing bonus $25,000
Trump working hard to restore jobs in China China caught helping Iran N.Korea.

Get your degree online from best universities: https://www.coursera.org/degrees

Who owns your account now?

What if your home/car can be hacked like your vote, credit, friends’ data?
All personal phones (except 1) are taken from WH staff but didn’t prevent leaks so far.

Can we trust Ari Melber to explain the legal case against POTUS?

Miracle:

            Former Trumper warns Americans are losing their democracy with alt. facts.

“A ticking time bomb,” the Vatican calls financial derivatives. They take vital life-lines.

IAN
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