Why unionization at
Amazon, Starbucks, etc scares the owners
As
union membership declines, income inequality increases. It is clear that
since the 1970s, people who work for a living are losing their productivity to
the owners. First, it took
two wage earners to live the middle class life. Then the owners bought
machines to take jobs. Third, the owners sent well-paying jobs to
regions/countries where labor costs were lower. Now we can’t buy a new car
because the high-tech
parts are not made in the US. The managers of large businesses now require over
300 times the average worker’s salary. One study found top executives, on average,
received $13.1 million in total compensation, while the average employee earned
$37,632. That’s
a ratio of 347 to 1. The share of adults who live in middle-class
households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021. The widening of the income
gap and the
shrinking of the middle class has led to a steady decrease in the share of
https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Socialism-Rich-little-people/dp/1535218584/
Ranks Of Rich
Americans Exploded During The 2010s
As they moved to
tonier digs, they drove the middle class out of their path. They moved
everywhere in the
https://www.amazon.com/New-American-Retirement-System-ReserveTM/dp/1461030072
Is a Social Security “bridge” right for you?
The Covid pandemic saw an increase in the number of folks taking Social Security benefits early—age 62 is the earliest for most. But a person with a Full Retirement Age of 66 who claims at age 62 will receive a reduced benefit for the rest of their life—25% lower. Claiming at age 66 is worth 33% more in monthly income than a claim at 62, and a claim at age 70 is worth 76% more. That means a later claimant might receive over $1 million in their lifetime. However, some people can’t wait. For those who want the higher benefit but can’t work, the alternative is finding a “bridge” using other funds. Let’s say you have savings in a 401k or other tax deferred vehicle. You could activate those retirement funds early, pay the tax and still be able to meet your needs until age 68, 69, or 70. Plus, you don’t forgo the valuable annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) built into Social Security. The COLAs are applied to your benefit amount even if they have not yet claimed, beginning in the year that they become eligible to claim. Some advisors push a retirement annuity to bridge the gap. However, dollar for dollar, “buying” additional Social Security income through delayed claiming beats the return of commercial annuities by a substantial margin. Build a better BRIDGE.
https://www.amazon.com/Maximize-Social-Security-Benefits-Retirement/dp/1495439224
How to set up regular retirement income
Many people facing retirement want a steady monthly income that covers their basic living needs when their paycheck stops. Some employers are now pushing an annuity purchase with retirement funds (401k, 403b, etc). If you have an advisor, they may favor this alternative as well since there are high commissions involved. There are several difficulties to the annuity alternative. The annuity benefits may not keep up with inflation. A $500 a month benefit will buy about HALF the goods in 25 years. An annuity can be cancelled but you may have to surrender up to 10% of your money. Annuities are backed by the insurer you pick and they can fail. Insurers usually keep your money if you die earlier than their benefits are guaranteed. An alternative is to set up regular fixed amounts withdrawn from your funds rolled out of your employer plan to a mutual fund or broker. Because your plan funds were tax-advantaged, you usually put them in another shield called a rollover IRA trust. To maintain the growth of your funds, a balanced (stock/bond) mutual fund is preferred. Your trustee will sell shares for you and credit your checking account monthly if you prefer. Because your money was tax-deferred, the IRS has rules for timely withdrawal so the benefits are now taxed. Usually there are very few charges to accomplish your regular retirement income this way. Plus your trustee makes sure your tax situation is handled correctly. Of course you can always access your funds—no surrender charge. Over most investment years, your money will grow so your annual withdrawals can beat inflation. When you die, your named beneficiary receives the rest of your account without waiting for probate of your will.
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Buy-That-Annuity-Guaranteed/dp/1466494573
Where is the market going?
You can probably guess that no one knows. However, super investor Warren Buffett says don’t bet against the American economy. Sure, the market goes up and down but over most periods it rises an average of 10-12% unless you are using an advisor or broker. According to score keeper Dalbar, you would have been better off in an stock index. Here is the long-term Dow adjusted for inflation: https://www.chartoftheday.com/dow-jones-chart-since-1900-inflation-adjusted. Most recently, the S&P 500 has dived 25% after rising 31%, 18%, and 28% since 2019. Over 5 years, the index is up 8% per year. If you knew this was going to happen in advance would you have moved your money from stocks to CDs paying 1-2%? Would you have moved your funds into bonds? Some may have but your long-term accumulations would be nowhere. Buffett must know something. His average is 20% annual gain (page 2). Stocks are safer over time than any other asset class—especially a well-diversified portfolio like a low-cost total stock index. If your long-term goals have not changed, no change is necessary.
Use Buffett’s strategy: https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Investment-Strategy-Forget/dp/1484822900
Ask your advisor about annuity complications
Annuities are complicated. Advisors are trained in securities. Most annuities are insurance-based. You are buying a 60+ page insurance company contract that most lawyers have trouble understanding. If the annuitant dies before contract maturity or annuitization, what happens? What if you use an annuity to pay alimony? What are tax events for gift of maturing annuity? Is there a tax when a spouse waves a survivor annuity? Is there gift tax when third-party given survivor benefits? Tax on gift to irrevocable beneficiary? Is there withholding on gain in annuity? Payments are taxed based on 3 “elements.” Which parts of annuity are taxed charitable gift annuity? Tax event for obligor in charitable annuity? Tax on annuity benefits for a corporation?
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Annuity-Strategy-Income-Growth/dp/1497532019
Is your 401(k) statement of “lifetime income illustration”
accurate?
The SECURE Act requires 401(k) statements to show you a figure called the lifetime income illustration. It’s based on turning your accumulated balance into an annuity — an insurance product that pays out a series of regular payments — and the monthly income you’d get from that annuity. Congress got paid well by the insurers to insert this in legislation. Problems: extra costs and surrender charges reduce your nest egg. What if your situation changes? If inflation rates change, your monthly income may not cover your needs. What if the illustration is wrong? If the insurer fails? What if you die early and your nest egg goes to the insurer, not to your family? How will you pay the taxes your deferred in your 401k earlier?
Consider: https://www.amazon.com/Retirement-Income-Annuity-Guaranteed-Life/dp/1497337313/
Will you have enough?
Many of us have inflated retirement income expectations, setting ourselves up for disappointment in the case of forced early retirement. Overall, 70% of workers expect that they will not only have adequate income for basic expenses during retirement, but will also have discretionary income for travel and leisure activities. According to a survey by the IRI, it is highly unlikely that more than half of workers will be able to subsist on Social Security, particularly if they retire before full retirement age, as so many plan to do. Survey participants may also be unrealistic in their contingency plans if they exhaust savings. Many workers believe they can downsize and get by on Social Security if they exhaust their savings early during retirement. A third think they can return to work if they run out of money during retirement, despite the fact that many people in those straits may not possess either the marketable skills or good health necessary to return to work.
https://www.amazon.com/What-your-RMD-much-spend/dp/1718946716
Is Investing With ‘Factor
Analysis’ Right for You?
Factor investing is
a strategy that chooses securities on attributes that are
associated with higher returns. There are two
main types of factors that have driven returns of stocks, bonds, and other
factors: macroeconomic factors and style factors. The former captures
broad risks across asset classes while the latter aims to explain returns and
risks within asset classes. The
subscription offer: By following an actively managed rules-driven approach,
factor investing allows you to leverage statistical observations and
risk/return metrics to objectively judge the odds of your portfolio
outperforming the general market. Since we all want higher returns, what seems
clear is that someone is picking stocks that you pay to learn about. You pay
for a stock picker to guess which way the market will go. I think this is great
if it were true that we all could create wealth that way. Unfortunately, many
have tried and few have done it. Some have picked well but only for a short
time. This is not the strategy you should use for serious money. If you have
the money to lose, give it a try. Otherwise, use Buffett’s recommendation.
https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffett-Your-Investment-Advisor/dp/1518690963/
?**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************?
Like 1776, this
period is a test
of democracy—We
rejected an "American
fascist" once
The
Path to Dictatorship: 2010-2030
Nov 2020 Wealthy
discredit election process
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 was “detached
from reality”
Trump
used mafia-style 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 limit” J6
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: Two Americas
Trump: President
Biden is 'enemy of the state'
Jan 2025 Dictator
pardons himself: his Supremes Agree
How Govt wastes our money:
More
Americans moving into hurricane zones: higher premiums, taxes, owner losses
Supremes
to cancel rights: voting, religious, LGBTQ, affirmative action,
gerrymandered
DeSantis,
Gaetz own airline used transport immigrants from TX to MA: $12 mil fund.
Proud
Boys member pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy
Seditious conspiracy:
conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force
Oath Keepers
Wealthy
Congress fake farms get to delay taxes due to draught
more taxpayers’ subsidies
national
debt $31 trillion: $10.6 trillion Jan 2009: IRS
can’t audit wealthy cheats Trump!
Institutions
became addicted to free money and now the working class must be laid off
SCAMS/SPINS:
Trump
asks judges he installed as Supremes
to pervert justice in top secrets theft case
National
Archives: still missing some Trump records: sold to N.Korea,
Secret
Service doesn’t tell the truth either about a minor accident they have: who
trust?
Biden fist
bump Saudi MBS so he cuts oil flow so oil
sellers & Putin make a killing again
Biden can cut
arms sales to MBS so Saudis can’t kill more Yemenis
Biden quietly
rescinded eligibility for student loan forgiveness: GOP
OKs tax cuts
GOP
CPAC, Musk
and Tucker
side with
Putin
to reconstruct all the towns he destroyed now they are Russian towns?
Putin
just killed 3 in apartment in his own [new] territory: landlord repair
violation?
Choice Money Transfer caught
excess fees, wrong rates, bad records, misleading
Jared Kushner caught
excessive fees/rent units with serious problems: no fine
Kim Kardashian caught
peddling crypto security EMAX: fine $1.26 Mil for $250K
Barclays caught
Best Execution Failures: client trades cost more than might have
Keith Todd Ashley caught
mail, bank, and wire fraud: indictment for client murder
Hacker: BNB Chain Halts Drained
Estimated $100M in Crypto: check yours
Congress caught making money from foreign
dictators to run our government
Supremes
to destroy Voting Rights Act: only white
men landowners can vote 1919
Recall Old Europe Brie, Camembert cheeses: possible
outbreak of listeria
“Best before” labels
encourage us to throw away food that’s perfectly fine to eat.
Foods that
may support dementia later in life: tasty sugary processed likeable stuff
AZ
pharmacy decides 14 year old can’t have lifesaving drug: ‘might do
abortions’
Are you being scammed by advisor? 7
ways you might be mislead
10
Ways advisors try to ‘impress’ you at social events
50 New ETFs Debuted September Alone: Brokers
have trouble keeping up 50/month
Crazy: even
new ETF to bet against a TV personality: one for alien visit?
10 PayPal Scams to
Avoid: email order confirm; fake fraud alert; fake transfer
Sports
betting made {too} simple everywhere [almost]
Scam alert: videos
for fun not for real
DeSantis
tricks not only migrants—taxpayers, religious, parents, voters,
legislators, Feds,
Judge halts
Death wish: 80
anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures
Can
we ever convince ‘smart’ people that Trump lost the election 2 years ago?
Another senator
who voted to impeach Trump resigns early—four years left in Senate
Is it
worth voting if Trumpists
run next elections? US election farce like Putin’s?
Jobs
Teachers: best
and worst states for pay, benes, conditions, etc
Electricians to electrify
everything to renewables: solar
panels over parking lot sites
Amazon to hire 150,000
workers for holidays
Who owns your account now?
No coverage: “a dozen FL
insurers went insolvent in the past two years”
FL homeowners may be under
insured: estimates 60%
are underinsured
Used car dealer: how
to spot an Ian storm flood-damaged car
Annuity Great
American Life Takes MassMutual Branding
What
insurers pay for care may finally be revealed to the public: 1
aspirin costs $6
Carolinas
Ian victims get tax relief; Oct. 17 deadline, other dates extended to Feb.
15
Your tax return
filing extension runs out soon: who
gets a break?
Miracles:
Done: Control
over the growth of root systems could be revolutionary for agriculture
First: wind
and solar met 10% of global electricity demand
California
wells run dry as drought
depletes groundwater: desert reclaims US West
Supertanker
with sails cuts CO2 emissions
Chemists who can snap
molecules together ‘like Lego’: Nobel Prize
Scientists found
regularly drinking
coffee or tea can provide a variety of health benefits
First
fusion reactor will be open in
2 Russian
reservists paddle to Alaska to avoid Putin’s war
@
Light is both
a particle and a wave depending on how we look at the light.
I
don’t think that there is any such thing as a position or a velocity of a
particle.
Everything (galaxies
to stones) in universe 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 a little
Physics Nobel Prize:
“entanglement” 2
particles share info but no way of communicating
There is no TIME at this
level because of force fields come and go in all directions.
Universe expanding: events
may not come together like they did before.
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.
The electricity we use comes
from the field around the wire not from election itself.
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/
