Real Life

Roth IRAs are a powerful tool in an investor’s toolbox. Created in 1998, Roth IRAs are now over 20 years old. Fortunately, many employers started offering Roth 401(k)s and Roth…

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We’re heading into summertime, which usually includes visions of days when the livin’ is easy. Yet the stock market may have other plans. It often mimics a roller coaster, with many peaks and dips. It can upset our lazy summer days and cause investors to be fearful. We would all like the stock market to [...]read more

Benjamin Franklin had it right when he wrote in 1789 that “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” However, just because taxes are inevitable does not mean that we cannot manage them wisely. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act that took effect on Jan. 1, 2018, was a gift to large corporations – reducing the [...]read more

September marked the 10-year anniversary of the huge nosedive on Wall Street in the 2008 financial crisis. Last month’s article discussed what led to the 2008 crisis, and this month’s article encourages you to prepare for the next financial crisis. Another financial crisis is inevitable, although we do not know when it will occur or [...]read more

Ten years ago this month – September 2008 – Wall Street took a huge nosedive. Today’s article will provide a summary of what happened in the financial crisis. Next month’s column will focus on how you can prepare for the next financial crisis. The first clear indication of trouble occurred on March 17, 2008, when [...]read more

If you are old enough to remember Gershwin’s classic song “Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy,” then you can envision sweltering weather, family gatherings, cookouts with deviled eggs, pedal pushers and plaid shirts. If you’ve never heard the song, Google it and you will find recordings by Billie Holliday (1936), Ella Fitzgerald (1968) and Norah [...]read more