In January, will the federal government be shuttered again? At first thought, it seems inconceivable that Congress would want to go through another protracted fight like the one that shut things down for 16 days in October. That could occur, however, if a new budget panel doesn’t meet its deadline. Once more, the clock is…
Read MoreWhy reroute dividends back into your investments? Isn’t taking the income the preferred outcome when a dividend is produced? Retirees and pre-retirees are eager for dividend income in this era of historically low interest rates. Even so, the choice to buy more shares has merit for the long run. Reinvestment & compounding may have profoundly…
Read MoreAt the eleventh hour, a default is averted. After weeks of contention, a bill to reopen the bulk of the federal government and raise the debt ceiling made its way to the White House late Wednesday. President Obama signed the bill into law shortly after midnight, and by the middle of Thursday’s trading day, both…
Read MoreA bipartisan deal emerges from the Senate. After weeks of contention, a bill to reopen the bulk of the federal government and avert an unprecedented U.S. default appears headed toward President Obama’s desk. Senate Democrats and Republicans reached an accord on October 16, and as House Speaker John Boehner has promised an expedient vote on…
Read MoreThere is seldom a dull moment on Wall Street. Stocks may rise or fall dramatically over the course of a year or a decade. Sometimes, breaking news may tempt you to pull money out of your 401(k) or greatly reduce your contributions. If you’re considering such a move, think twice. Don’t stop saving for retirement.…
Read MoreWhen our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. How different things are today! The good news is that life expectancy for women – as measured by the Centers for Disease Control – is now 81.1 years. The Social Security Administration estimates…
Read MoreMedicare Open Enrollment has arrived. The open enrollment period for 2014 runs from October 15-December 7, 2013. This is not only a period where you may enroll for the program, but also switch providers for your comprehensive health and drug coverage. Some key dates to remember. This fall and winter, there are three periods in…
Read MoreWill the market hold up as well as it did last time? That is the near-term question on the minds of some investors as the partial shutdown of the U.S. government drags on. Stocks bounced back quickly from the 3-week gridlock that occurred in 1995-96. Will that be the case in 2013? In some ways,…
Read MoreA decision not made may have financial consequences. There is an old belief that women are more cautious about money than men, and whether you believe that or not, both women and men may fall prey to a kind of money paralysis as they age – in which financial indecision is regarded as a form…
Read MoreJanet Yellen – currently the vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve – has been nominated to succeed Ben Bernanke at the helm of the world’s most important central bank. A former UC Berkeley and London School of Economics professor and San Francisco Fed president, Yellen is a globally admired economist…
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