As you probably know, I like to write to communicate my thoughts.  However, recently I have been suffering from writer’s block.  I think it’s because I am in observation mode about the economy, government policy and business; trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  Everywhere I go I ask business owners, “How’s business?” The...Read More

If, like many Americans, you are nearing retirement or starting a new job, part of the transition planning is to deal with your 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan. For most, no solution is more sensible than establishing an IRA rollover account. There are several advantages to the move, including tax-free consolidation of retirement fund balances...Read More

For several decades now housing prices have appreciated rapidly, mostly due to easy credit policies that have allowed more people to own their own home. The trend accelerated until recently, when problems in the subprime mortgage markets brought the party to an end. But from 1994 to 2005, some 3.2 million households were able to...Read More

My staff and I were eating lunch together in the office, as we often do. Jeff Roberto, our Director of Portfolio Operations and Administration who is the father of three children, thanked me for giving him an article on how much it costs to raise a child these days: about $1 million, according to the...Read More

A reporter called me the other day to ask why most Americans can’t seem to save for their future. That conversation subsequently got me thinking more about why most people can’t – or won’t – save. We’ve long had the developed world’s lowest rate of savings, and recent federal government statistics indicate that the national...Read More