I read an article recently about the premier episode of “Celebrity Legacies”, a television show on the Reelz channel that investigates the legacy of a different departed celebrity each week.  I was first concerned about my choice in reading material, but later realized that the discussion had some value.  This episode explored the case of…

The state of the U.S. jobs market has always been watched closely by economists and financial professionals, and the current economic recovery has only served to draw closer scrutiny to the employment situation.  Although the headline unemployment number has gradually dropped to a more palatable 6% from its peak of 10% in 2009, there remains…

When Money Speaks, the Truth Keeps Silent.  Russian Proverb Judging from the number of well publicized investment swindles in recent history, it seems safe to conclude that one cannot be too careful when selecting investments or the financial advisor who will recommend them.  Despite the labyrinth of Federal and state laws designed to protect investors…

While the U.S. economic picture continues to show broad improvement, some concerning trends are emerging that could eventually lead into the next recession.  When will the next recession happen?  No one can know for sure, but my guess is it will come as a result of the continued decline in income of the middle class…

From the beginning of June 2014 to mid-July 2014 shares of CYNK Technology Corp (CYNK), a penny stock, ran up by approximately 25,000%. The run up and what caused it is still under investigation, but it was most likely due to a modern day pump and dump strategy in which a small number of shareholders…

In my last post, I wrote about the challenges ahead for the millions of baby boomers as they enter the traditional “retirement years”. As a near retiree myself, I quite naturally have a heightened interest in retirement related topics. An avid reader, I am always on watch for an article or other publication that explores…

In my last post I wrote about one method to protect retirement portfolios from the long term impact of market volatility, an often feared retirement risk.  However, there are other sometimes forgotten risks that can be just as devastating to a secure retirement.  Some of those are discussed below. Longevity Risk:  Back when Social Security…

Benchmarks are indices used for measuring the performance of a particular strategy or total portfolio. The goal of most money managers and investors is to outperform their respective benchmark. However, caution should be exercised so as not to rely too heavily on benchmark comparisons especially over short-term investment periods. With my thirty-four years of experience…

I have the privilege of writing this post on July 1 – the midway point for the year.  I actually felt chills up my spine last week when I realized that we’re already closer to the next holiday shopping season than the last one.  Fortunately for those of us in the US, the halfway point…

After a day at work, making dinner, washing dishes and folding laundry, I can finally sit down, relax and unwind for the day.   I put my feet up and grab my laptop.  I decide to quickly check my investment account to see how my portfolio is performing.  I go to the Legacy Trust website and…