Mutual Funds

Dollar-holders have enjoyed increasing buying power abroad every year since 2013, with each year’s dollar advantage eclipsing the last. Those considering diversifying into real estate overseas but procrastinating on a purchase have been rewarded as they’ve watched properties in key markets become cheaper in dollar terms year after year. Until 2020. Last year, the dollar
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Ask Larry Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether the 2015 changes in the Social Security law actually ended spousal benefits for everyone, suspending a retirement benefit after it converts from a disability benefit and whether delaying makes sense with significant assets. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University
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By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue Managing Editor getty Every tax-filing season seems full of complexities and consternation. But the one we’re now in is especially fraught, due to the pandemic: Stimulus checks. Unemployment benefits. Working from home tax issues. New Covid-19 rules for 401(k) and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) hardship withdrawals and loans. Frankly, it’s
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More getty The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) was implemented to provide businesses, and individuals having trades or businesses, with financial assistance in order to keep their businesses open and their payroll intact.  Many businesses and individuals who had no need or limited need for a PPP Loan applied and received one anyway, notwithstanding limited vocal
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Ask Larry Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether taking Social Security survivor’s benefits now would reduce retirement benefits taken as late as 70, whether and when Social Security recalculates benefits based on income and retirement benefits before divorced spousal benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and
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Crypto has a low correlation with stocks. What does that mean? Mining rig in Norilsk (photo by Andrey Rudakov) © 2021 Bloomberg Finance LP Stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities. Bitcoin. Bitcoin? Is cryptocurrency an asset class deserving of a place in every endowment and retirement portfolio? There is now being built on Wall Street a
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Regulators and law enforcement are looking into flagrantly illegal “side letter” agreements which … [+] pay private equity investors aware of fraud to not tell unsuspecting others. getty While mutual fund investors are assured equal treatment under the federal securities laws, private equity funds are the Wild West—industry practice is to grant certain investors secret
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Health workers administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to a couple in a car at a drive-thru … [+] vaccination event for residents 65 and older at Dewey O. Boster Park and Sports Complex on January 7, 2021 in Deltona, Florida. Employees of Volusia County and the Florida Department of Health provided 1,000 vaccinations on day
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Ask Larry Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether divorced spousal benefits could reduce other benefits including childhood disability benefits (CDBs), how long a reconsideration request might be expected to take and whether survivor benefits might be affected by the WEP or GPO. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston
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When it comes to retirement income planning, taxes are an important but often overlooked factor. Pre-retirees tend to assume their tax bracket will decrease after they leave the workforce and don’t realize they could lose 25%–30% or more of their retirement income to taxes. Having a lower marginal tax bracket in retirement used to be
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Ask Larry Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about whether spousal benefits can increase total benefits for a person with a public pension, if spousal benefits begin automatically when the other spouse files and when excess spousal benefits are paid if the recipient already gets retirement benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of
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Female writing to-do list dragonstock – stock.adobe.com None of us wants to think about boring, grownup stuff like wills, but being an adult is not as hard (or even boring!) as it looks! Trust me. And there are companies and resources out there that actually make the process easier. You don’t have to become an
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