The point of the POA. A Power of Attorney is a legal instrument that delegates an individual’s legal authority to another person. If an individual is incapacitated or mentally incompetent, the POA assigns a trusted party to make decisions on his or her behalf. There are nondurable, springing and durable Powers of Attorney. A nondurable […]
You probably read or hear about some ‘Top Ten? list nearly every day. But take a moment to read this one. This list is different, and probably not the kind of list you’d expect a Financial Advisor to write. Reason #10: ‘I’m too busy? I can’t tell you how often I hear this excuse. So […]
Can an IRA keep growing for a century or more? In theory, it can. Some people are planning to ‘stretch? their Individual Retirement Accounts over generations, so that their heirs can receive IRA assets accumulated after decades of tax-deferred or tax-free growth. A stretch IRA can potentially create a legacy of wealth to benefit your […]
What is going on? Before 2002, oil prices usually hovered around $20 a barrel. By early 2006, they were above $60 a barrel.1 They were at $62 a barrel in May 2007.2 One year later, oil prices have doubled. In October 2004, a gallon of regular unleaded gas averaged just under $2.00.3 Now it might […]
Have you looked at your VUL lately? Variable universal life insurance can be a good investment ? if you check up on it to monitor asset allocation and performance. Some people simply tuck their policy away in a file and forget about it. This is a mistake. VUL gives you a whole life insurance policy […]
A wave of conversions 2010 will be an extraordinary year for tax law, a tax year so potentially advantageous that we may never see its like again. One probable 2010 phenomenon: a wave of high-income and high net worth individuals converting traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs. Here’s why 2010 represents a great year to make […]
Legitimacy is in the eye of the beholder. When someone invites you to a lunch or dinner financial seminar, are they trying to sell you something? Probably. Is it a scam? Not necessarily. It all depends. Often someone (for example, an insurance agent) will sell a product via a seminar or an invite-only lunch or […]
Think you’re all set? If you’ve made wise decisions with your money, set aside plenty and feel like you’re ready to retire ? you’re one step ahead of many Americans. If you’ve planned your estate (arranged how your money and assets will transfer after your lifetime), then you’re even further ahead. But have you considered […]
If you participate in a 401(k) plan, or if you have a variable annuity, an ETF, or an IRA mutual fund, you may have an option to automatically and periodically have your assets ‘rebalanced.? In fact, a 2007 survey by Hewitt & Associates found that 42% of large employers offered this option.1 Why might this […]
The secondary market for life insurance is reshaping the landscape within the entire financial services industry. Life insurance policies now have a fair market value. This means that your choices as a consumer regarding your life insurance are increased. You may be able to sell your policy on the secondary market even if it has […]