S Jun 14, 2013
Will I have a doctor next year? I worry about that. You might worry a bit too, if you happen to be of Medicare age.
When the 2013 Medicare trustees report was released two weeks ago, the immediate media response was positive: There was no immediate problem and medical cost inflation had flattened out. Economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, writing in the New York Times, declared: “The Geezers are All Right.” read more…
S Jun 12, 2013
Q. I’m wondering about a twist on the Couch Potato philosophy. I'm 60 and have been retired for ten years. My wife is 64 and we retired together. I have followed your Couch Potato investing strategy for most of my investing life, but I did go over to the Dark Side for several years, letting a manager handle our funds. I took back management of our retirement funds about a year ago and put us in various Couch Potato portfolios.
Here is my question: Is it OK to do variations on the portfolios? To be specific, we were in a Margarita portfolio, splitting our assets three ways. I have so little faith in foreign markets, however, that I prefer to invest principally in the US. read more…
A May 20, 2013
A friend of mine lived in Tokyo for many years. He demonstrated Japanese culture for his many visitors by dropping his wallet on a pedestrian clogged street. Then he walked briskly away from it, much to the amazement of his visiting friends. In each case (and yes, I do think he was lucky) a breathless man or woman caught up to him, wallet in hand.
Japan has one of the world’s lowest crime rates. So while many Americans brave Mexican and Ecuadorean retiree destinations, it’s worth considering where the Japanese flee for a setting sunset of their own. One such place is Malaysia. read more…