It's that time again It's time to stare into the future's blank face and declare what it holds It's time for my Fearless Forecasts A WOMAN WILL BE ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 2008 Two friends learned this while visiting Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico While there they…
ReadQ I'm 63 and my wife is 60 We are both retired Our retirement and Social Security total about $5 000 per month gross Our house is paid for We have $220 000 in money markets drawing 5 percent which are insured by the FDIC We would like to earn about 8 percent on our savings Any…
Read"The first myth of management is that it exists " Robert Heller Had I known that sloth and passivity paid so well I would have pursued them more aggressively That perverse thought came to mind as I assembled the numbers for this year's Mea Culpa Report This is the column where I tell you…
ReadQ In recent years you have advised your readers that government I Savings Bonds offer a safe and rewarding investment I bought my first ones in 2000 and have been until recently quite pleased with the returns Currently the inflation component has suddenly dropped to one percent and I…
ReadDonna H wants to know what financial books and articles she should read to be a better investor She isn't alone Many readers have sent similar queries trying to get a head start on their resolution effective January 1 to become savvy investors In fact becoming a better investor may be one…
ReadQ You have often cautioned against withdrawing more than 5 percent a year from retirement funds Would you modify this rule of thumb for someone who retires later such as age 75 or 80 In the case of required minimum distributions from IRAs a person deferring retirement could take the RMD and…
ReadLot's of readers have been writing in asking for more information on the Building Block portfolios The table below shows the performance YTD and trailing 12 months It also gives a key with both the name and ticker symbol of the funds used The link below that goes to column reporting results…
ReadAllow me to introduce the yellow brick road of investing Follow this road and you will be a happy investor Ignore it at your peril The yellow brick road has four major milestones The first three are clearly visible Anyone can get good investment results if they follow these three markers The…
ReadQ A recent column of yours answered an important question about Social Security The annual statements regarding retirement payments are in constant dollars Another question not addressed in those statements is How does the amount of future earnings (and Social Security tax contributions) affect…
ReadSANTA ROSA CALIFORNIA In a laid back kind of way the Flamingo Resort Hotel and Spa where I am staying is centrally located Drive in one direction and you're less than a mile from downtown Drive in another and you're at a casual shopping center Drive in still another and you're on your way…
ReadA friend has a house in France in the Dordogne He spends most of the summer there He regales me with the charm of his village the wonders of French bread and the mysteries of un pasteurized cheese His stories awaken my dream of owning an old hacienda in San Miguel or a villa in Conchas…
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