Countries are on a budget busting spending spree, borrowing money from their future and printing money to make up for their shortfalls. Global indebtedness may be as big as $100 trillion as we enter 2016 and growing at astronomical rates. And with no spending restraints in the foreseeable future and future government pension obligations in the trillions, the world is in some serious hock.
If it’s hard to even think about $100 trillion of debt, think again. The next set of numbers will have 15 zeros behind it…quadrillion. The trajectory to quadrillion is no longer a steady geometric incline, but an exponential one so steep that the amortized pay off schedule could exceed 100 years. Governments can use creative accounting to massage the numbers any way they want to in an attempt to downplay the coming day of reckoning. But judgment day is just around the corner, accelerating at breakneck speed. It’s ‘pedal to the metal’ and the brakes are out. Governments draw lines in the sand, and boast “here and no further” in their calls for debt reduction. But they always have new and “necessary” expenditures, so, like the outgoing tide, their lines in the sand are constantly erased.
But you can only live in the unreality of relativism for so long before you come up against the one inescapable and immutable fact, i.e. the math. There’s a mathematical point of no return. It’s a hard and fast fact, like an underground concrete bunker that can’t move. To move it, you would have to change the universal constant. And we can’t even do that using convoluted chaos theory. The global economic environment looks dire, but there is still time to right the ship and avoid catastrophe.
But what does it all mean to the American taxpayer? Well, a couple of things. Firstly, other people’s problems may be our problems much sooner than later. And secondly, taxes must go up just to slow down the rate of ascent. American investors and savers may need to be much more tax conscious in their purchase of financial products and planning strategies to keep more of their own money.
Creating cash flow every month isn’t an accident; it’s a deliberate act of spending wisely and saving for the future. Many consumers look to engage a professional adviser, because for most, managing your finances is not a do-it-yourself activity. ...
Released On: 1/21/2017
Views: 2949
Money market funds, CDs and savings accounts were the safe money havens of the past. But today, they’re crediting rates are so low, taxable and eroded by inflation. You worked hard for your money, so you need to make your money work hard for you. ...
Released On: 1/20/2017
Views: 3020
After the market meltdown of 2008, investors and savers alike want to have safe alternatives for portions of their money. Many near or in retirement just can’t afford another major downturn in the market, so conservative options need to be sought ...
Released On: 1/19/2017
Views: 2991
It doesn’t matter what game you like to plan, there are strategies and tactics to learn to become successful at any sport. The same is true of tax code. There are three basic moves to make that can positively affect the taxes due on your 1040. Wa ...
Released On: 1/18/2017
Views: 2501
Every investor should have a financial profile that includes a risk-tolerance assessment, timeline goals and a retirement or estate strategy. It becomes the reference point for all your money decisions and any plan alterations that will occur. Wa ...
Released On: 1/17/2017
Views: 2471
It’s really troubling in the information age an investor can’t seem to secure the true cost of their investments or consulting advice. Even when you Google—the front of all knowledge—most financial products disclosures don’t reveal the total cost ...
Released On: 1/16/2017
Views: 2648
Elder care in retirement is the greatest economic threat to seniors. Medical expenses and long-term care costs can exceed $220,000 for a married couple during their golden years, and living longer could increase the costs even further.
Released On: 1/14/2017
Views: 2804
The number-one concern of retirees is they may be outliving their money, but their number-one compliant is paying taxes during retirement. Focusing on taxes needs to be coordinated with the purchase investment products to determine investor suita ...
Released On: 1/13/2017
Views: 2561
Most retirees don’t focus on required minimum distributions. Some don’t even know what RMDs are. Only a few seniors have a handle on them and are aware of the penalties for not complying with the laws that govern RMDs.
Released On: 1/12/2017
Views: 2703
Retirement income just not just triggering a lifetime annuity and just setting it and forgetting it. Portfolio income needs many investment positions to generate retirement income to age 100.
Released On: 1/11/2017
Views: 2542
It is impossible to be in the advisory business, be altruistic and be profitable? Is there such an inherent conflict of interest between advisor and investor that the compensation models that exist today need to be scraped? The Department of Labo ...
Released On: 1/10/2017
Views: 2397
Many modern portfolio proponents use the risk-return theory of the efficient frontier to measure market returns against risk exposure. The goal is to optimize returns with the least amount of risk. If portfolio performance falls below the efficie ...
Released On: 1/9/2017
Views: 2629
More than ever, seniors in or near retirement are struggling to create a reasonable lifestyle in their golden years. Many have mortgages, short debt and family obligations, such as long-term care costs for their aging parents and unpaid college l ...
Released On: 1/7/2017
Views: 2717
Sooner or later most seniors will experience some type of morbidity or illness event during retirement. Some retirees live in single story homes, with limited or no steps at all. Walk-in bathtubs, nonskid tile and support bars can help, but they ...
Released On: 1/6/2017
Views: 3170
You’re probably being pummeled with Medicare literature in the mail, but what’s really covered? The topic is overwhelming, thanks to the complicated coverage policies. Watch the interview with retirement specialist Curt Chojnowski.
Released On: 1/5/2017
Views: 2587
Depending upon your risk tolerance and the state of your health, you may want to consider TAMRA compliant cash value life insurance designed for accumulation and not necessarily as a death benefit.Watch the interview with retirement specialist Cu ...
Released On: 1/4/2017
Views: 2529
Most seniors and retirement advisers focus on qualified plan monies. But there are non-qualified monies that could make the difference between experiencing retirement prosperity or retirement poverty. Watch the interview with retirement specialis ...
Released On: 1/3/2017
Views: 2484
The nations of the world continue to print money, expand their governments and obligate their taxpayers with debt they can’t repay. The world economy is so interconnected, that when the first domino falls it will cause a rippling effect of a worl ...
Released On: 1/2/2017
Views: 3255