I’m such a Boulderite. I love riding my Kymco People 50 to the office every day.
65 to 70 miles per gallon, 40 mph, wind blowing through your hair–what more could you want!
BMW is about to come out with a new scooter that allows you to insert your IPhone and listen to the radio and make cell phone calls with a bluetooth enabled helmet.
I want one!
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2010 is the year of the Roth Conversion and maybe the end of lower taxes.
In 2010 there are unique Roth Conversion rules that expire at the end of the year.
With higher tax rates next year, what should you do?
Listen to my video below to find out why this is so important.
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As a follow up to my video in the next blog, unless Congress passes a new tax law in a lame duck session by the end of the year, higher taxes are in your future.
Here’s the chart
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Quantitative Easing ( known as QE 2 amongst friends) is coming this quarter. In my opinion, it’s being priced into the markets already.
What is it? A scheme by which the money supply is increased and hopefully starve off deflation and boost the economy.
Sorry, I’m not buying it.
CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE – QE1 FAILED, WHY WILL QE2 WORK
CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE – FED’S STRATEGY OF GETTING RETAIL INVESTORS INTO STOCKS VIA QE2 WILL FAIL
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In the same vein as my video and article on Unresolved Tax Bills in Congress, the Estate Tax is STILL not resolved for next year.
What a disaster!
The Estate Tax exemption is about to revert to $1,000,000 again in just a few months.
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Enough with all the serious tax, Roth, and estate planning talk.
How about celebrating Mr. Potato Head!
He just turned 60. Yeah!
This week is the 3rd Quarter 2010 review and 4th Quarter preview.
If you go back and rewatch my July video (July Video) I stated I thought the 3rd quarter would be up and it definitely was.
Dow Jones + 10.27% for the 3rd Quarter and S&P + 10.72%. Of course, these are unmanaged indexes.
The markets were way down at the end of the last quarter, so this brings the indexes positive for the year +3.5% for the Dow and +2.3% for the S&P 500.
4th quarter? I think things will continue to be… Read More
The title of the article below is
“More Proof That Our Leaders are Clueless…”.
I’m sure I’m quite that pessimistic, but I’ve been persuaded by the side of the argument that the additional cash reserves that will probably be released into our system will simply be held by the banks and not accomplish what it’s intended.
I’m pretty unimpressed with the Fed.
CLICK FOR QUANTITATIVE EASING ARTICLE
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It’s the old adage — Greed and Fear.
Is the pain of losing money greater than the joy of making money?
The problem is that most people NEED to take some risk to realize their retirement goals because the rate of return needed is greater than the risk free return.
With inflation, there’s opportunity cost as well.
One of the things I do for clients is work with them to balance these competing desires of growth and principal protection. Call me if you’d like to discuss… Read More
Consistent with my video today (which I know you’ve all clicked on and listened to) I’m thinking October will be rocky with earning season and the election looming.
Here’s an article summing up my thoughts.
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I think Scott Adams (creator of the Dilbert comic strip) is hilarious. He has this blog where he just writes about whatever he’s thinking about or is going on in his life.
He’s had some of the best insights.
Anyway, he totally goes on a rant about wireless phone calls and how it’s impossible to have a conversation anymore on them because you’re on a cell phone, the other person is on a cell phone, and the reception on one of those 2 is probably horrible.
So… Read More
This week’s diatribe is about off-balance sheet accounting and alternative financing.
I’ve been approached multiple times in the past month or two about investment opportunities funding some activity outside of the normal funding channels (banks or equity financing).
This leads me to wonder how much lending is happening in our economy this way and if it’s under the radar. I don’t like the sound of it.
Listen to my video below.
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If you look back at my 3rd Quarter Preview (here) I mentioned I forecast the 3rd quarter would be up. That’s proving to be a great move (if I do say so myself).
But what makes me nervous?
This article sums up a lot of my feelings.
Does that mean I’m bearish for the 4th Quarter?
I guess you’ll have to wait until my 4th Quarter preview in a couple of weeks to find out.
Many articles have been written in the past year about the decline in U.S. Household Debt.
This is something to celebrate, right? People are paying off their debt, right?
Wrong. It is almost scary how closely the decline in US Household debt correlates with the charge-offs of mortgage and consumer loans.
People are defaulting, not paying them off.
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It’s unofficial, but it’s looking like there will be no cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2011. If you recall, 2010 had no increase.
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Last week I was invited to speak about financial literacy to NASA employees down in Houston that are being laid off.
One of the other speakers was a recruitment and job placement specialist. He had this slide which I thought was good for employees looking for a job, but also for those of us already employed or self-employed. Do you have a good answer for each one?
•Why are you here?
•What can you do for us?
•What kind of person are you?
•What distinguishes… Read More
Last week I talked about recommendations assuming we’re in a DEflationary period.
This week I give suggestions for how to invest in an INflationary period.
Oh yeah, lots of good stuff in my videos (if I do say so myself).
Listen to my video below.
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President Obama came out this week in support of making the Bush tax rate cuts permanent for those making $250,000 or less.
Good move, and let’s see what happens in Congress with this hot potato.
Is anyone talking about Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)? No.
The AMT is scheduled to sunset too, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates the number of people this affects will jump from 4.5 million taxpayers to 27 million in 2011.
Click on these links to see a few tax cut articles… Read More
I’ve been pretty negative over the past year on Greece and all of Europe.
However, there are reasons to be optimistic about Greece and that it can rise from it’s difficult situation.
Click for a discussion about Greeks Bearing Bonds.
 … Read More
No, this isn’t a setup for the punchline “his lips are moving”.
This article details the findings of some researchers that looked at 30,000 conference calls to identify any “tells” of “mistruths”.
Interesting…….
Please click for HOW TO TELL WHEN A CEO IS LYING
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