There’s always something new in the investment world. That’s why I spent three days in Chicago last week at the annual Morningstar Investment Conference, called one of the industry’s “biggest teach-ins” by Investor’s Business Daily. Keynote speakers included behavioral psychologist Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics, who talked about how people think […]
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Quote Of The Week: Is The Stock Market Correction Over?
Just when they think they’re out of the woods, investors keep getting pummeled by a stock market that can’t seem to make up its mind whether it’s headed up or down. Anne Kates Smith, Senior Editor, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, “Is the Stock Market Correction Over?” May 10, 2018
Beauty And The Beast
Shopping for cosmetics at Ulta? Congratulations! You’re supporting gender diversity. Fortune reports that Ulta Beauty is one of only 24 companies in the Fortune 500 list of powerful corporations that has a female CEO (in case you don’t have a calculator handy, that’s less than 5%. Pretty shabby). Ulta Beauty’s CEO is Mary Dillon. She’s been […]
What Every Woman Truly Fears: The Bag Lady Syndrome
Women want to plan for their financial future, but what they often see in the years ahead frightens them. The math is simple. Women tend to live longer than men. And living longer carries a hefty price tag. We have an unmarried client just entering her 70s. She has well over a million dollars saved […]
What You Need To Know About Annuity Taxes Before It’s Too Late
Sad to say, we spend a lot of time trying to get clients out of annuities they’ve purchased elsewhere. Annuities can be extremely costly, and once you’re in, you may not be able to get out for seven or more years without a major hit to your wallet. The sales pitch is always compelling, but […]
Building A Bond Ladder The Easy Way
Some of the clients we work with like the idea of owning individual bonds and building a bond ladder, with some of the bonds maturing every year. This helps them maintain stability in their portfolio by investing in a broadly diversified portfolio of bonds, and generates interest they can use to provide retirement income. It also […]
Like “Swimming With Sharks”: Local Investors Fall For Another Alleged Billion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. Imagine you’re a conservative investor looking for “safe, secure returns.” What could be better than “low-risk investments with a high yield?” Or maybe you’re trying to educate yourself about money so you can enjoy a secure retirement and stay far, far away […]
Fund Fees Fall To Earth
It has never been cheaper to own shares in a mutual fund or ETF, reports Morningstar in its annual fund fee study. Fund management fees fell 8% from 2016 to 2017, the biggest year-over-year decline ever recorded, representing $4 billion in savings for investors, according to Morningstar. Lower fees are due in part to the increasing […]
Leaving Financial Decisions Up To Your Partner? That Could Hurt You Later
One of our clients was suddenly thrust into the role of financial decision-maker when her husband died several years ago. While he was alive, she never reviewed the investments, handled the budget, or even wrote a check. You can imagine the confusion when she found herself alone … and in charge. We were brought in […]
Too Soon To Talk (Roth) Turkey
With tax rates headed lower for many people, this might be a good year to consider a Roth conversion. For the uninitiated, that’s when you withdraw funds from a traditional IRA, pay the tax now instead of later, and then move the funds into your Roth IRA. Once your savings are in a Roth, they’ll […]
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About Mari Adam, CFP®
Mari Adam, Certified Financial Planner™ and President of Adam Financial Associates Inc, has been helping individuals and families chart their financial futures for twenty five years. Mari has appeared in publications such as Business Week, CBS MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Newsweek, and Money Magazine.
