Life Insurance… Who Needs It?
Most of our friends scoff at the idea of shelling out for life insurance. If you’re young, healthy, and without dependents you probably feel the same. That’s likely one reason why only about 60% of American adults have life insurance. But the truth is, no matter who you are, life insurance has benefits. If you die unexpectedly, there’s a good chance someone will be on the hook for your funeral and burial expenses… and your debt. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost…
Markets Are Reaching a Critical Point
Over the last nine years, we’ve seen a historic bull market. But 2018 has seen an uptick in volatility. Over a period of 10 trading days last month, the S&P 500 Index fell more than 7%, a huge move for a major market index. Right now, you need to add a new skill set to your investing toolbox… You need to learn how to make money whether stocks go UP or DOWN. It could make or break your retirement portfolio in the coming…
A Dead-Simple Method to Manage Your Risk
It’s a simple question… and it has a simple answer… What sort of return do you need from your portfolio to earn to pay your bills or enjoy your retirement? $2,000 per month? $4,000? $8,000? That’s the focus of nearly every investor. No matter whether you’re interested in spending wealth in your retirement, or building wealth for future use… Investors focus on returns above all else. Most people think that to generate eye-popping returns, you have to pump lots of money into small…
Fire Your Cable Company
Doc’s note: We’re continuing our special holiday series, sharing our favorite issues. Today’s essay was chosen by one of our team members, Jeff Havenstein… If you’re like me and get upset every time you look at your monthly cable bill, it might be time to make a change. Recently, I convinced one of my family members to follow this advice. She now gets almost all of the same programs she used to watch, but for a fraction of the cost. *** We…
The Only ‘Sweeteners’ You Should Use
If you want to live a long, healthy life, do this one simple thing… Stop using sugar and artificial sweeteners. That’s it. It’s really that simple. And I’ve given that advice for years. But it doesn’t seem to stick. Here’s just a few of the e-mails from readers asking which sugar alternatives are safe in the past couple of weeks… Does your warning about “fake sugars” apply equally to stevia? – M.D. I’ve read [information that] indicates that aspartame is safe – safer than real sugar…
Make a Bucket List for Your Tax Refund
“It’s our busiest time of year.” That’s what a local flooring contractor recently told one of my researchers. As he explained, “Everyone’s busy spending their tax refunds.” It’s not surprising… According to one survey from January, 43% of folks planned on putting refund money into savings, 42% wanted to pay off debt, 13% wanted to buy a physical luxury, and 9% wanted to fund a retirement account. If you notice, that adds up to more than 100%. That’s because many participants had more…
Seven Essential Items for Summer Travels
Late summer means a lot of travel. Whether it’s trips to the beach or a vacation before the kids or grandkids go back to school, plenty of folks are getting ready for a trip. What’s more, according to a poll from CBS, more folks prefer to travel in September. If you aren’t traveling with children, that’s a great time to travel thanks to smaller crowds and cooler temperatures. I travel a lot. And over the years, I’ve picked up on some tricks…