“Set it and forget it” a terrible portfolio philosophy

“Set it and forget it” a terrible portfolio philosophy Robert Barone, Ph.D. 2:53 p.m. PDT April 30, 2015 Neither passive investment strategies nor robo-advisors can maximize profits as well as active management Today’s Wall Street is perpetuating the idea that investor portfolios cannot perform better than the market indexes. The markets are “efficient,” they say, […]

Fiduciary vs. suitability standard

Originally published on Tahoe Daily Tribune’s website, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/opinion/15276182-113/tahoe-truckee-market-beat-fiduciary-vs-suitability-standard President Obama is pushing the Department of Labor to make some changes to the rules regarding retirement accounts. He would like to see the industry standard for retirement account advisers raised to what’s known as the fiduciary standard. Under current law, retirement account advisers can operate under […]

Possible retirement account changes on tap

Originally published in Tahoe Daily Tribune’s website, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/opinion/15083209-113/tahoe-truckee-market-beat-possible-retirement-account-changes-on-tap Estimating future events is part of the financial planning process. Planners estimate things like life expectancy, inflation, stock market returns and interest rates. We don’t know exactly where any of these factors will be in the future. Another uncertainty are the rules that we follow as we […]

What type of IRA account is right for you?

Originally published on Tahoe Daily Tribune’s website, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/northshore/14995245-113/tahoe-truckee-market-beat-what-type-of-ira-account-is-right If you’re thinking about funding an IRA this year, you have until April 15, or the day you file your taxes, whichever is earlier, unless you file an extension. Which type of IRA you should establish depends on several factors, and there are calculators available online to […]

How to decide on a Roth or traditional IRA

Originally published on Marketwatch.com’s website http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-decide-on-a-roth-or-traditional-ira-2015-02-09 It’s getting to be that time of the year when people start thinking about their taxes. One decision many taxpayers will face is whether it makes sense to fund an IRA. If you don’t have an IRA established yet, you need to be aware that there are two types, […]

Should you make nondeductible IRA contributions?

Before you make a nondeductible contribution to your IRA account, be sure you understand how they work. If you have access to an employer sponsored retirement plan or if your income is above certain levels, you may not be eligible to make a tax deductible IRA contribution, but you could make a nondeductible contribution. The […]