The Morgan Report 2016 Q4 Review: Because Financial Planning Sucks
Why can’t people release themselves from self-imposed constraints that hold them back from discovering the power of their personal future-selves in happiness, health, and wealth? Well, now we know. Because financial planning sucks. Here’s how I know. A recent consumer survey conducted by Voya Financial, found among other things that 37% of the respondents would […]
Read ArticleFinancial Strategies for a Job Change
It can happen to anyone. Suddenly, you are between employers. And you don’t know how long it will take to land your next job. Especially in Orange County, where there is a thriving community of entrepreneurs, job change is common — and is not always predictable. Even if you are voluntarily moving directly […]
Read ArticleWhy Hope is Not a Strategy
This post is a preview of WorthPointe’s e-book Evidence-Based Investing: Separating Fact From Fiction, written by Certified Financial Planner™ Scott O’Brien. In Evidence-Based Investing, Scott discusses the myths and misinformation that most often slow or halt our financial goals. Get your free copy of Evidence-Based Investing here. Most families spend more time planning their vacations […]
Read ArticleWisdom and Your Financial Planner
It truly is a fool who doesn’t want to be wise or receive wise counsel. However, I know from experience that wisdom is not the highest thing on the agenda for many people when they look for an investment advisor. For many, what they are looking for is someone who will make them rich — […]
Read ArticleGold: Is It Worth Its Weight?
Political upheaval, inflation pressure and uncertainty of global norms have recently resulted in a glitter on gold. Furthermore, the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) finally approved its new Shari’ah standards on gold, potentially opening up gold as investment for an additional 1.6 billion Muslim investors heretofore not able to invest in […]
Read ArticleShould My Financial Planner or Advisor Charge Me a Fee on Uninvested Cash?
The answer to this question is not as simple as you might expect. Depending on the circumstances, the answer could be yes or no. I’ll help you understand those circumstances! What is the Difference Between Fee-Based, Commission-Based or Fee-Only? Critical to answering the question is an understanding of the difference between a fee-based advisor and […]
Read Article10 Smart Year-End Planning Moves to Consider
The end of the year is fast approaching and now is the perfect time to review items you might want to consider as you get set to enter 2017. Many of the IRS publications referenced below reference tax year 2015. Changes are not anticipated when 2016 guides are published. Before we get started, let’s stress […]
Read ArticleWhy Annuity Death Benefits are Trash: How to lose 50% in 7 years!
Fair warning: this is going to be a “blow your mind” article. Are you strapped in? Let’s talk about the classic “death benefit” on a variable annuity. Variable annuities are those weird investments that look suspiciously like just another cookie-cutter portfolio full of the high-cost mutual funds that brokers have the reputation of selling to […]
Read ArticleWhat do you think about trading Robots?
Are trading robots worth a look? I’ve heard there are “robots” that can trade options for me with incredible accuracy. What do you think about that? Let me guess, they promise very high accuracy and probably trade “binary options,” right? Unfortunately, this is a hotbed for scams. I’m going to hit the main point […]
Read ArticleAn Income Strategy that Won the Nobel Prize?!
Ever so often, a SPAM email makes it through my email filters. Ever have one with a subject so absurd you can’t help but click? *sigh* It happened to me… For a little background, I’m the kind of guy other financial advisors call a nerd. Even my home office looks like a NASA mission control […]
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