These articles have been compiled from the last 25+ years and are archived here to serve as an incredible free resource for our long time listeners and those new to the show. Topics range from financial planning basics to politics, life, the economy and more.
Imagine what would happen if the punishment for robbing a bank was modeled after what Eliot Spitzer is now expecting out of the major brokerage firms. In the future all get-a-way vehicles must be at least 100 yards away from all banks. This is in order to give the over-weight security guards an opportunity to […]
The president signed into law a $70 billion tax cut bill May 17 that extends until 2010 the tax treatment of 15% for stock dividends and long-term capital gains through the year 2010. the bill also extends, for this year the changes to the alternative minimum tax that will keep 15 million taxpayers from being […]
There are many different tools at individual’s disposal when constructing their estate. Each one has a specific purpose and there is no one size fits all tool. The following are tools that individuals can employ. TRUSTS Revocable living trust-Protects privacy by avoiding probate. Client maintains asset control; no asset or liability protection Off-shore trust- Flexibility; […]
There are many different tools at individual’s disposal when constructing their estate. Each one has a specific purpose and there is no one size fits all tool. The following are tools that individuals can employ. TRUSTS Revocable living trust-Protects privacy by avoiding probate. Client maintains asset control; no asset or liability protection Off-shore trust- Flexibility; […]
One of our goals at Markowski Investments and the Watchdog on Wall Street Radio Show is to communicate to the best of our ability four specific “Rules of the Road” for individuals’ success in investing. The rules are as follows… Rule #1 Compounding,the royal road to riches. Utilize the best safe yields you can find […]
In the Book of Genesis, God gives Adam and Eve dominion over all the earth, forbidding them only from tasting the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And for a moment, their innocence is perfect. Then, being only human, they succumb, and bite the apple. This is the original transgression, and when they […]
More Trouble from the Firm with the Aging Hippies in Their Ad Campaign The Wall Street Journal reported that a group of Exxon Mobil Corp. employees who claimed that their broker pushed them into unsuitable risky investments were awarded $22 million, including $3.5 million in punitive damages. This happens to be one of the largest […]
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Companies that sold pet food online, web portals geared toward left-handed vegetarian cross-dressers, and just about any company that held the criteria of having a dot com attached to it and was led by some “visionary” 22 year-old with a goat-tee and black turtleneck had […]
For individuals who have a life insurance policy that is more than two years old, chances are that you are paying too much. Increased life expectancy coupled with a term life insurance industry that has grown very competitive has pushed rates down. We have been conducting insurance reviews for our clients and have often come […]
The House and Senate have agreed in principal to a tax package that would increase the exemption for the alternative minimum tax in 2006. The exemption would increase to $62,550 and $42,500 for joint and individual filers respectively. The AMT exemption was $58,000 for joint filers and $40,250 for individual in 2005. Charles Grassley R-Iowa […]
The IRS released the new depreciation limits for vehicles used 100% for business. For 2006 it is $2,960, $4,800 in 2007, $2850 in 2008, and $1,775 in the following years. Under the current depreciation limits it would take approximately 20 years to fully depreciate an automobile with a cost basis of $40,000. A strategy that […]
This past month we were alerted to some sobering, but expected news from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Most homeowners are expecting to retire “on the house” using their home as their primary retirement vehicle. The study also notes at the same time these same individuals are reducing their equity by borrowing […]