John Donofrio of Donofrio Inc. has emerged from the “Tax Cave,” a top secret location that he walls himself in during the months leading up to tax day. (Rumor has it; he has not showered or shaved in three months.) John is here to enlighten/scare us with another installment of Tales from the Crypt. I […]
So 2006 is history! Nothing you can do about that tax bill but there is plenty you can do to prepare for this year. The following are a few easy-to-do strategies to make April 15, 2008 a little more pleasant and possibly less costly. Get Organized Create a folder for the 2007 tax year and […]
ProCash Plus is an asset management tool that we provide for all of our clients that combines all of ones banking and brokerage needs into one convenient account. Features of ProCash Plus Fund Access. You have the ability to write an unlimited number of checks with no minimum per check amount. One can also make […]
The U.S. Government is alleging “pervasive fraud” in the operation of many Jackson Hewitt Tax Service sites in the states of Georgia, Illinois, Michigan and North Carolina and is trying to shut them down. According to the Wall Street Journal, the government’s charges contained in lawsuits that were filed in federal district courts could end […]
Wanted: “A young man or woman with the potential to manage a very large portfolio.” The ideal candidate must be someone genetically programmed to recognize and avoid serious risks, including those never before encountered. Other key requirements: Independent thinking, emotional stability, and a key understanding of both human and institutional behavior. Hiring a financial advisor […]
Tell me something I don’t already know… This past month in a huge survey of its clientele, Schwab Institutional has for all intensive purposes documented what we at Markowski Investments have been telling people for years. Accounts that are transferred from wirehouse brokers, more often than not, are made up of securities that are misaligned […]
A federal appeals panel ruled this past month that a class-action lawsuit against investment banks over their role as advisers to Enron cannot go ahead. Personally I feel that class-action suits are a grand ole waste of time that enrich lawyers and leave participants with pennies on the dollar. However, this case sets a very […]
I would like to draw attention to question #22 in our article Help Wanted…”Is any of your compensation based on selling product? Explain?” In 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission put foreword a rule change that would help satisfy its mission to “protect investors and maintain fair, orderly and efficient markets,” and was dubbed the […]
In my opinion, they don’t fear God; they don’t believe in karma; but according to their new advertising campaign they are “World Wise,” whatever that means. Morgan Stanley has frequently been in my crosshairs here in the Markowski Monthly and on the radio show, and I have used various colorful adjectives to describe my feelings […]
On February 13th the Bank of America Corporation began to offer credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers (illegal immigrants). File this one under slippery slope. For year’s banks all across the country have been offering checking accounts and mortgages to “undocumented immigrants.” Credit cards were a natural progression of business as usual. The […]