This past May, at the Berkshire Hathaway annual conference in Omaha, Warren Buffet stunned many investors with his statement, “If a stock I own goes down 50%, I’d look forward to it. In fact, I would offer you a significant sum of money if you could give me the opportunity for all of my stocks […]
Should you fire up the gas powered shredder or not? There tends to be a serious amount of confusion when it comes to the plethora of paper records required to substantiate the information Americans use for their tax returns. Record-keeping requirements have been growing, as evidenced by the recently expanded requirements for receipts supporting charitable […]
I know its June, but for small business owners the April 15th We often encounter many small business owners that carry the misconception that 401(k)’s are only for larger corporations and are unaffordable or they don’t have enough employees to be eligible. Fortunately, businesses as small as one person can open up affordable 401(k) plans, […]
John Donofrio is our resident expert on all things tax. His column Tales From the Crypt makes a regular appearance in the Personal CFO. This month our Crypt keeper, needed to blow off some steam. Here is another example of how frustrating my business is. Like clockwork, I was doing my post-morning workout homework (WSJ, […]
I have to admit that I am pretty hard on insurance agents. I often compare them to the infamous “Needle-Nose Ned Ryerson” from the film Groundhog Day; and with good reason. Of the countless stories of investment fraud that crosses my desk each and every week, the overwhelming majority of them are perpetrated by dishonest […]
Another day… another attempt at separating senior citizens from their money. The air waves are being blanketed with advertisements for reverse mortgages. They are being sold as a cure-all for retirement financing, easy living, and in some cases a fantastic and astute means to finance other investments. The reality is that this could not be […]
Millions of Americans are saving for retirement in 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). These tax-deferred accounts allow for individuals to invest pretax dollars, but require them to pay taxes on their deposits and accumulated earnings at the time of withdrawal. A Roth account allows for individuals to deposit after-tax dollars, but withdraw the accumulated […]
After years of talking and writing about the many issues surrounding annuities, our Registered Investment Advisory, Markowski Investments, decided to construct a new website entirely dedicated to helping individuals in regards to annuities. ANNUITYWATCHDOG.com will be a one of a kind resource to educate the investing public about the ins and outs of all types […]
One of the most frequent questions we face from investors all over the country is “What should I do with my (401K)” now that I a have changed jobs, retired etc. Whereas many investment questions are dependant upon an individual’s unique situation, this is one where I cannot fathom any reason for not rolling over […]
I recently received a call from a subscriber of this newsletter. He was quite distressed regarding all of the volatility in the markets and didn’t have the faintest idea on what he should do. The first thing I asked of him was what his time frame for his investments. He seemed a little taken back […]