When it comes to debt, there are many different kinds. There is mortgage debt (primary mortgages, second mortgages, lines of credit, etc.), vacation home or secondary residences, credit cards, education loans (both owed by students, or by parents and/or grandparents), vehicle debt, and other miscellaneous debts (e.g., loans against pensions or life insurance). I’ve written […]
Filial Responsibility Laws (in more than half the States) could surprise you when the State comes to family members to pay your relative’s long term care bills. Children or other heirs may become responsible for parent care expenses. This may not be what you, as a parent, have in mind. You want to be […]
Most people think of identity theft as having something to do with finances. Medical identity theft is not on people’s minds. It should be! Why? Your personal health insurance information can be used by thieves to steal expensive medical services like surgeries, expensive prescription drugs, medical equipment or devices. It could be used to falsify […]
It is that time of year when we get warned about the many different ways online scams work and what are most common. There are many more than those described here. Simply confirm the validity of email offers and don’t click links within emails you’re not sure of. Better practice is opening a new browser […]
Time is Money. Thus, time is another valuable resource often overlooked when it comes to another resource – money. So … let’s take a look at what this may translate to. This should be insightful for you – or your children, grandchildren, or any other person important to you too. We like to spend as much […]
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help investors protect their online accounts from fraud. As with all web-based accounts, investors should take precautions to help ensure that their online accounts remain secure. These online security tips can help. via Investor Bulletin: Protecting Your Online Brokerage Accounts from […]
Most people think income can come only from income sources like dividends or bonds. For a discussion about dividends: The Dividend Income Illusion and Should You Just Focus on Dividends? This blog briefly summarizes considerations between individual bonds and bond funds, should provide a brief summary of how each compares to the other, when combined with the below […]
Why do I bring this up? Because people often are trying to compare their dollar-weighted computation to what they see reported on statements, etc., and wonder why they have different numbers. Yes, time-weighted returns are different than dollar-weighted returns (sometimes called money returns). It is possible for someone to experience losing money compared to their total […]
School is about to start soon! “Little is known about the true scope of child identity theft. Child advocates, regulators, financial services and other professionals agree it is a particularly damaging crime that can go undetected for years (my emphasis added), only to be discovered when the victim applies for a student loan or credit […]
What are the many kinds of investment risks? Most people think of the risk of losing their money. William Bernstein dissects this simple view into many different shades of risk and astutely discusses that not all risks are of equal possibility. So while some may worry about a certain risk, they should also consider how […]
