Jeff was the special guest on the podcast "SL Advisors Talk..." to discuss the state of equity markets. "SL Advisors Talk..." is hosted by Simon Lack, founder of SL Advisors, LLC which manages investments in energy infrastructure including the Catalyst Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) and publishes the American Energy Independence Index which is tracked by the Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (USAI). Check out the podcast below; it runs about 20 minutes. Episode 76: SL...
Jeff appeared with Steve Wieting, Chief Investment Strategist at Citi Private Bank, and Ben Laidler, Global Markets Strategist at eToro, to discuss the state of equity markets after a historic bull run and strategies for managing risks going forward. "Deep Dive" is hosted by Jonathan Rosenzweig, the former Director of Equity Research at Citi. Check out the link below; it lasts for about an hour. Filmed on July 22nd, 2021
If you have a child graduating from high school or college and entering the workforce, they may have the opportunity to open up a 401(k) through their new employer. In some cases, that employer will also offer matching contribution funds up to a certain percentage. While it sounds like a no-brainer to take advantage of these benefits early, many younger employees do not participate in their employer's 401(k) plan. One of the greatest, most essential...
There is a famous quote from Harry Truman that goes like this: Give me a one-handed economist. All my economists say, 'On one hand...', and then 'But on the other...' So let's play two-handed economist and lay out some of the key plusses and minuses of the market landscape. We have just had a historic month with: the slide into a bear market in record time, followed by the sharpest three day rally since the...
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When people warn you that having kids is expensive, it’s no joke. From diapers to food, braces to sports activities the costs add up quick. For a middle-income family in the U.S. raising a child up until age 18, costs an estimated average of $245,340 (or $304,480, adjusted for projected inflation), according to the 2013 “Cost of Raising a Child” report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of course, this number fluctuates dependent on where...
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As of December 2018, more than 43.7 million retired Americans collected Social Security, with more than 8 million disabled workers collecting benefits as well. But Social Security is much more than retirement income. Along with providing a small income to millions of seniors, Social Security also provides life insurance as well as survivor benefits. If you’re nearing retirement age and still have a lot of questions about Social Security, here are a few facts for...
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While it’s highly recommended that we use a financial advisor when we start to grow our investment portfolio, there are a lot of things you can do before you ever speak to a financial advisor to grow and maintain your investment portfolio. Investing, like everything else in life, has no guarantees, and even the hottest stock or the best tip may not always perform the way we would like. Keeping that in mind, here are...
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It's March already?!? Time certainly goes by fast. One day you’re interviewing for your first job and the next thing you know you’re a few short years from applying for Social Security. If you’ve planned for your retirement, you’ll likely have a good stash of funds saved. But the unfortunate news is that according to the ​ Insured Retirement Institute ,​ 42 percent of baby boomers have nothing saved for retirement, and even those that...
The Date: Spring, 1985 The Place: Computer Lab (remember those?), Stanford University Graduate School of Business The Situation: As a first year MBA at Stanford, I am taking the introductory finance class. My professor is William Sharpe, renowned for formulating the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the fundamental theorem underlying Modern Portfolio Theory, and thus our approach to asset allocation. Five years later in 1990, Professor Sharpe would win the Nobel Prize. The Assignment: Each...
If you have read any literature on retirement planning or have received advice from a financial professional, chances are you were presented with the 70% rule, the one that suggests that retirees will need between 70 and 80% of their pre-retirement income in order to maintain their standard of living. There are several flaws with this formula, the least of which is that it doesn’t consider your actual income and expenses at the time of...
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One of the principal tenets of investing is that no one single investment is right for everyone. Every investment has certain characteristics, risks, and objectives that must match those of the investor, and fixed annuities are no different. Although fixed annuities have become more popular in light of the recent financial turmoil and the carnage it has left behind in retirement accounts, investors should still take care in considering whether they are best suited for...