“Easing without end” will finally end. According to its June policy meeting minutes, the Federal Reserve plans to wrap up QE3 this fall. Barring economic turbulence, the central bank’s ongoing stimulus effort will conclude on schedule, with a last $15 billion cut to zero being authorized at the October 28-29 Federal Open Market Committee meeting.1,2 So when might the Fed start tightening? As the Fed has pledged to keep short-term interest rates near zero for[…]

Health Insurance: If you did not sign up for health insurance through covered california or through your employee plan. YOU can still sign up by calling me and I can help you until April 15th. If you do not have health insurance by April 15th , you will get penalized. Either $95 or 1% of […]

Just what is an RMD? After you turn 70½, the IRS requires you to withdraw some of the money in most retirement savings accounts each year. These withdrawals are officially called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).1

Wall Street skips a beat on three words. The words were “around six months,” and they were spoken by Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen at the Federal Open Market Committee’s March 19 press conference. Those three words sent the Dow south 190 points; it lost 114 points on the trading day.1,2

Provided by Marc Aarons Certified Insurance Agent @ Money Managers Inc. Politics aside, how could coverage improve for you & your loved ones? Health care reform has many fans and many detractors. Amid all the sound and fury, the plain facts risk being blurred. So here is a look at where the reforms stand, and what they potentially offer you.

The importance of budgeting. You won’t be able to withdraw an unlimited amount of money in retirement, so a retirement budget is a necessity. Some retirees forego one, only to regret it later. Run the numbers before you retire. Years before you leave work, sit down for an hour or so and take a look at your probable monthly expenses. Perhaps you decide that you’ll need about 75-80% of your end salary in retirement. Perhaps[…]

At the end of every year, certain federal tax breaks face a sunset. Some are renewed, some expire. As 2014 will soon start, here is a list of some of notable tax provisions that may go away next year – offering some opportunities that you may want to take advantage of this year.

In January, will the federal government be shuttered again? At first thought, it seems inconceivable that Congress would want to go through another protracted fight like the one that shut things down for 16 days in October. That could occur, however, if a new budget panel doesn’t meet its deadline.

At the eleventh hour, a default is averted. After weeks of contention, a bill to reopen the bulk of the federal government and raise the debt ceiling made its way to the White House late Wednesday. President Obama signed the bill into law shortly after midnight, and by the middle of Thursday’s trading day, both the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 had reached all-time highs.1,2

Ten common “reasons” why someone does not plan for retirement. Provided by Marc Aarons @ Money Managers Inc. #10: “I’m too busy” Stop procrastinating. How does the saying go? The best time to plant a tree is 30 years ago. The second best time is … TODAY.