Category Archives: Regular Blog

A reader of one or more of my books contacted me recently to see if I could do better than an agent in his home state with regards to getting a new permanent life insurance policy to leave a bigger legacy to his sons. I should note here that the same “shopping” process is one that I would employ for a person that ALREADY has an “old” life insurance policy and wants to find out if there might be a … Continue reading

Most people would like to protect their assets and income from a potential long-term care (LTC) event. But no LTC insurance solution is perfect. Millions of people own traditional LTC insurance and they pay annual premiums – and those premiums have and will increase over time. Traditional LTC insurance gives the most potential benefits during a long claim – but paying premiums every year and maybe never using it is the #1 complaint.  And for many people (including myself when … Continue reading

In 1994, financial planner, William Bengen developed the 4% rule. It quickly became the guiding “formula” used by both professional advisors and do-it-yourselfers for about two decades. The 4% rule (or theory) says that at retirement, with a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds, one could withdraw 4% of the initial savings and increase it by inflation every year and the retiree would have a 90% or better chance of his income continuing for 30 years and that the savings would not … Continue reading

Many of you know that I personally invest a very substantial amount of money every year into my five life insurance policies that were built to accumulate cash and provide me with tax-free retirement income. This is important to me as I believe that is not “if” but “when and how much” income taxes are going to have to rise in the future to pay our nation’s $19 TRILLION debt plus unfunded Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Although I do … Continue reading

The chart I am highlighting this week shows a comparison between the calendar year’s gain (or loss) and the largest draw down (market loss) that occurred within the calendar year going back to 1995. You might remember that draw down is the percentage amount of drop an investment has from it’s peak down to it’s trough. In other words, the intra-year maximum loss. The LIGHT BLUE bars show the calendar year return. THE DARK BLUE bars show the intra-year declines (draw down percentage) of the S&P 500. In each … Continue reading