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  1. Annuities 201: Do They Belong In Your Financial Plan?

    Annuities are some of the most heavily marketed investment vehicles available. And as I said in Annuities 101, annuities are neither good or bad.  It depends on what your financial goal is. Once you set the financial goal, you’ll be able to determine if an annuity is right for you. Since...
  2. Annuities 101: What Are They?

    With the stock market “crash” of 2008, annuities have gained a lot of attention in the last few years. But what is an annuity? First of all, annuities are a life insurance product. Second of all, annuities are complicated and difficult to understand. Let me see if I can help clear up...
  3. The Goldman Sachs Letter and You

    The letter from a resigning Goldman Sachs executive has become quite the Internet rage. Most of us will never deal with Goldman Sachs and the letter may seem to be nothing more than an interesting “rant”. But, is that necessarily true? Maybe not. The letter spends a fair bit of time...
  4. Should You Take Advantage of the TSP’s G Fund?

    Are you invested in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)? If so, did you realize that you have access to an investment vehicle that others can’t access? You do. The humble G Fund is unique and it is only available to those who invest through TSP. Let me explain… The Treasury Department issues...
  5. The 9th Wonder of the World

    I’ve been told that Albert Einstein stated that compound interest was the 8th wonder of the world. My 6th-grade teacher, Mr. Rast, helped demonstrate that to me more than a few years ago. He asked me if I would prefer $100,000 or one penny doubled every day for a month....
  6. Doing Some Last Minute Shopping? Don’t Buy a Tax Bill

    As the year comes to a close, there are a lot of different reasons why you might be considering investing in (buying) a mutual fund. Perhaps you got that Christmas Bonus…o.k. I know you’re on Active Duty and Uncle Sam hasn’t found it in his heart to give Christmas bonuses yet,...
  7. Introduction to Investing

     As discussed in the Banking & Savings section, it is essential to put away as much money as possible. The younger you are when you start saving, the easier it will be to grow a nice nest egg. Once you have established a saving routine, you should consider investing some...
  8. Military Retirement: A Blessing and a Curse

    I lost you, didn’t I? You said “this guy is completely insane! Half my pay for the rest of my life is a curse?” While I am prepared to concede your first point, gentle reader, allow me but a few paragraphs to elaborate on the second. Retirement from the military...