Now that the market is flooded with “low” prices on real estate, people are looking for that great deal.  Buy low, rent or sell high and make quick money.  Seems easy, right?  Read this excellent article, “Real Estate Horror Tales” by Caren Chesler in Financial Advisor Magazine to find out why real estate  is not [...]

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an investment representative, financial advisor, financial planner, wealth manager, or investment broker?  Most people who use these titles claim to provide financial advice, but the similarities may stop there.  The first step is to ask if your advisor has a fiduciary duty to you.  Some advisors are only held to [...]

We get asked about investing in gold from time to time and our advice is usually the same (see our 11/20/09 blog).  A recent article by The Economist entitled “Gold: Store of Value”, helps explain why the “value” of gold is  based on uncertainty of the major economies and currencies, not sound investing principles.  The article points out the following ideas listed [...]

Congress has made moves to retroactively extend the IRA charitable rollover for 2010. The rollover would allow IRA owners age 70 1/2 and older to make tax-free charitable gifts of up to $100,000. The IRA charitable gift could satisfy your annual minimum required distribution. A great resource for more information on gifting to an educational [...]