There’s been a lot of talk lately about the inevitable rise in interest rates, including particular concern on behalf of bond investors. While there is consensus that rates will rise, no one is sure when. The US is still recovering from the great recession, economic growth is slow, and median household income has declined. It […]
Our 24/7 news cycle produces both news and noise that filter through the markets. It can be difficult for investors to distinguish between the two and stay focused on their primary investment objectives. As a result, investors tend to make emotionally driven investment decisions, which leads to volatility, and volatility drags on portfolio returns. Back […]
Many investors who kept their portfolios in stocks throughout the financial collapse of 2008 seem to have recovered by now. It looks as though it all worked out in the end – as long as you had the time. The problem is that some were not so fortunate. I can think of several people right […]
Previously, we briefly outlined the three basic types of life insurance, tax treatment and uses of cash value. Today we will look at one of the most important and powerful estate planning strategies one can use – The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). The ILIT is one of the most commonly used tools in estate […]
In the first installment of my life insurance series, I outlined the primary differences between term, whole, and universal life insurance. Generally, whole and universal life build cash value and term does not. While the primary purpose of life insurance is to provide money to replace income in the event of premature death, it is […]
Gilead Sciences (GILD) is back in the news last week after pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts granted approval solely to AbbVie to be the provider of their new hepatitis C (HCV) treatment Viekira Pak. AbbVie has struck a deal with Express Scripts to provide an unspecified discount for its therapy. Reaction to the news had […]
Life insurance can provide exponential financial leverage to families and individuals in a variety of circumstances and planning scenarios. It can be used to simply replace income in the event of the death of an income earner, to provide cash to an estate for tax settlement, to fund business succession or continuation plans. This précis […]