29 Aug 2014

Should We Pay Off Our Mortgage? — Retire Mortgage, Retire Mortgage

Should We Pay Off Our Mortgage? One of the common questions that we get is whether or not someone should pay off their mortgage before retirement. People always say, “I just want to be debt‑free,” and that’s an admirable goal. It is often an emotional issue as much as a financial issue. Some people don’t sleep well if they are carrying debt; others feel comfortable with mortgage debt and enjoy… Read More

By Tags: , ,
12 May 2014

IRA Rollover Rule Changes

I am a little embarrassed to admit that there are so many rules about IRAs that I find it difficult to keep them straight and I have to refer back to a guide that I have and constantly have to ask other Acropolitans if I’ve got my facts straight.  There are a lot of rules, even more exceptions and getting it wrong can be costly. A recent IRS ruling highlighted… Read More

By Tags: , , ,
28 Apr 2014

The Trouble with College Savings

As loyal readers know, I am a big fan of 529 savings plans and am a Missouri Most customer on behalf of my two grade school aged daughters. I was reminded of why a high quality education is so important: on average, the unemployment rate declines as education levels increase and incomes increase. The chart shows that for those who didn’t finish high school, the unemployment rate is 11 percent… Read More

By Tags: ,
6 Mar 2014

When to Take Social Security Benefits

Stocks were basically flat yesterday after Tuesday’s strong rally.  Some smaller economic releases like the ADP private payrolls report and the ISM services data were softer than expected, but the news from the Fed’s ‘beige book’ was modestly positive.  All of the reports included the negative impact of this winter’s cold weather.

By Tags: , ,
28 Jan 2014

Client Goals Trump Everything

Markets were lower yesterday across the board, but the feeling in the air, so to speak, was more calm, as evidenced by the four percent drop in the CBOE Volatility index.  Granted, it was a four percent drop following a 40 percent increase last week, but the direction was right. Bonds fell, as measured by the 10-year US Treasury bond, as bond investors pulled away from the ‘flight-to-quality’ trade and… Read More

By Tags: ,