Debt to Dreams

For our 2006 tax return we had a CPA file our taxes. First out of laziness and second out of some apprehension on my part of making a mistake with the calculations. Since the CPA filed the taxes, I took a cursory look at the finalized return but didn’t dive into it. This year, I [...]

The current market turmoil is providing a good opportunity for individuals to assess their risk tolerance. For younger individuals such as myself, a little short term volatility will be averaged out over the next thirty years. Thus, the common financial advice is to keep yourself 80% or more in stocks to take advantage of those [...]

Or should I say, Minimal Risk, Maximal Returns! As I have been watching the markets race to new records over the past six months I have been remarkably unenthusiatic about it. In years past when stocks, or real estate were zooming up, all I could do was watch and get a sick feeling in my [...]

Other than the addition of a new line to my Monthly Updates I haven’t expanded much on the $4000 I invested in a Traditional IRA to take advantage of tax savings for 2006. Because the decision to invest was a last minute decision based upon my tax return I had not done any due diligence [...]

I have to admit, publishers keep finding ways to restate the same ideas each month their finance magazines and keep it somewhat fresh. Perhaps it is our own failure to take what they say to heart that keeps the message coming. Sort of like visiting a doctor and hearing them tell you to exercise more [...]

After much gnashing of teeth, my wife and I have decided to not invest the cash from out savings account in a Roth for 2006. We still have until the April 17th deadline to change our minds but I don’t see it happening. I feel really guilty not making the deposit and I will be [...]

I have been taught in my medical education to look for multiple causes for a patients current condition.  If I haven’t thought of a possible cause, I can not develop a plan to treat if it is indeed correct.  This is how I was conditioned to come up with a differential diagnosis for a set of symptoms.  This way of thinking has influenced how I think about my investments as [...]

Update, The Pension Plan is Dead, Not really news to anyone because by this point the death of the Pension plan has been well documented. The funny thing about this is that until recently I never knew what a pension plan was and I never expected to have a job that entitled me to one. [...]