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Review: Navigating the Financial Blogosphere by Russell Bailyn

by Flexo

A little over a year ago, Russell Bailyn, an investment adviser who crossed the barrier into the blogosphere with his Financial Planning Weblog, contacted me to let me know he was beginning work on a book. As Russell and I were both music education majors in our respective undergraduate universities, I was eager to support ... Continue reading this article…

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Debunking 13 Retirement Myths, Part 1

by Flexo

Money Magazine is on the scene again, spreading the truth about retirement, contrary to some popular beliefs. Within, these is some good news alongside bad news. Here are the highlights. Myth #1: You need a big income to have a big nest egg. Some creativity can go a long way. By finding ways to save ... Continue reading this article…

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Comparing a Lump Sum With an Annuity

by Flexo

Every since I wrote about the variable annuity sold to an 86-year-old, I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of situation in which this makes sense. Actually, I haven’t been putting effort into this issue at all, but this article from Charles Schwab happened to appear at the right time. Inside is a ... Continue reading this article…

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Ethical? Bank of America Sells Variable Annuity to Elderly Person

by Flexo

I find these stories very sad. First of all, it’s always the customer’s job to be educated about any options they might be considering — particularly when they’re shopping around for financial products. When a customer isn’t educated for whatever reason, it doesn’t provide justification for salespeople to suggest products not in their best interest. ... Continue reading this article…

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Problems With TIAA-CREF Continue: One Reader’s Issue

by Flexo

My Roth IRA and SEP IRA are held at TIAA-CREF. I’ve had some problems with them in the past, which I’ve outlined a number of times. Most recently I noticed that my contributions for 2005 were included on my 2006 tax form. Their explanation was simply that 2005 contributions made during 2006 would appear on ... Continue reading this article…

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Why Can Ben Stein Retire at 61?

by Flexo

I like Ben Stein. He’s been an actor, game show host, advisor to a presidential administration, author, and traveling guru. In his latest column on Yahoo Finance, he writes about the tendency to live in fear about retirement but not adequately plan (save). He started getting to the point by offering how he would be ... Continue reading this article…

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Around The World

by Flexo

Here’s what been happening in the personal finance blogosphere this week, starting with the MoneyBlogNetwork. Mighty Bargain Hunter, who is hosting next week’s Carnival of Personal Finance, has calculated whether it is better to lend money through prosper.com or deposit the funds in an ING Direct account. JLP from AllFinancialMatters evaluates fixed immediate annuities. Free ... Continue reading this article…

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The Future Is Grim: Ben Stein

by Flexo

Here’s more for those concerned about costs in retirement: Baby Boomer Ben Stein is warning us that standards of living are set to take a huge dive not long from now. Here’s the health care example: Look at it this way: Think of the most crowded freeway you’re on every day. Imagine what it’ll be ... Continue reading this article…

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