Inflation

Is a nasty inflation brewing or is the U.S. facing a prolonged deflationary period similar to what Japan has experienced for the past twenty years? Billions of dollars and major public policy decisions are currently positioned for both scenarios. The need for further deficit spending and low interest rates is advocated by Paul Krugman's "Phantom Menace" comments and a recent piece by Teresa Ghilarducci . The inflation is imminent camp is represented by gold bug and hedge funds that are building...

Elizabeth Warren recently wrote a rather extraordinary piece on the hollowing of the American middle class and the need for a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). Consider the following: 1 in 5 Americans is unemployed or underemployed. 1 in 9 American families cannot make the minimum payment on their credit card. 1 in 8 mortgages are in default or foreclosure. 1 in 8 Americans is on food stamps. More than 120,000 American families are filing for bankruptcy every month. When adjusted for...

Although mentioned previously , it is worth noting again that Moshe Milevsky is the most active, creative and interesting voice in the asset decumulation industry. Moshe produces copious amounts of outstanding materials that shed light on the world of annuities for both professional and consumer audiences. A recent interview in The Journal of Financial Planning is highly recommended. Moshe is working on a soon to be released book on lifecycle investing . In the Journal of Financial Planning...

U.S. News & World Report featured a review of five free retirement planning tools that can be found online. The review includes retirement planning software from: AARP Fidelity MetLife T. Rowe Price The U.S. Department of Labor The general conclusion is that the tools do "an inconsitent and poor job," often ignoring critical factors such as longevity risk , inflation and medical expenses. Source: U.S. News & World Report Full Story