Analysis Topic: Personal Finance
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Retirement Nightmare: Underfunded Pensions Want to Chop Your Benefits by 60% / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: Unions, employers and the federal government have finally come up with an answer for the nation's underfunded pension plans, many of which are headed for bankruptcy.
Take the money from the retirees.
The proposal would erase the guarantees created under the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and allow underfunded pension plans to reduce monthly benefits for both future and current retirees.
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Saturday, April 13, 2013
A Second Passport for Ultimate Wealth Protection / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Casey_Research
Louis James: Doug, a lot of our readers have asked about getting a second passport. I realize this is a large and complex issue – several issues, actually – but would you care to go over the basics of where to go and what to do? And for those not already thinking about this, why?
Doug Casey: Sure. We've talked quite a bit about the increasing urgency of getting some of your assets out of your home country, especially if it's the United States. We've talked about having stores of precious metals in safe places abroad, and setting up bank and brokerage accounts abroad as well. I've said that safest way to store wealth abroad is to buy property, which can't be seized by your home country without an act of war. The purchase of real estate solves several issues all at once.
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Friday, April 12, 2013
The Great Money Migration, Is Holding Cash Criminal? / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Bill_Bonner
Back in the USA, stocks rose again yesterday. The Dow finished up 128 points. Gold fell $25 per ounce yesterday... and everybody seems to think it will be going down forever. (A word of caution: probably not.)
Last week, we went to São Paulo, Brazil. There, too, we found taxi drivers who knew a lot more about monetary crises than the typical US economist. Said one:
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Saturday, April 06, 2013
Best Cash ISA Savings Account for New Tax Year 2013-14 / Personal_Finance / ISA's
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The new tax year commenced today, which brings a small reprieve for UK savers to at least protect themselves from the 20% to 40% theft (double taxation) on savings interest payments, even though that it is highly unlikely that any accounts will be able to beat the real inflation rate which tends to be about 1.5% above CPI or currently about 4%.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Wealth Management Retirement Strategies to Reconsider / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
By: DailyGainsLetter
John Whitefoot writes: From home repairs, to fixing cars, to crafts, publishing, and decorating—in a do-it-yourself culture, nothing is out of bounds. Thanks to low interest rates and underperforming assets with terrible returns, many who are on the cusp of retirement are looking after their own retirement plans in an effort to boost their retirement income. Meanwhile, those already in retirement are looking for ways to sustain their savings.
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Thursday, April 04, 2013
Danger in Your Bank Account / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Alasdair_Macleod
The thinking behind GoldMoney’s business model was that there might come a time when prudent savers would want to protect themselves from the twin risks of a global banking crisis and a loss of purchasing power of paper currencies. The first of these two risks is now upon us, and it is important that everyone with savings to protect is aware of what is happening to banks and their bank accounts. By the time this is fully understood by the media it may be too late to act.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
What Cyprus Taught Me About Retirement Savings / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: DailyGainsLetter
John Whitefoot writes: In light of the events that occurred in Cyprus over the last couple weeks, many investors may be wondering if it’s safer to hide your retirement savings under a mattress. After all, what’s to say it couldn’t happen here?
In June 2012, Cyprus, like many members of the European Union (EU), sought a bailout after suffering heavy losses. The company’s banking sector was hit by the economic crisis that crippled Greece. Cypriot banks had made loans to Greek borrowers that were worth 160% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Santander Warning - How a UK Bank Deposits Freeze Will Happen! / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Whilst Cyprus continues to come to terms with it's banking catastrophe that involves the extreme step of outright theft of depositor funds as the following real life example illustrates to what amounts to an 85% theft of this customers bank balance at Laiki Bank actually looks like -
Monday, April 01, 2013
What Cyprus Laiki Bank 85% Hair Cut Really Looks Like / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Money_Morning
We came across this story on the Lew Rockwell's Blog this morning. It's an example of how a picture paints a thousand words.
This is what an 85% haircut actually looks like:
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
What Does 8% Inflation Really Mean? / Personal_Finance / Inflation
By: Don_Miller
Eight percent is not good news. In my latest article I shared some reader feedback from our inflation survey, and in case you missed it, the Money Forever Reader Poll Inflation Rate is 8%. But what does that number really mean for us – seniors and savers trying to protect our buying power? It's time to read the tea leaves and find out.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Santander 'Internal Server Error' Business Customers Locked Out? / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The banks in Cyprus have been closed since 18th March with each proposed date for re-opening of the banks with strict capital controls being extended every few days as the Cypriot central bank enacts its policy to steal depositor funds to the tune of 40% of deposits of over 100,000 euro's in at least Cyprus's two largest banks.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Fed’s Actions Makes for a Retirement / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
By: InvestmentContrarian
George Leong writes: On the surface, the Federal Reserve’s objective is to make sure America doesn’t fall into ruins. Following an aggressive strategy of monetary easing, the end result is interest rates at nearly zero percent and an endless flow of easy money. As I have already stated many times in these pages, the Federal Reserve has created an artificial economy.
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
Cyprus Bankruptcy Contagion Financial Armageddon Risk, Santander Down for Maintenance? / Personal_Finance / Credit Crisis 2013
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Whilst Cyprus's banking system remains frozen and teetering on the brink of collapse with it's politicians literally battling to meet an eye popping deadline to agree to the terms of a euro-zone bailout, the consequences of failure should not be construed as just being limited to Cyprus as the whole euro-zone and even the whole of world's banking system is at risk.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Enough Money to Not Worry / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
By: Don_Miller
Several readers have asked why I use CDs in so many examples. With good reason, they wondered if I was suggesting buying CDs, which made them question my wisdom and sanity. If anyone thinks that's what I'm recommending, I must have been remiss in conveying my message.
On that note, I'd like to make one thing clear: I am absolutely opposed to buying any CD denominated in US dollars. (And since we're clearing things up, I should also mention again that I am wholly opposed to TIPS.)
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013
When Is Insurance a Good Investment? / Personal_Finance / Insurance
By: Don_Miller
A friend recently asked about a life insurance policy with a guaranteed cash buildup far in excess of what he could earn on a CD or long-term Treasury. What did I think?
During my working career, I had many insurance companies as clients. When I asked similar questions, I always got the same response: with any "combination" product — that is, an insurance policy with an investment component — consider each part individually.
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Captaining Your Own Retirement Ship / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
By: Don_Miller
When Kerry Lutz turned off the recorder after interviewing me for the Financial Survival Network a few weeks ago, we started talking about a common challenge we both face: getting an entire generation to wake up and see that we have a real problem.
Most seniors and savers readily admit that interest rates are terrible and don't keep up with inflation, yet – even with the terrible squeeze this puts on their pocketbooks – Kerry and I know of too many people who think their nest egg will manage itself. After working a lifetime to build up their portfolios, many retirees are looking for a "set it and forget it" type of investment that no longer exists.
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Monday, March 04, 2013
Best Cash ISA to Beat Funding for Lending Fraud Against Savers / Personal_Finance / ISA's
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The 2012-13 tax year will soon be ending which means that those that have not already utilised their annual allowance of £5,640 for earning perpetual tax free interest on savings will lose it.
Unfortunately Britain's bankrupt bailed out banks continue to be supported by tax payers and Bank of England rampant money printing to an unlimited extent which via mechanisms such as the Funding for Lending Scheme is impacting severely on savers in terms of depressing UK savings interest rates whilst Quantitative Easing monetization of UK government debt and the financing of fictitious profits that form the basis for bonuses, that are even paid out when the Banking crime syndicate members such as RBS and Lloyds TSB announce losses results in the Inflation stealth theft of purchasing power of savings and earnings.
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Thursday, February 07, 2013
Payday Loans Get Criticised – Again / Personal_Finance / Debt & Loans
By: Submissions
Brent Wayne writes: Payday loans always seem to be being criticised and this time it is because there is a feeling that students are being unfairly targeted for them. A payday loan is an expensive way to borrow because it is aimed at people with a poor credit record, which may mean that they have been in debt a lot in the past or that they have no history of borrowing. It is felt that these people are the ones that are most vulnerable in society and so they should not be being targeted.
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Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Gloomy Cash ISA Savings Interest Rates Outlook / Personal_Finance / ISA's
By: MoneyFacts
Moneyfacts research reveals a slow start to the ISA season. Not only has it started a month later than expected, product choice and rates have fallen and the ability to transfer funds is fading fast.
In Feb 2012, the market consisted of 385 ISAs paying an average of 2.55% and 22 of those would not allow transfers in.
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Friday, February 01, 2013
The Frightening Financial Crisis Facing Young Americans / Personal_Finance / Student Finances
By: Money_Morning
Ben Gersten writes: Young Americans are falling deeper and deeper into a financial crisis that will be nearly impossible to escape from in their lifetimes.
Unfortunately, the problems start at a very young age. Not only do a record number of school-age children live in poverty, but the number of homeless children in the public school system has reached an all-time high.
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