When can you safely retire?
2024-10-03 07:50
~When can you safely retire?~
How, and when, do you know it's "safe" to retire so that you don't run out of money? This can seem like an overwhelming question, but with some well-thought-...
Why your Social Security statement is way off
2024-09-08 08:00
~Why your Social Security statement is way off~
Last spring I wrote about the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These are two punitive federal laws tha...
Help paying for childcare in Maine
2024-08-27 06:37
~Help Paying for Childcare in Maine~
In case you are not aware, there is a relatively new state program that provides assistance to families to help pay for childcare. This state program, called ...
How to make $100,000 in a few hours
2024-06-08 21:33
~How to make $100,000 in a few hours~
In the corporate world of 401k's, you rarely see employees investing through deferred annuities and other high-cost investments. However, insurance compa...
Why you may not get most of your Social Security benefits
2024-06-04 20:56
~Why you may not get most of your Social Security benefits~
As you are probably aware, teachers, Ed Tech 2s & 3s, and administrators don't pay into the Social Security system in Maine (though ...
Why your state pension won't be enough
2024-05-09 22:08
~Why your state pension won't be enough~
Those of us who are faculty, Ed Tech 2s & 3s, and administrators are all part of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MEPERS).
There is a ...
Part 2: Stop Enriching the Financial Industry
2024-01-29 20:16
~Variable Annuities~
My previous post was about a common investing problem for school employees. If you missed it, this quote from Warren Buffett sums it up nicely: "When trillions of dollars ar...
Part 1: Stop Enriching the Financial Industry
2024-01-22 06:02
~Fees can suck a portfolio dry~
Recently I’ve been helping some staff members make changes to their retirement accounts to reduce the fees that they are paying on their investments. So I thought ...
Buy and Hold
2023-12-31 08:27
~Why Buy-and-Hold is, Generally Speaking, a Sound Strategy~
Many investors are tempted to try and time the buying and selling of their stocks. Statistically speaking, this is generally a losing p...
Maine's Warranty Law Can Save You a lot of Money
2023-11-05 17:54
~Maine's Consumer Protection Law at Work for You~
Several years ago I wrote about Maine's warranty law, and I've had some additional experience utilizing this law recently that I thoug...
$1 Million in Retirement is Feasible
2023-09-24 20:50
~Achieving $1 Million in Retirement Savings~
Those of us who are members of the Maine State Retirement system can fairly easily estimate how much annual income we will receive when we retire, assu...
Females May Need to be More Diligent Investors than Males - but There's some Good News
2023-08-29 14:40
~Discrimination & Longevity are the Main Factors~
This can be a delicate subject, but it's one that my Economics students have appreciated over the years.
For one, females tend to face lab...
Want to “Make” 25% per Year on Your Money?
2023-06-12 19:40
~Want to “Make” 25% per Year on Your Money?
Pay Off Credit Card Debt or High-interest Loans~
As a generally rule, one should probably only carry debt long term if:
1) the things you're usi...
How to Help a Young Person Become Financially Secure
2023-06-01 21:45
~Helping a Young Person Grow Wealth isn't as Daunting as It Seems~
We all want the young people in our lives to be financially secure when they are older. With the future so uncertain, this c...
The Power of 1%
2023-04-26 19:00
~The "Secrets" to Growing Wealth: The Power of 1%~
For Math teachers these concepts might be obvious, but to the rest of us, maybe not so much.
Take a look at the table below that I came acr...
401k vs. 403b vs. Roth vs. Traditional IRA
2023-03-01 20:39
~What's the Best Way to Save for Retirement?~
When saving for retirement, a lot of people wonder if they should contribute to a 401k, 403b, a Roth IRA, or to a traditional IRA.
An IRA is a...
Are Annuities Really Worth It?
2023-02-07 18:59
~Buying an Annuity for Retirement~
It's probably fair to say that retirees tend to underestimate the significance of having enough diversification in their portfolio so that they don't run...
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