The Sanctity of Cash Flow
Cash flow: the difference between an entity’s income and expenses. Whether it is a business, a government or a household, cash flow is the most important financial consideration. Your house might be...
View ArticleAn Era of Financial Engineering
I just read a headline that Dow Chemical increased their stock buy-back program from $5 billion to $9.5 billion. This is simply another instance of the multi-year trend of gross misallocation of...
View ArticleRetirement Plan Contribution Limits Rise for 2015
Periodically, the IRS increases the maximum contributions allowable to IRAs and employer retirement plans (401(k)s and 403(b)s). Retirement plans will see an increase to the contribution limits, while...
View ArticleSome thoughts on the recent drop in the price of oil…
The media is all over the recent dramatic slide in oil prices. There’s no shortage of “experts” who are brought out to tell us how informed they are about why oil prices have fallen. Ignore it all....
View ArticleFirst Surprise of 2015 –‘Franc’ogeddon?
On January 15th, Switzerland made a surprise announcement that it would no longer peg the value of its currency, the Franc, to that of the European Union’s currency, the Euro. Their actions were...
View ArticleAm I Nuts For Keeping $20,000 in a Savings Account?
Some people would say yes. I’m making 1% on the money in my account at Ally Bank (online bank). After income taxes and inflation, I’m losing money. But these funds are not for investment – they are for...
View ArticleJanet Yellen’s “Irrational Exuberance” Moment?
Did Janet Yellen, current Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board (the Fed) of the United States, just give a speech that may be remembered for eerily paralleling a famous speech given by former Fed...
View ArticleHow Does Greece’s Problems Impact The Average US Investor?
Greece and their financial difficulties are in the news yet again. This bit of drama has been going on for years. Here’s Greece’s problem in a nutshell: The Greeks borrowed way too much money and they...
View ArticlePersonal Finance Year-End Checklist
As hard as it is to believe, we are now into the 4th quarter of 2015. With Thanksgiving and the excitement of the holidays just around the corner now is a very good time consider end-of-year financial...
View ArticleThe Valuable Social Security Strategies You Didn’t Know You Just Lost!
Congress recently passed a budget bill that eliminates several Social Security maximization strategies. The changes take effect May 1, 2016. The “file and suspend” strategy enables retired couples to...
View ArticleHello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! The post Hello world! appeared first on DouglasBradley.
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How many death certificates do I need?
How many death certificates do I need? This is a question that is often asked and there are plenty of answers on the internet! Here are our two cents – from the perspective of people who have actually...
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When a husband dies, does the wife get his Social Security?
The answer is: Maybe! Social Security benefits are very complex. Survivor benefits are complex as well. Since we specialize in helping widows, we are approaching the topic from a widow’s perspective....
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A Widow’s Identity Crisis
All of us have an identity – even multiple identities. We see ourselves one way and the world may see us in a different way. Our children view us differently than our parents do. Our close friends view...
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Two reasons your take-home pay can drop at the beginning of the year
We recently got a question from a client. Their first paycheck of the year had dropped by a few hundred dollars versus the previous one. They asked us for some insight. Since they are long-time clients...
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