More American ‘Socialism’—Our taxes go to make rich, richer

More American ‘Socialism’—Our taxes go to make rich, richer

Amazon’s Bezos, the man with more wealth than half the nations of the world, takes government money to locate in VA. (America’s form of Socialism is called subsidies)

If Bezos needed another place to work, he could have built anywhere and people would work for him and pay taxes. It will take years for government to earn back this Socialist handout. Many taxpayers across the country are putting their hard-earned money in the pockets of the already wealthy business owners. Governments give money to the elites: Russia helps Putin’s oligarchs just as China subsidizes its businesses. In many studies, subsidies are ineffective for taxpayers since the payback never happens. Once we give money to one, everyone wants the same deal. Of course most businesses that receive tax money don’t really need it like a small business starting out would. An estimated $18 Trillion was transferred from taxpayers to private hands between 2000 and 2015. 99% of it went to large companies, even foreign banks. Yet when those same taxpayers could not pay their mortgages from temporary layoffs, they were ignored. Many lost the home they had put their savings into. People had to give up a lifestyle to survive on less.

Avoid paying corporate subsidies: https://www.amazon.com/Pay-No-Taxes-Retirement-legally/dp/1507527977

Do you need a lawyer to start a small business?

In some states, you do not need the state’s permission to start a business. Some states require you to get a specific name approved for a new legal entity like a Limited Liability Company (LLC). You may be able to do this yourself. For instance, in New Jersey you complete and file a Public Records Filing for a New Business Entity. You pay $125 to New Jersey Division of Revenue in the Department of Treasury. The filing takes 2-3 weeks. The document becomes the original Certificate of Formation, which states that your LLC has been formed. After that, you need to obtain an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS, open a business banking account, and finalize an operating agreement. However, since you are starting out, you are better off just using your name as your business. Don’t waste your money on a lawyer or an official entity. Just follow the tax requirements: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employed-individuals-tax-center. Don’t cheat. My experience led me to Dummies book and Nolo.com. Prove your sales work. Many libraries have these books.

Don’t waste Start Up money: https://www.amazon.com/Save-3000-every-year-Only/dp/1500681571

Be prepared: we will all live longer

25% of men and women will live into their 90’s. The life insurers keep track of this for profit’s sake. That is 30 years! To get ready, we must either save more, save smart or work longer. Depending on your situation, saving more and working longer may NOT be viable options. Many of us should be saving smarter. Some may find a less stressful job. As an AARP tax-Aide volunteer, I see every combination of these folks. Most in their 90’s can’t work. They are scraping by on SS benefits of less than $20,000 a year. Some are lucky to have an old-style pension but it does NOT increase each year. Some have annuities but they don’t increase either: $1,000 a month was good 25 years ago but no longer. One couple in their early 70’s have two great state pensions after working 25 years. Most teachers are famous for saving money. Some retirees have great dividends and interest. Very few have Medicare supplemental health plans. Very few used a Roth IRA for tax-FREE income. Very few retirees I see have a smart portfolio of stock and bond mutual funds. Some have brokerage accounts with trades they never understood. They have some gains but the fees almost wipe them out: $720 gains but $588 fees. I cannot advise them to use smart savings funds: stock/bond funds at low cost in retirement. But I know they will need them for 30 or MORE years.

They need growth and income: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Plan-Live-Age-100/dp/1548180793

Are you ruining your kids and your own retirement?

Nearly 80% of parents give some financial support to their adult children—to the tune of $500 billion a year. That’s twice what parents put into retirement accounts. Almost three-quarters of respondents acknowledged putting their children’s interests ahead of their own retirement needs. Half of Americans approaching retirement have nothing saved in a 401(k) or other individual account. But where does that leave us? Will they be able to take care of themselves once the money is gone? And what about us? We end up living on meager SS benefits and they can’t manage their own income shortfall. We might feel we must share our wealth because the longest bull market has kept us safe. But our good luck may not rub off on our kids. They will choose the easy way instead of working their way up from the bottom. College is not the only answer—certainly NOT for everyone. They may be a better technician than a manager under extreme pressure. Student debt is strangling us. Perhaps a better way is to offer them a business proposition—instead of living with you and all the comforts of home—write them a business loan to get them on their feet. Like immigrants to this country, they can find their own way of making a living. You have helped them but you haven’t crippled them for life and your own future!

Make sure you have enough: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Spending-Plan-enough/dp/1461084016

Where is FREE tax preparation?

The free AARP tax-aide sites are filling up quickly: aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/. Before spending $200-400 for a paid preparer, try filling in the screens using the IRS partners at irs.gov https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/. The instructions are easy to follow especially if you have last year’s return to compare what forms you need. I have found https://www.freetaxusa.com very easy to negotiate and respond to email questions. This one charges only $15 for your state return: Fed is free. It is still $15 when as complicated like mine. Basically, you must pay tax on all your taxable income—wages, pensions, etc. This year you have less to deduct because the standard deduction was doubled. Beware some software glitches. However, you lost the personal exemption of $4,050 for yourself, your spouse and each of your dependents. For each child under age 17 you receive $2,000. In high property tax states—NY, NJ, CA, CT, etc you will probably owe this year. The deduction cap is now $10,000 and the average homeowners in these states pay about $20,000 property tax. The law was written by a Rep from a Red state.

Try software at irs.gov https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/ before you go to paid preparers.

**************

Make America, “The Don”, Great Again

Senile Psychosis or Parkinson’s delusions? quetiapine and clozapine

Truth isn’t truth, his lawyer says

“The campaign -- for him -- was always a marketing opportunity.”

Two Americas: A Banana Republic? Do we really want an infant king? Daddy Putin!

Will voters who need ObamaCare vote for it?

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How Govt wastes our money: Congress spends $1.3 Trillion we don’t have! 

ICE keeps young workers in jail for 6 weeks despite real job. Not indigent; paying taxes!

We spend $57 billions on intel Don doesn’t want: yet gov can’t stop robos to our phones

Pentagon starts building The Don’s Wall despite Congress: Don’s Dictatorship begins.

Climate change ruins drinking water wells in heartland. 280,000 WI wells poisoned.

GOP Rep Lee says solve climate change with more babies. Rep from Utah’s Mormons?

Trump budget cuts $800 billion from Medicare. Poor’s health covered by each state alone

SCAMS/SPINS:

GOP won’t release Mueller since facts scare them but our hacker enemies have it already

WH’s Sanders claims Mueller, a GOP and Dems tried to “overthrow” the government. Really

GOP stays in power by changing NC voting districts to 11 GOP vs 2 Dems. ‘I decide’

Boeing lobbyists took over FAA safety responsibilities: Congress complied 2018!

Robo call scammers avoid paying fines and going to jail: Trump & Congress do nothing!

Vatican squashing women defenders of abused nuns: Women Church World silenced.

‘Roundup’ causes lymphoma but Bayer keeps selling it at stores. Reserves high for suits.

Emergency room staffed by non-hospital staff so out of network: Medical bankruptcy?

Trump to end ObamaCare protection for 20 million patients with pre-existing conditions

Trump: ObamaCare “too expensive” (Trump & Congress use it) We get cheap coverage!

Trump just made it easier for employers to dump retirees’ pensions: Senior Scam

Trump Hannity discuss pardons all around for “this whole scam.” 

Trump in his glory: President comfortable with ‘explicatives’ at ‘lock them up’ rally.

Trump’s FDA hides medical device failures: Surgery staplers allowed to injure US!

BEWARE: Social Security numbers don’t get suspended as claimed in scam.

Duke U caught faking lung function research data to get grant: fine no jail

Brendan Ross, Direct Lending Investments, CA caught $11 million fee over-charges

Fidelity sued by 401k employees for extra fee as kickback to plan record keeper.

Richard Diver caught stealing $6 million overcharging clients to inflate his pay.

Successful fund managers last only 3 years: stars shine then fade fast—index win 10 yr

IRS scams: irs-top-12-tax-scams-to-avoid-2019

College entry scandal leader Singer paid almost 800 bribes to coaches.

If you lie on your loan application, you could go to jail but Don did it all the time: No Jail

Mob Boss gives in to N. Korea: lifts sanctions for NOT scrapping missiles: “I like Un”

“Individual 1” could be a Russian “asset”: Why FBI opened a file on The Mob Boss.

Mueller ignores Mob Boss family Russia deals: OK to conspire with enemy.

1. “Russia, find Hill’s emails” 2. Don’s Mob made Russian deals 3. Russia intel tricked voters 4. Secret meetings 5. Special Russia deals 6. Fire FBI 7. Refuse give testimony

The Mob Boss can never go to jail: Trump has Kava as Supreme so no indictment.

‘No man is above the law’ … well up till now. Dictators nullify courts first, then votes.

Supremes protect Don’s ‘Orders’? – GOP: ‘Sure, pres can change Constitution anytime.’

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Jobs:

Supremes Kava & Gorsuch take summer overseas jobs since $255,000 is not enough!

Wall Street going through layoffs again in 2019. Cycle allows paying less for new grads.

Who owns your account now?

750 parents are involved in buying kids a spot in college: Money trumps merit again!

Investors lost 9.42% in 2018 compared with a 4.38% by the S&P 500: Double loss!

Inherited IRA: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-beneficiary

Sears' 90,000 retirees lost their company-paid life insurance: pensions next?

Miracle:

ObamaCare saved US $2.3 TRILLION in projected costs: 20 million new insured

Notre Dame giving $1 million: why male priests abuse kids & nuns. Everyone knows!!

“Suffer the little children” America is locking up all the wrong people.

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alert

Is your Advisor/Broker really 'Acting in your best interest'?

Is your Advisor/Broker really ‘Acting in your best interest’?

Advisors/Brokers mislead Americans about ‘acting in our best interest.’ Two years ago, 46% of investors incorrectly believed that their financial advisor would only make recommendations in their best interest. In 2019, that statistic has risen to 65%. Most of us don’t trust salespeople whether selling used cars or financials. However, when asked about their own experience, they have become a victim of a salesperson’s strategy. Presumably once we make a commitment by giving them money, we defend our decision. No one wants to admit they made a mistake. Yet the number of frauds and ‘death by a thousand cuts’ goes on. A salesperson is under tremendous pressure now because there are many alternatives to reach financial goals at less cost with unbiased advice. Brokers hide the total costs because the costs can take over 63% of your total accumulations. Only RIAs are legally required to act in our best interest. Brokers have little accountability. Trump killed the Obama Fiduciary Rule for all firms and sellers. Actually, all advisors/brokers only sell products chosen for profit by their firm. Only a fee-only financial planner can provide ‘unbiased’ advice. Only one firm is unbiased.

Don’t surrender your common sense: https://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Scams-Brokers-Advisors-Sender/dp/1726328023

Where FREE tax preparation?

The free AARP tax-aide sites are filling up quickly: aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/. Before spending $200-400 for a paid preparer, try filling in the screens using the IRS partners at irs.gov https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/. The instructions are easy to follow especially if you have last year’s return to compare what forms you need. I have found https://www.freetaxusa.com very easy to negotiate and respond to email questions. This one charges only $15 for your state return: Fed is free. It is still $15 when complicated like mine. Basically, you must pay tax on all your taxable income—wages, pensions, etc. This year you have less to deduct because the standard deduction was doubled. However, you lost the personal exemption of $4,050 for yourself, your spouse and each of your dependents. For each child under age 17 you receive $2,000. In high property tax states—NY, NJ, CA, CT, etc you will probably owe this year. The deduction cap is now $10,000 and the average homeowners in these states pay about $20,000 property tax. The law was written by a Rep from a Red state.

Try software at irs.gov https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/ before you go to paid preparers.

Is that ‘fixed’ annuity offered at a seminar really paying 12%?

No, of course not. Use your common sense. If it were true, don’t you know everyone would buy one at their local office—no ‘seminar’ hype on Social Security would be needed? Recently, a client using the AARP Taxaide service said he sat through one. He did not bite. Some sellers use 12% in tag line: https://annuityguys.org/annuity-types/fixed-annuities/. They show the real rates below on their site. Perhaps the client heard what he wanted to hear. For instance, many ‘fixed’ annuities claim to pay you 80% of the market return so if the S&P 500 hits 15%, your credit (not money) is 12% for that period (month, day, year?). Since there are 125 different ways insurers ‘figure’ returns, you may want to take your accountant with you to the meeting. Read the contract: Cap is 10%: no 12%! An insurance company creates marketing ‘talk’ to sell. Once you give them your hard-earned dollars, they invest it like you could. What would you buy to make sure you earn a profit and pay claims in later years (surrender charges for 12-20 years)? You would buy stocks and bonds with most of your money. NYLife has been around since 1845 so they have done the same. I managed the sale of annuities at banks and security firms. The average return of all actual fixed ‘indexed’ annuities was 3.27% [inflation is 3%]. The range of returns over many years was 5.5% average annualized (best) and 1.2% (worst). Sales people save the bad news—3-4% annual costs—for their lawyers to explain in small print. Consider the alternative: income AND growth.

Best annuity: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Annuity-Strategy-Income-and-Growth/dp/1497532019

Which mix of stocks and bonds should we use?

As in anything, it depends--it depends on our time frame. Our daughter’s money is in 100% stocks with earnings from all over the world. She has 50 years to enjoy the 10-12% growth from low-cost index funds. At the other end of the age/risk continuum, ultra safe US treasuries have a 30-day yield of 2.92%. However, bond value goes down as interest rates go up. Our time frame is very important. As we get nearer the date we will need more of the income than the asset growth, we have to move from market ups and downs to a balanced trend. Starting 10 years away from living on dividends and interest, we need to pick a fund that maintains the balance automatically. Retirement Date funds do that for us without wasting our money with high-fee managers. RDFs are new so some investors have found 50-year old ‘managed’ funds that don’t often lose money and earn 9.58% over time, a better deal. So the main part of successful investing is understanding Warren Buffett’s famous advice: “The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient." Our daughter will stay in the 500 Index Fund costing only 0.04% for years. We have moved most of our nest egg to Wellesley Income Fund and can now enjoy steady income.

Can it be that simple: https://www.amazon.com/You-Beat-Wall-Street-professionals/dp/1986031373

More American Socialism

Amazon’s Bezos, the man with more wealth than half the nations of the world, takes government money to locate in VA. If Bezos needed another place to work, he could have built anywhere and people would work for him and pay taxes. It will take years for government to earn back this Socialist handout. Many taxpayers across the country are putting their hard-earned money in the pockets of the already wealthy business owners. Governments give money to the elites: Russia helps Putin’s big businesses just as China helps its businesses. In many studies, subsidies are ineffective for the public since the payback never happens. Once we give money to one, everyone wants the same deal. Of course most businesses that receive tax money don’t really need it like a small business starting out would. An estimated $18 Trillion was transferred from taxpayers to private hands between 2000 and 2015. 99% of it went to large companies, even foreign banks. Yet when those same taxpayers could not pay their mortgages from temporary layoffs, they were ignored. Many lost the home they had put their savings into.

Avoid paying corporate subsidies: https://www.amazon.com/Pay-No-Taxes-Retirement-legally/dp/1507527977

Corporations ‘move’ overseas to avoid tax but we can’t

Congress encourages all corporations to move out of America to pay lower taxes. However, if I do that, I am a felon. I am taxed on any income created anywhere in the world but if I incorporate overseas, it is OK to avoid US taxes. Tax avoidance through offshore tax loopholes is a significant reason why corporations, which paid one-third of federal revenues 60 years ago, now pay one-tenth of federal revenues. U.S. corporations dodge $90 billion a year in income taxes by shifting profits to subsidiaries — often no more than a post office box — in tax havens. U.S. corporations hold $2.1 trillion in profits offshore — much in tax havens — that have not been taxed. For instance, GE uses offshore financial profits to claimed tax refunds of $3.1 billion. Apple made $74 billion from 2009-2012 on worldwide sales (excluding the Americas) and paid almost nothing in taxes to any country. 26 profitable Fortune 500 firms paid no federal income taxes from 2008-2012. We actually pay large corporations with refunds and subsidies. 111 large, profitable corporations paid zero federal income taxes in at least one of those five years. $90 billion could help fund Medicare for All.

We can avoid paying their taxes: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300

**************

Make America, “The Don”, Great Again

Senile Psychosis or Parkinson’s delusions? quetiapine and clozapine

Truth isn’t truth, his lawyer says

“The campaign -- for him -- was always a marketing opportunity.”

Two Americas: A Banana Republic? Do we really want an infant king? Daddy Putin!

***********************

How Govt wastes our money: Congress spends $1.3 Trillion we don’t have! 

Why buy poor equipment for our Armed Forces? Govt does it every day.

https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/friday-march-15th-tax-cuts

After NOT doing their jobs for years, these people want a raise: most are millionaires!

Trump debt: The Don has added 50% more debt $22.8 Trillion; $17 T in 2017

Navy spent $16 BILLION on ships that don’t work right: no accountability.

Marines object to holding the border for Trump: “unacceptable risk” to combat readiness.

SCAMS/SPINS:

Financial plans are created by just 2 coding firms: advisors don’t do plans, just input.

Big signs will be installed on driverless vehicles so we can walk the other way.

FAA had Boeing certify safety of its own 737 planes not smart idea. fox/henhouse?

Delta head put in charge of FAA by Trump: extra pilot saved one 737 from crash

GOP on climate ‘change’ owns 289 wells $3 million: NO ‘change’ from Congress.

GOP WI sore losers: laws to restrict new gov pass by lame ducks. NC & MI tricks failed

GOP to limit voter initiatives and voting places and times … again.

Lobbyists tell our Reps: kill health care reform by paying them to kill bills. Money talks!

Simple Health Plans FL, fake insurer, still collecting premiums but no coverage

Facebook: your password is available to anyone inside and any high school hacker.

Death by fentanyl: real national emergency! pandemic and Washington does nothing!

IN teachers: armed and dangerous--shoot & injure each other in ‘practice’? AR 400 RPM

Craig Arsenault CA caught stealing $5.7 million promised returns from loans to Dr.

Grant Rogers NY Talimco caught sham real estate auction helps friends

James Daly Michael O’Keeffe MA caught lost $10 million on oil/gas contracts.

Trump: ‘transparency’ "makes us all look good" but not my taxes, deals, Putin talk, etc.

Trump stopped consumer agency enforcement actions: 96% less returned from fraudster

Trump borrows at money-laundering Deutsche Bank: US banks decline ‘King of Debt.’

“I didn’t get a thank you” for honoring guy ‘I don’t like.’ My teen said the same for chore

Mob Boss so weak mentally he stabs McCain’s family after died. GOP still silent support.

“Individual 1” could be a Russian “asset”: Why FBI opened a file on The Mob Boss.

The Mob Boss can never go to jail: Trump has Kava as Supreme so no indictment.

‘No man is above the law’ … well up till now. Dictators nullify courts first, then votes.

Supremes protect Don’s ‘Orders’? – GOP: ‘Sure, pres can change Constitution anytime.’

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Jobs:

900 Ford electric vehicle jobs Flat Rock MI—last year said end all cars in US

Who owns your account now?

Wells Fargo retirement plan services to Principal Financial

GE long-term care policy premiums to go up $500 million now; $1.2 billion next.

Miracle:

Boy survives tetanus but cost him 57 hospital days, rehab, $812,000, parents still refused.

This immigrant ran toward the killer of 50 and saved others.

NZ bans military killing machines after atrocity: Is this what it takes?

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alert

GOP 'socialism': tax money to chosen few

GOP ‘socialism’

Example: Agribiz ‘will not be able to lose money’ with these subsidies. As Trump tries to scare Americans about left-wing DEMs, Congress passed the vast subsidies to large farm corporations. This is the agriculture’s bill. America’s version of socialism includes ‘crop insurance’ which provides premium subsidies to insurance companies and guaranteed prices for crops. Corporate farmers can’t lose. They can add ‘first cousins, nephews, and nieces of farmers to receive up to $125,000 in annual farm subsidies even if they are not farmers themselves.’ Corporate farms owned by those earning more than $1.8 million can funnel subsidies through other ‘pretend’ farm associates and relatives. Already wealthy agribusiness is paid to “buy up land in order to keep it dormant.” 54% of all cropland is rented so ‘landlords’ are subsidized, just like in cities. Land prices are inflated. Subsidies favor certain crops—corn gets 46%—and so the government makes certain corporations winners. According to one Rep: “Under what we have put in the bill, you will not be able to lose money, unless you really try.” Research firms are subsidized—‘stones are commodities’? Most small farmers actually receive NO subsidy. 40% of subsidies go to top 4-7% farm conglomerates, just like in Russia. Subsidies go to the more ‘equal’!

All 87 Senators voted FOR American Socialism for the Rich. Some Reps get subsidies!

It’s GOP socialism: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Socialism-Rich-little-people/dp/1535218584

Where can you earn 9-13%?

Don’t forget to add in your dividends. Ask your broker and advisor to calculate your returns the last 10 or 12 years (including the ‘Fed bailout of 2007-8). It is your money, not theirs. Most smart money managers have most of their money in a low-cost market fund because COSTS KILL returns. Compare facts to the myth of Wall Street ‘managed’ funds: Facts: Jan 1, 2006 to Dec 31, 2018 = 9.3%; 2007-2018 = 8.76%; 2008-2018 = 9.06%; 2009-2018 = 13.96% a year. Ask your advisor to show you ALL the costs and your actual NET earnings after tax each year:
Sales Loads (including Sales Charge (Load) on Purchases and Deferred Sales Charge (Load))

Redemption Fee

Exchange Fee

Account Fee

Purchase Fee (Although the fee table in Form N-1A does not specifically include "purchase fees," if a fund imposes one, it would be included in the fee table under this heading.

In the fee table, under the heading of "Annual Fund Operating Expenses," you will find:

Management Fees

Distribution [and/or Service] (12b-1) Fees

Other Expenses

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

Now explain again why John Bogle’s index fund is not the wise choice for most investors. And why Warren Buffett is right about hedge funds.

https://www.amazon.com/Pimps-Wall-Street-money-middlemen/dp/151525254X

Is your Advisor/Broker really ‘Acting in your best interest’?

Advisors/Brokers mislead Americans about ‘acting in our best interest.’ Two years ago, 46% of investors incorrectly believed that their financial advisor would only make recommendations in their best interest. In 2019, that statistic has risen to 65%. Most of us don’t trust salespeople whether selling used cars or financials. However, when asked about their own experience, they have become a victim of a salesperson’s strategy. Presumably once we make a commitment by giving them money, we defend our decision. No one wants to admit they made a mistake. Yet the number of frauds and ‘death by a thousand cuts’ goes higher. A salesperson is under tremendous pressure now because there are many alternatives to reach financial goals at less cost with unbiased advice. Brokers hide the total costs because they can take over 63% of your total accumulations. Only RIAs are legally required to act in our best interest. Brokers have little accountability. Trump killed the Obama Fiduciary Rule for all firms and sellers.

Don’t surrender your common sense: https://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Scams-Brokers-Advisors-Sender/dp/1726328023

Is home ownership worth it?

In today’s market, you need to ask hard questions and do your homework. Can you afford the price, ongoing costs, and responsibilities? There is really only one good reason to buy: you are able to put down roots in one place for the foreseeable future. We used to live in Manhattan—on E 7^th Street. We loved it and the rent was reasonable because the area had not yet gone ‘developed.’ We walked to work and rented a car to go out of town. However, when we had a child, we realized we could not afford to raise a child there—financially. Plus after living our adult lives in a small pre-war apartment we were tired of the lack of space, grass, air, quiet, and other unmentionables. So we did what previous generations did—we saved like mad. No more vacations, wasted impulse buys, etc. We did not stop investing in our retirement funds. We did research on where and how to live. We settled on downtown Jersey City. We could get to work on trains. We could buy a beat up 1860 brownstone and rent 3 floors—using the rent to pay the mortgage. We had to take care of tenant problems but we saw no other way. We underestimated repairs and maintenance. We spent most weekends fixing things. We had to move for better schools.

Ask for homeowners’ discounts: https://www.amazon.com/Homeowners-Insurance-Beware-False-Coverage-Policy/dp/1480100870/

Why is successful investing so hard yet so easy?

Warren Buffett gives his comments in an interview recently. Most of us are not up to analyzing or understanding everything he says but there are few takeaways that seem clear: Follow the big picture. We, including our brokers, are not equipped to judge individual companies. His advice: invest in America—S&P 500 gains have meant if you invested $1 in it over the last 77 years, it is now worth $5,000. You do nothing else. It is hard to pick the right stocks all the time. It is hard to believe that when the 500 largest stocks in America (S&P 500) go down they will go up. However, he keeps saying we must. He believes it so much he put in his Will: put 90% of my estate in an S&P 500 index fund and 10% in governments. He has invested during every period from Hoover on. He never owns more than 10% of a stock. Buffett has the money to invest in many companies. We are like Billy Beane—limited budget so we take Buffett’s advice and use the Warren stats: $1 became $5,000 over time in a low-cost S&P 500 index fund.

Remember Billy Beane: https://www.amazon.com/Money-Ball-Investing-Winning-unfair/dp/1548831409

Can I pay my Federal tax bill over time?

Sure. Many have found that Trump gave everyone else a break except them. Now you and I have to pay for the corporate and wealthy tax cut. If you got caught with the property tax cap of $10,000 and other changes, you may owe. Those who got a refund last year may owe $4,000 or more. After all the average home in northern NJ is taxed at about $20,000. Many have had their traditional deductions cancelled. Your closing costs even for a reverse mortgage may be deducted. However, many other fees are not. Save on filing fees at https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free. If you owe, file by April 15 and pay what you can. Tell the IRS that you need a couple of months by filing online: https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application. Longer payment plan requires charges.

Use Trump’s tax shelter: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300

Is Long-term Care coverage right for you?

GE Genworth is raising the price of long-term care coverage. Sales were continuing to slow so GE is halting individual sales through brokers and going with Telesales only.  Few insurers remain in the market for traditional LTC insurance: GE Genworth, Massachusetts Mutual, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life and Northwestern Mutual.

The largest long-term-care insurers have stopped writing new business entirely, including Continental Casualty, John Hancock, MetLife and Unum Group. Some carriers sell hybrid policies—life insurance and LTC coverage together. These appeal to more buyers since their heirs receive a death benefit if the LTC coverage is not needed. More buyers have found some coverage through their employers’ group plans. LTC policies have many working parts so it is difficult to compare price and benefits.

Know all alternatives: https://www.amazon.com/Long-term-Care-Insurance-better-alternatives/dp/147006877X

  

**************

Make America, “The Don”, Great Again

Senile Psychosis or Parkinson’s delusions? quetiapine and clozapine

Truth isn’t truth, his lawyer says

“The campaign -- for him -- was always a marketing opportunity.”

Two Americas: A Banana Republic? Do we really want an infant king? Daddy Putin!

***********************

How Govt wastes our money: Congress spends $1.3 Trillion we don’t have! 

Trump told to give all 47,083 children back to parents

Taxpayers give $4.5 welfare to create profit for Hudson developers: Socialism?

Trump Wall costs $25 million per mile!: $18 billion total, TX lose their land!

No WALL: Smart Port of NY seized largest drug shipment in Newark NOT TX!

Trump’s America: Tax money for war—less for human needs, no infrastructure.

GOP sells its soul to the devil: Reps turn back on American people!

SCAMS/SPINS:

DEMs could fix infrastructure (schools, bridges, roads) with GOP: spend wisely.

Trump prison guards defy Congress on abusing kids they hold in camps on border.

Trump Mob illegally stopped school equality program to end unequal special ed.

High tax states have inflows not outflows--people flock together: Avoid taxes legally

irs.gov/newsroom/irs-wraps-up-Dirty-Dozen-list-of-Tax-Scams-for-2018-vigilant

Jeb Bush caught accepting foreign money too. Does anyone follow the rules anymore?

Wealthy have always bought their way into ‘better’ colleges: Trump, Bush, etc, etc

79 brokerage firms caught overcharging us for mutual funds: no fines, no jail

BEWARE: When money managers pay us to buy their products—Look out later.

Avoid-Scams-of-Brokers-Advisors-Sender/dp/1726328023

Hedge funds lose faith in quant strategies: Losses kill the trends

AZ boosts ‘junk’ health insurance: low price=low coverage for 3 years then what?

"Money Doctor" Dallas caught stealing $20 M from seniors: risk-free return ponzi. Nojail

Richard Cody, FL caught lying to clients about loss of nest eggs. Jail 2 years.

John G Schmidt, OH, caught stealing $1.3 M from elderly. Defrocked.

Fiat Chrysler recalls nearly 865,000 for pollution: owners paid for lower resale.

‘Lumber’ Liquidator’ caught lying formaldehyde-laced laminate floors: fine, no jail time.

OppLoan funds cost 99%: $4,000 loan 36 months costs $12,600. Find alternatives

Timary Delorme, Wedbush, caught ‘pump & dump’ penny stock fraud: defrocked, no jail

Embezzlement insurance: your broker has to be in handcuffs to get paid. Most pay fine.

Many colleges caught overcharging their own employees $ millions—no jail time.

Trump declares himself winner of golf tournament he never even played in! Sick Sick Sick

Trump thinks “Airplanes are … too complex to fly”: Make America FEAR Again?

Software-driven cars may kill more people than Boeing. Programmers not omniscient.

Boeing caught hiding software problems from pilots: Killed 346—“no need to know.”

GA bill to control men’s sex acts matches pro-life control of women’s

OH judges OK cuts in planned parenthood funds to control women’s sex acts.

President of all Americans wants to put Bible study into public schools—‘turn back’ time

Don: Hunchback of Notre Dame helps explain why immigrants are necessary to society.

Ivanka makes excuses for Daddy; husband trying to act with authority plays King fool.

“Individual 1” could be a Russian “asset”: Why FBI opened a file on The Mob Boss.

The Mob Boss can never go to jail: Trump has Kava as Supreme so no indictment.

‘No man is above the law’ … well up till now. Dictators nullify courts first, then votes.

Supremes protect Don’s ‘Orders’? – GOP: ‘Sure, pres can change Constitution anytime.’

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Jobs:

More employers offer college savings plans: matching & payroll deduction.

Help neighbors, earn money: https://askumbrella.com/

Jobs never returned since Trump gave corporations our tax money

Who owns your account now?

News, straight from Associated Press wire service: https://apnews.com/

Don’t need credit card in Philly—law requires all stores take cash

Your ’15, ’16, ’17 tax refund awaits: $1.8B-- irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Miracle:

Cure from sickle cell anemia: stem cells were genetically modified to correct a DNA flaw

Indian Tribe donates all the funeral charges for 23 tornado victims of Lee Co, AL.

Parents of unvaccinated child make him suffer for months from tetanus: he recovers!

We care about inequality: 1/3 of $ Billions on GoFundMe are for medical necessities

Yet one group wastes $61 Billions tax money on stuff we don’t really need.

IAN

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