HOW TO BEST INSURE YOURSELF WHEN RENTING A CAR
By Bob Plunkett One of the last great mysteries of the modern world is how to best ensure yourself when renting a car. There are lots of options, but it takes time to determine the right balance of coverage and cost. Car rental companies desperately want you to buy their collision damage waiver (CDW), and […]
Prepare to pay more taxes in 2019
Prepare to pay more taxes in 2019 By Bob Plunkett The income tax landscape has changed in the US thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which was passed last year (2017). And the new law is going to impact nearly every income tax payer when they file their 1040 in the spring […]
Best Bets if a Correction Comes
Best Bets if a Correction Comes By Bob Plunkett Last April, Forbes magazine warned its readers to start looking for ways to protect their portfolio from a potential 27% or more drop in stocks. That hasn’t happened, but the warnings continue to pile up. Historically, worried investors have looked to bonds. But with interest rates still at […]
Can Bad News Be Good News for Investors?
Can Bad News Be Good News for Investors? By Bob Plunkett “Cytec industries,” whispers the cashier on Counter Three. I lean forward, “You hear something?” “Who needs to hear anything? Let’s just say I’ve got a feeling about the waste management sector.” “Thanks,” I say and scribble down the name on the back of my […]
Safe and cheaper travel for you and your phone
By Bob Plunkett When I travel, I don’t want to be the target of a pickpocket. So I carefully guard my money, credit cards and now – my phone. For years, I kept my phone on airplane mode and limited my connections to the WiFi at my hotel. That way I was sure my phone […]
Got a 2nd home? You probably need two separate insurance policies.
By Bob Plunkett and Richard Sherwin of Digital Family Advisor and Wachs Media. One homeowner’s insurance policy is usually not enough if you have two properties. However, insuring your second home can be tricky if you don’t understand exactly what is needed. Chances are, there is no one living in your second home year-round. This means that […]
Problems with Retirement Planning
Problems with Retirement Planning By Bob Plunkett The biggest problem with retirement planning is that most retirees underestimate how long they are going to live. They save money, but many times They do not save enough to carry them through what is now a much longer life for many people. But there is a way […]
That’s a lot of debt, and it doesn’t just disappear.
That’s a lot of debt, and it doesn’t just disappear. By Bob Plunkett You’re probably going to die with some debt to your name. Most people do. About 73% according to the Credit bureau Experian. People wind up with an average total balance of $61,000, including mortgage debt. Without home loans, the average balance was […]
Price Wars Drop Mutual Funds Fees to an Historic Low
Price Wars Drop Mutual Funds Fees to an Historic Low By Bob Plunkett Even if you dabble with investing it would be hard to miss the excitement over a price war that is making passive mutual funds very cheap to buy and own. Big fund companies like Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, TD Ameritrade and […]
Index Funds are The Hot Investment, but Why?
Index Funds are The Hot Investment, But Why? By Robert Plunkett If you invest cautiously and you don’t employ an adviser, there is no good reason not to invest in index funds. These are mutual funds that buy the exact stocks that are included in a stock market index – such as the S&P 500. The […]