Category: News and Politics
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Security for rural homes and businesses
Recent national news brought a wave of follow-up stories about gun control, mental health and the risk of violence toward society. I add the unusual personal perspective of having been the victim of death threats and attempted manslaughter. The risk may well be past but it still lingers in my mind. New Yorker Magazine published a…
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We all love a good investment story
The hunger for investment stories will never cease nor be replaced by automation. Yet there remains no conclusive evidence of the value of active investment management. My comment is inspired by the great article at http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-blackrocks-impact-investing-team-2016-6 [contact-form-7 id=”3893″ title=”Boilerplate Contact”]
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Tax planning for same sex couples
In 2013 the Supreme Court ruled on a case that effectively put same-sex couples on equal tax and financial footing with other couples. I summarized the financial planning impact in this June 27 2013 blog post. Five significant financial planning effects of the legal change were: 1) transfer of property to a spouse during one’s…
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Trends in U.S. economic migration
I’ve absorbed a flurry of input this week from news articles, NJTV, a symposium presentation and social media discussion all on the topic of economic migration trends within the U.S. The NJCPA has taken up this issue as it relates the the “wealth drain” in New Jersey. The pattern that is emerging is that the majority…
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Investing in an economic collapse
Billionaire investor George Soros is in the news again for returning to investing word after a long hiatus. He is known for his skill in spotting risk and betting against overpriced markets. His moves are generally seen as predicting a Hillary win, a negative performance of U.S. stocks, and are and significantly gloomier worldwide economic…
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Why should you pay more tax than Donald Trump?
“Politics aside, the real question here is why do you pay more tax than Donald Trump and what do you plan to do about it?” Donald Trump further agitated critics recently by refusing to reveal his income tax details, instead hinting only that he pays as little as possible. ABC News drew attention to the issue.…
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But I’m not a moron
One of the first startling trends of this presidential election was that voters with lower level of income, education and those with a tendency toward bigoted attitudes are more likely to be Trump supporters. It was first reported in 2015 and confirmed by other polls since then. I’ve blogged about the NBC/Wall Street Journal exit…
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Sad goodbye to neighbor in the NJ Blue Acres program
The individual stories of my neighbors involved in the Blue Acres buyout program are heartbreaking. I’m not blaming the state for the program. These are voluntary purchases; no one is forced to sell. But facing building code fines and violations after Sandy, many see this as their best option. Yet I don’t see how the state’s…
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Greenspan’s latest economic warning
Yesterday Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan made some sharp comments in an interview on Fox News. I got the feeling this interview was meant as a sort of ‘final words of advice’ from perhaps the most influential economic leader of our era. Two points from the interview jump out at me. First, he says…
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Trump Accounting: cooking the books at the expense of the rest of us
Details are slowly emerging about Trump’s methods of accounting that place vastly different values on assets depending on the purpose of the report. One example cited by the Washington Post is the Trump National Golf Club in In Ossining, New York: The municipal tax assessor values the golf club at roughly $15 million. Trump’s attorneys…