Insights

Second Quarter 2013|Jim Williams| The markets were reacting to recent comments by Fed Chairman Bernanke, signaling that the Fed’s easing policy will be tapered off or pared back only if economic and financial conditions improve. This last signal was somewhat of a retraction of the previous Fed statement saying the central bank plans to slow the pace of asset purchases. The easing policy has held interest rates down at historically low levels. In the context of a national debt exceeding $17 trillion, we have to wonder if the debt level is a problem. Let’s consider.

First Quarter 2013|Jim Williams| There is now a proposal to limit retirement accounts to about $3.4 million. My first reaction to this bit of news was quite negative. But then I started thinking about it and I realized that this is just a way of helping us do better financial planning. Yes, really. Read on.

Fourth Quarter 2012|Jim Williams| Earlier this month, a gridlocked Washington managed to pass a tax bill. After twelve years of uncertainty about tax rates at the end of the "Bush tax cuts" which were always temporary, tax rates are "permanent."

Third Quarter 2012|Jim Williams| Until recently, the only way to secure guaranteed income has been as an add-on to a variable annuity. But now there is an alternative.

Second Quarter 2012|Jim Williams| Last quarter I wrote about the Behavior Gap, primarily as it relates to investing, and suggested some simple ways to close the gap. This quarter the focus is on some factors that support behavior change.

First Quarter 2012|Jim Williams| It has been well documented that the overall performance of mutual funds is almost always quite a bit better than performance received by individual mutual fund investors. How can this be?