The so-called fiscal cliff is just a couple of weeks away, and while the fiscal cliff is certainly real, the ultimate size of the drop-off is unknown. There are many complex financial happenings at the end of 2012. Some have to do with estate taxes, some with ordinary income, and some with investment income. We can’t speak to all of the strategies available to those with different financial issues; moreover, non-investment tax issues would require the advice of estate attorneys and accountants. That doesn't mean, however, that everyone needs to seek such professionals or make any changes. ...read the rest of this article»

The party that should win is the Party Pooper Party, the one that gives voters a reality check – not nearly as fun as hocus-pocus economics. The Party Pooper Party never wins elections, though, because voters want to believe in magic.  ...read the rest of this article»

In celebration of the 10th year of Powerfund Portfolios, we're introducing a new  “Stats” page for both the Conservative and the Aggressive Portfolios. Here’s a quick tour. ...read the rest of this article»

In early 2002, we launched the model portfolios as a way to apply our MAXfunds rating system to an actual portfolio. Our goal was to offer portfolios with varying levels of risk (at the time, we had five core portfolios and two special-purpose portfolios) for different types of investors, including those with only a few thousand dollars to invest.  Now that the Powerfund Portfolios are in their tenth year (we created them in March 2002), we think it's a good time to take a look back at our long-term performance.  ...read the rest of this article»

Baby Boomers are following the age-old advice to shift from stocks to bonds as they grow older, despite the fact that this general recommendation might not apply in a world in which bonds yield less than stocks. But two 50%+ haircuts in the stock market since 2000 (with a "flash crash" thrown in for good measure) certainly aren't inspiring confidence in the stock market. Fear of another global catastrophe is keeping some money in seemingly low-risk places, but that doesn’t explain the shift within stock funds. ...read the rest of this article»

We’ve noted the hard times facing lower-risk tolerance investors – times that just got a little bit harder now that the 10-year Treasury bond yield has sunk back below 1.50%. Today, any funds with low interest rate risk (the risk of losing money if rates go up) and low default risk (the risk of borrowers not paying you back) is yielding less than 2%, often much less. Between retiring baby boomers and disappointment in a market that seems to slide 50% every few years, there are more lower-risk investors now than ever. But what about the poor multi-trillion dollar mutual fund industrial complex? ...read the rest of this article»

There 's good deal of concern in the markets that Europe's slow collapse will turn into something a little more 2008-ish. Remember 2008? The year Lehman, along with most of the financial services industrial complex, imploded? At least until governments near and far propped up the poor pinstriped saps and halted the panic. Free markets until markets free fall. The worry this time around centers on the governments themselves – governments that have increased spending to support weakening  economies while simultaneously moving the debts of a global real estate bubble to their own tattered balance sheet The buck has to stop somewhere.  ...read the rest of this article»

The popular term from about a half-decade ago was "decouple" — a scenario in which the global economy and stock market would lose the weight of the United States and no longer be dependent on U.S. demand to spur growth. This would lead to wild riches for those smart enough to focus abroad. This strategy, of course, is reminiscent of another popular investment concept, the “New Economy” versus the “Old Economy," because in 1999, tech stocks were leaving value stocks in the dust, and the smart move was to own a bunch of tech and growth funds. ...read the rest of this article»

It’s tax time, everyone’s least favorite time of year. Even those receiving refunds are pretty grumpy about the whole endeavor. But since the average tax rate Americans pay  will be one of the lowest in the last fifty-plus years, we should be celebrating. ...read the rest of this article»

Wall Street has a way of swinging from irrational fear to exuberance based on marginal changes in the underlying economy. With the news of the Dow back to its pre-Lehman high (but still off its all-time highs) and the Nasdaq back above 3,000 (but well below 5,000), you wonder if the only money to be made will be from trading on the exuberance and fear swings. ...read the rest of this article»