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Investing | Trust preferred securities ... high yields ... with a bunch of potential drawbacks |
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Investing | More about trust preferred securities and the associated risks / Royalty trusts ... what they are... |
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Investing | Royalty Trusts ... what you ought to know about them before you take the plunge |
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Credit Reports, ID Theft & Junk Mail | How to protect yourself ... |
| Part 2 : |
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Credit Reports, ID Theft & Junk Mail | Tips about Web surfing, ATM use, "free" credit reports that aren't, and opting out of junk mail. |
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Credit Reports, ID Theft & Junk Mail | Opt out of junk mail and "freeze" your credit profile instead of wasting money on credit monitoring services. |
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Life Insurance & Annuities | Universal life ... a complex solution to a simple problem |
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Life Insurance & Annuities | Universal life ... beware the policy "illustration" |
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Life Insurance & Annuities | Universal life ... that flexibility may work against you and your insurance agent does NOT represent you! / A bit about a major investment risk that gets no press: Sequence of Return Risk |
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Social Security | Civil servants may have reduced SS benefits (& a cautionary word about advisor credentials) |
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Advisor Credentials / Ethics | Stockbrokers are licensed to SELL securities, not render investment ADVICE. They're often referred to as "producers" because they're judged by how much they sell. Stockbrokers' and insurance agents' licenses are obtainable after a short period of study and are in no comparable to professional credentials. Also beware that brokers and agents represent their employers, not you! |
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Life Insurance & Annuities | Problems with "whole life" insurance. |
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Bonds | Even "safe" bonds may be loaded with risks. Credit risk may be obvious, but beware of reinvestment rate risk and interest rate risk. |
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Bonds | Understand how changes in interest rates affect bond prices. Persistent federal budget deficits may point to rising interest rates. |
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Economics & Investing | Rising deficits, the falling Dollar & some of the implications to investors. |
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Estate Planning | Joint tenancy ... some pitfalls... |
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Investing | Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) versus traditional mutual funds |
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Investing | ETFs versus traditional mutual funds. Ever wonder why your broker-sold fund has an "A," "B," or "C" appended to the end of its name? It provides a clue as to how your broker gets paid! |