RETIREMENT
Retail giant Bed Bath & Beyond just announced plans to buy back another $2 billion in shares, which the company will start doing after it completes its current share repurchase program. You’ve seen it before: Press releases emphasize that buybacks return value to shareholders, analysts sometimes rely on repurchases to spot a stock to write up next, and management likes to tout their focus on shareholder returns. But what’s the real story?
BY ANDREY DASHKOV | July 22, 2014 at 8:38 a.m.
Kill Peter Pan: How to Make “Home” Unwelcoming In a World Where 26 Equals 18
My youngest son, who is now in his 50s, asked me what it felt like when all the children left the nest. I thought for a moment and said:
Rock Concerts, and How to Find On-Sale Stocks to Fuel a Rock-Star Retirement
Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes at a rock concert? My good friend Stew is a top audio engineer—you know, the guy who wears thousand-dollar headphones and stands below the stage manning dials at rock concerts the world over. I shadowed him backstage a handful of ...
5 Simple Rules to Evolve Past the Hot-Stock List
If you’re a typical small-time investor, chances are you prefer to let a team of analysts fuss about such irksome things as correlation and beta. Maybe you’ve bought a stock because your brother-in-law gave you a hot tip, maybe you heard something about it on a financial news show, or ...
5 Women Who Made Me Rich and What They Can Teach You
My grandmother refused to share the heart-wrenching details until I was in the Marine Corps. I’d heard bits and pieces about my ne’er-do-well father but didn’t fully grasp the devastation he’d left behind until Grandmother spilled the story with tears in her eyes:
A Guy Leans on a Lamppost… and You Make a Buck
To paraphrase Scottish novelist Andrew Lang, some people use statistics like a drunk uses lampposts—for support rather than illumination. Numbers can be twisted and abused to support false claims, and even correct data is sometimes misinterpreted.
How to Die in Dignity Without Leaving Your Spouse to Starve
We’d all been waiting for the big day, but the chapel the ceremony took place in was very small—just a room with Christian symbols and a few chairs. My wife Jo's father was waiting for us in his hospital bed, grinning from ear to ear. Despite the feeding tube, he ...
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The “Nuclear Solution” to Underfunded Public Pensions
With few exceptions, state and local pension funds are woefully underfunded. Five heavily populated states—California, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, and Texas—collectively lack $431.5 billion; money that won’t be paid out to hopeful pensioners.
Is It Time to Hide Your Money Under the Mattress?
“I don’t know what to do,” said my good friend Rob after inviting my wife Jo and me to dinner for the third time in two weeks. “I know I should do something. Every time I think about it, it scares the hell out of me! Maybe I should just ...
Buyer Beware When Using Online Software to Draft Estate Planning Documents
Several websites now allow consumers to create their own estate planning documents. But is that a good idea?
How to Find Junk Bonds That Don’t Stink
When it comes to buying bonds, credit ratings aren't the only thing to consider—because what the bond rating agencies tell you is not the whole picture...
Retirement Guard Duty 101
Constant vigilance is imperative for seniors, savers and income investors. It allows for flexibility in response to market conditions when a coming storm threatens the security of investments. It’s possible to maneuver into a safer position when you know what’s ahead. Learn more about how to gain agility by recognizing ...
WOMEN AND SOCIAL SECURITY
The Social Security program treats all workers — men and women — exactly the same in terms of the benefits they can receive. But women may want to familiarize themselves with what the program means to them in their particular circumstances.
Do Not Let The Next Downturn Leave You Penniless
Having a good, balanced portfolio means having an investing strategy that brings healthy returns while protecting your nest egg from risk. The best possible way to protect any portfolio is by diversifying. It seems like a mantra to many, but many have never explored how diversification can protect them based ...
