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These are truly the times that try investors’ souls …
With the S&P up 22% in the past 12 months, millions of investors are throwing caution to the wind; diving headlong into the market. 
But judging by the posts readers are leaving on my blog, cautious, [...]

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I’ve been pounding the table for dividend stocks. But now I want to know what YOU have been doing:
In the face of these major retirement threats,
have you been buying income-producing stocks?
And if not, WHY NOT?
Just click here to leave a [...]

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In another case of the “great for today, horrible for tomorrow” planning coming out of Washington, I just wanted to point out that the tax deal — which has finally passed — includes a provision to LOWER the amount that workers will pay into Social Security next year by two percentage points.
It’s the height of [...]

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If you want further proof that dividend actions are looking good this year, consider just a few recent headlines:
Whole Foods said it would resume paying a dividend …
Tyco International is planning on boosting its payment by 20% …
And GE announced its second dividend hike this year!
With corporate coffers holding the most cash in half a [...]

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Late last night, we got word that Ireland has finally admitted it has a problem and asked for help. And the European Union was right there, ready for an intervention. (Whether they can continue to be there for another couple “dropping shoes” is open for debate, however.)
One of the conditions of this new bailout is [...]

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As I suggested in last week’s column, lawmakers have decided to make it a second straight year of flat Social Security payments. For the full story, click here.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now: If you’re counting on the government to completely take care of you in retirement, please rethink that strategy!

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If you’re a Dad’s Income Portfolio or Dividend Superstars subscriber, you should be very happy today. After all, one of the stocks I recently recommended to you is now up nearly 12% on the day! While I don’t want to name the company here on a public page, I’m tracking an open gain of about [...]

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Fortune’s Allan Sloan and I continue to think very similarly when it comes to Social Security’s current state. His latest piece is worth reading, especially for nuggets like this:
“[A quote from the 2009 Social Security trustees' report] says that, ‘Neither the redemption of trust fund bonds, nor interest paid on those bonds, provides any new [...]

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Now, Congress has made even death and taxes uncertain!
As this article from the Wall Street Journal points out, estate tax laws are in limbo and so are plenty of wealthy families. And some folks are taking “financial planning” to new extremes.
For example:
“In 2009, more than a few dying people struggled to live into 2010 in hopes of preserving assets for their heirs. Clara [...]

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