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MONEY matters

Mark Zaifman's thoughts on money, global economic trends and politics

Mark Zaifman

Looking For a Good Financial Values Match in the Dating Game
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Jan 31, 2013 @ 12:52 PM

If you’re a single boomer and find yourself happily or begrudgingly back in the dating scene, it’s only a matter of time before the right person comes along and captures your heart as well as your imagination.

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Retirement Planning and The Big Assumptions That Can Lead to Conflict
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Jan 23, 2013 @ 10:54 AM

For the next 19 years, close to 10,000 boomers will turn 65 everyday and the majority will also be heading into retirement. 

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Identity Theft is Now a Family Affair
Mark Zaifman   |    Tue, Jan 15, 2013 @ 03:36 PM

 

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Attempting to Outsmart the Stock Market is Not an Investment Strategy
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Jan 09, 2013 @ 09:36 AM

Back in the day, I considered myself an ‘outsmarter’. It was the mid-80’s, I was young and carefree and believed, as did the vast majority of my friends and colleagues, that we had the winning formula for stock market success.

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Retirement Planning - Mastering the Art of Risk Management
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Jan 02, 2013 @ 09:42 AM
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The 7 Virtues of Simplified Investing
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Dec 19, 2012 @ 11:09 AM
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Are You Living Your Dream of Financial Freedom or Someone Else’s?
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Dec 13, 2012 @ 02:03 PM

Today I had a Skype call with one of my favorite clients. Stacie, a 1st generation American, is in her late 30’s, currently lives in Florida, and up until very recently, had a very successful and lucrative career as an engineer for a global consulting firm.  Stacie had the type of career that her family had dreamed of for her, and her parents were willing to immigrate to the U.S. to ensure that she could have. 

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The Five Financial Planning Mistakes to Avoid in 2013
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Dec 07, 2012 @ 09:55 AM

If you’re like the majority of people, come the New Year, you feel almost a primal urge to do something about your finances.

It may be something simple like checking to see how your investments performed last year or perhaps something more ambitious like developing a comprehensive financial plan.

What exactly you do is not the point, but definitely do something, anything, just get started. What you’re looking to do is get into the habit, at least once a year, of investing some time in not only how your relationship with money is going individually as well as with your partner, but also in assessing the previous year from a your money and your life holistic perspective. Call it the year in review.

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Developing a Retirement Plan Built on a Foundation of Truth
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Nov 30, 2012 @ 11:00 AM

Facing reality when it comes to planning for a successful retirement is easier said than done. For many people, just effectively managing their day to day finances is already a daunting challenge. Add to that list of to-do’s developing a realistic retirement plan and you risk becoming overwhelmed by it all.

What often happens instead is a form of denial and fantasy. We tell ourselves that somehow, someway, our investments will reap double digit returns from now until retirement day. That our incomes will double and cash windfalls are right around the corner. That the 20,000 shares of that penny bio-tech stock we purchased will be worth a million or more dollars in ten years and our home will be worth much, much more than we ever anticipated down the road.

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How to Improve a Nation's Overall Sense of Contentment
Mark Zaifman   |    Wed, Nov 21, 2012 @ 10:42 AM

Some of the world’s leading economist’s have discovered something that is especially relevant as we get ready for Thanksgiving.

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