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MONEY matters

Mark Zaifman's thoughts on money, global economic trends and politics
Vanguard’s John Bogle Thinks Indexing Has Gone ‘Too Far’
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Dec 13, 2013 @ 05:39 PM

John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, recently conducted an extensive interview with a financial insider publication called Money Management Executive. In this no holds barred interview, Bogle shares his opinions and wisdom on index funds, ETF’s and alternative investments and how they are being used and marketed to the public.

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3 Investing Mistakes to Avoid in 2014
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Nov 29, 2013 @ 08:24 AM
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5 Questions You Should Ask Your Financial Advisor
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Nov 14, 2013 @ 09:01 AM

The following definition of ‘fiduciary’ is taken from the Center for Fiduciary Studies, fi360 website:

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The Seven Habits of Frugal Millionaires
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Oct 31, 2013 @ 10:27 AM

Like most financial advisors that have been in practice for over ten years, I have my fair share of clients that are millionaires. So with that said, what makes our millionaire clients different than your “average run of the mill” millionaire client? The answer; the majority are frugal and proud of it.

If you’ve read the best-seller, The Millionaire Next Door, you know many of the people portrayed in the book are, relatively speaking, pretty frugal. Keeping that thought in mind, and based on years of observation, below are the seven most common frugal habits of Spiritus millionaires.

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5 Reasons Why Playing Catch-Up Risks Your Retirement Security
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Oct 17, 2013 @ 11:46 AM

In the hyper consumer society we live in today, buy now, pay later has become the norm. Saving enough money for a secure retirement all too often takes a back seat to the immediate gratification of purchasing the shiny object in the window. Practicing the concept of delayed gratification - fuhgeddaboudit.

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Outsourcing Your Money Worries During Retirement
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Oct 04, 2013 @ 03:39 PM

If you’re like most people near or currently in retirement, you’ve spent most of your adult life managing your personal finances to the best of your ability. You’ve witnessed your share of stock market crashes, often referred to euphemistically as “market corrections”, you’ve saved and hopefully invested well, and you’ve done what’s needed to have a nest egg large enough to never have to worry about running out of money during retirement.

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Keeping the Faith on the Road to Financial Independence
Mark Zaifman   |    Sun, Sep 22, 2013 @ 09:49 AM

If you’re a fan of the New York Times bestselling book Your Money or Your Life - Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, it’s likely that 'achieving financial independence' (FI) part of the title that initially sparked your interest in deciding to read this seminal book on money.

But whatever the reason, as you find yourself dreaming and visualizing about financial independence you may also feel burdened and thrown off track by obstacles that are in the way of becoming FI. As you sit in yet another two hour commute to get to a job that drives you crazy, as you go through the third re-org in two years or get your fourth new direct report in two years or feel those crappy Sunday night blahs as you think about going to work Monday morning - as crazy as it sounds, these are all blessings in disguise.

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Divine Intervention - Facing Your Retirement Truth
Mark Zaifman   |    Thu, Sep 12, 2013 @ 11:45 AM

If you’re among the millions of boomers beginning to plan for retirement, you’re most likely feeling a range of emotions that may range from euphoria to downright fear. Nonetheless, as you begin to prepare for this next phase of your life, step one is assessing where you stand financially right at this moment.

Yet on the road to assessing your financial readiness for retirement, unexpected events could occur that rock your world and change your life in ways probably unimaginable to most people.  The story below actually happened. Names have been changed but events that occurred are unfortunately real.

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3 Reasons Why Retirement Income Planning Needs a Holistic Approach
Mark Zaifman   |    Mon, Aug 26, 2013 @ 12:33 PM

This description is taken from Wikipedia:

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Be a Frugal Consumer in the Dizzying World of On-Line Shopping
Mark Zaifman   |    Fri, Jul 26, 2013 @ 09:41 AM
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