Posts by Robert Pagliarini

GOOD NEWS ON MAIN STREET Unemployment declined to a 5-year low of 7.0% in November, according to the Labor Department; underemployment also reached its lowest level in five years. The economy added 203,000 new jobs last month, far better than the 180,000 forecast by economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters. October also brought a 0.3% rise…

Here are six things you need to know about Social Security in 2014. For clarity’s sake, here is a rundown of what is changing next year, and what isn’t. Social Security recipients are getting a raise – but not much of one. Next year, the average monthly Social Security payment will increase by $19 due…

Investing Advice – KISS means “keep it simple, stupid.” Two of the most renowned investors who have ever lived – Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch – have followed this principle in building their fortunes. As Lynch famously put it, “Know what you own, and know why you own it.” Those who study the so-called “Oracle…

Robert Pagliarini was asked to provide lottery winner advice and was interviewed on BBC Radio today regarding the sudden wealth effect of winning the lottery. The lottery was making big news after Margaret Loughrey won 27 million pounds in this week’s Euromillions Lottery. You can read about her lottery win on the BBC News website. Margaret…

CONFIDENCE INDEX FALLS, SENTIMENT INDEX RISES Two respected barometers of consumer mood went different ways in November. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index came in at a disappointing 70.4, down from a revised 72.4 mark for October and well below the 74.0 reading forecast by Briefing.com. November’s final consumer sentiment index from the University of…

Some people start saving for retirement at 20, 25, or 30. Others start later, and while their accumulated assets will have fewer years of compounding to benefit from, that shouldn’t discourage them to the point of doing nothing. If you need to play catch-up, here are some retirement planning and savings principles to keep in…

At the end of every year, certain federal temporary tax breaks face a sunset. Some are renewed, some expire. As 2014 will soon start, here is a list of some of notable tax provisions that may go away next year – offering some opportunities that you may want to take advantage of this year. Qualified…

YELLEN EMPHASIZES FURTHER EASING While conceding that the Federal Reserve’s current stimulus effort “will not continue indefinitely,” Federal Reserve chair nominee Janet Yellen sounded decidedly dovish at her confirmation hearing in the Senate last week. “Supporting the recovery today is the surest path to returning to a more normal approach to monetary policy,” she noted,…

There is seldom a dull moment on Wall Street. Stocks may rise or fall dramatically over the course of a year or a decade. Sometimes, breaking news may tempt you to pull money out of a 401(a) plan or 457 plan, or greatly reduce your contributions to either. If you’re considering such moves, think twice.…