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For retirees who are in the enviable position of not needing distributions from their IRAs or 401ks, the fact that they must start taking them is generally unwelcome. Instead of the money continuing to grow on a tax-deferred basis, some of it will be subject to taxation upon distribution.  A recent New York Times article discusses the topic in more detail, with some input from Kevin O’Reilly.

Have you ever wondered who owns the skyscrapers in America’s major cities? It’s not just Donald Trump. In fact, unless The Donald puts his name on it, chances are a REIT owns it.  A REIT (rhymes with “tweet”) is simply a corporation that owns real estate. The acronym stands for Real Estate Investment Trust.

Many Americans have no retirement savings

Full disclosure: I’m not a stranger to the McDonald’s drive-thru.  That’s not a statement of pride…just fact.  Typically, my visit involves buying a large Diet Coke.  And no, this post is not brought to you by purveyors of unhealthy substances, or the Camelback Fund. (link)  I’m a fan of the Southwest Chicken Salad, too.

Sometimes, we in the financial services industry get so immersed in what we do that we kind of forget that the rest of the world may not understand about the terminology we use.  In other words, we tend to throw around lingo without checking to ensure that we are being understood.

In an earlier post I introduced a new series that will lay out some of the key risks that accompany investing in various types of securities.  This first entry will address the general market risk faced by stock investors.

This week Kevin was quoted in an article examining whether or not to take a bit more risk to generate more yield for your emergency fund.  Generally, I’m not a fan of taking on additional risk for funds that are truly designated to protect against emergencies.  However, maximizing the yield you receive with those funds makes sense to me.

One of the areas that I think is difficult for investors to truly get their arms around is risk. Specifically, the level of risk individuals are taking when they invest. One of the reasons for the fuzziness is that there are a number of ways to view risk. Warren Buffett views it as the likelihood of permanently losing his capital, or initial investment.

At the urging of digital marketing guru Stephanie Sammons, I’ve just accepted a challenge to publish a Sweet 16 of blog posts in celebration of March Madness.

Opportunity to Join America Saves Week and Promote the Importance of Saving