Paul Nichols's blog

This week the investor coach, Paul Nichols, pulls back the curtain on Social Security taxation. When it comes to retirement planning, investments, and estate planning, it's very important you understand how taxes can have an impact on your bottom-line.

Financial Abundance, Inc., is a Registered Investment Advisor based in Central Pennsylvania with offices in State College and Lewisburg in Centre County.

Visit Financial Abundance's website and send Paul a note about the show or a question that you would like to have answered under the "Ask the Coach" link.

http://www.FinancialAbundanceInc.com
866-867-5745
2134 Sandy Drive Suite 1
State College, PA 16803

The truth is, very few money managers, if any, can consistently beat the market.

Larry Swedroe, director of research at Buckingham Asset Management in St. Louis and author explains in the video below how…"Past performance has NO predictive value whatsoever," Swedroe argues, jabbing at the SEC disclaimer that ''past performance is no indication of future results."

Hidden Fees! They are all over the place when it comes to investing.

At least once a month, an investor tells me that another advisor offered managed accounts where the one and only portfolio cost would be the advisor's fee. Often the fee quoted would be somewhere between 1.25% and 2.25%, plus or minus a little bit. That other advisor would say that there are no other costs and that everything else is free or all inclusive and that absolutely no other expenses would apply.

"Oh where, oh where has the money gone"? That's what investors trusting their portfolios to MF Global Holdings are singing right now. $1.2 billion in customer funds cannot be found, and no one seems to have any idea what happened to those investment accounts. You might have seen this in the news.

The president of the now bankrupt MF Global, former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, testified at a Congressional Committee Hearing on December 13. In his opening remarks, he said:

As we look at the 2011 year in review, remember that "this too shall pass". New Year's Resolutions are about to begin and as we look forward to 2012, make a New Year's resolution as it relates to your finances. Take the 30 day challenge, look at income needs vs wants and get a "real" budget in place.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran interviews with four financial advisors soliciting their outlooks for 2012. Specifically, the Journal asked these sages to forecast which sectors had the most promise and which ones investors should avoid next year.