News

Deficits, Debts, Downgrades, and Downturns—What’s Next?  Here are the comments we sent our clients today, August 8, 2011

Contemplating a major portfolio move at this time? Here are some thoughts to help you through the process.

1. Take Steps to Financially Survive an Earthquake.  Here is a quick primer about earthquake insurance 101, plus some tips to help you reconstruct your financial life if disaster strikes.
2. Lessons from Current Events.  We take a look at major man-made and natural disasters over the past decade and what they can teach us as investors.  Also, we give our take on whether or not we are near a market top.
3. Make your Summer—And Your Life—Count.  Here’s a useful thinking tool we created to help you set goals and benchmarks over the time span of your remaining lifetime.  Good summer reading and thinking!
4. Team Update.  Always a favorite and one of the first things most of our clients read. 

1. Dealing with Dementia—Lessons from Three Clients.  For many of us, it’s not a question of if we get Alzheimer’s or dementia, but when.  So how can you protect yourself, family, and wealth if it starts affecting you?  Here are three real-life examples.
2. Investing in Gold, Oil, and Other Commodities.  How do you invest in commodities?  How do you make (or lose) money with them?  And what is the “Contango Trap?”  Here is what you need to know.
3. Financial Perspectives—20 years and 100 Issues Later.  Wow—this marks the start of our 20^th year of writing this newsletter.  See what the very first issue looked like.
4. Don’t Miss This One-Time Planning Opportunity.  Those over age 70 ½ have a one-time tax-saving opportunity to roll their RMD distribution directly to charity.  Here are the details.
5. Team Update.  Over the past 20 years, this has always been the first thing everyone reads.  

1. Seven for ’11.  Here are seven things to help you put your financial house (and maybe your life?” in order for 2011.  For best results, start thinking about them now.
2. A Different Perspective on Unemployment.  Many old jobs are not coming back—ever.  But entirely new ones are being created.  We think that much of the stubborn unemployment numbers aren’t so much about the economy, taxes, foreign competition, etc., as they are about technology.  Take one look at our table and you’ll see why.
3. Meet Larry Hanslits.  We’re really excited about Larry’s move to Salem and his January 1, 2011 practice merger with ours.  Here’s a more detailed look about his background and interests.
4. Year-End Tax Planning in an Uncertain Year.  It’s hard to plan when you don’t know what the rules will be for 2011.  But plan anyway!
5. Team Update.  Most people read this column on Page 4 first.  Here’s what we’ve been up to since our October newsletter.

We’re growing!  Larry Hanslits, a longtime colleague from Portland is moving to Salem and merging his practice with ours.  Here is the letter we sent to our many friends and colleagues in the professional community.

1. The Future of Social Security and Possible Fixes.This is a condensed—but updated—version of the three-part series Ron wrote for the Medical Society.  It also was the basis for a seminar he conducted for the Willamette Valley Estate Planning Council.  You can see the full report pasted in our News section for September.
2. It’s Time for Some Economic Perspective.  Are we headed for a double dip recession?  This is also a condensed—but updated—version of a posting we did in September. The posting on the website includes several informative graphs.
3. Following the Herd?  Our job is to keep our clients from blindly following the herd.  As the chart in this article shows, it’s not easy.
4. Team Update.  We’ve been busy.  Here’s a glimpse of our professional and fun activities over the summer.

This is a series of three well-received articles Ron wrote for the Marion-Polk Medical Society.  It gives you an overview of benefits, suggests strategies to maximize benefits, and discusses the future of Social Security. 

The economy has been on everybody’s mind lately, so we thought you might appreciate the white paper we sent to our clients on September 2. 

Here is a special mailing we sent to our clients in response to developments in Europe and their effects on the financial markets.  We hope it gives you a concise perspective of the big picture.

Here is a special email to our clients on May 6.  Initially it was about the situation in Greece and a Goldman Sachs mutual fund in our portfolios.  But at the last minute we were able to insert just a brief update about the dramatic day on Wall Street.  And since then, the European Union, the IMF, and others have stepped in to prevent a Greek default.

1. Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs During Retirement—A True Wild Card.  We wrote about this five years ago, but here is a sobering update based upon the latest research.
2. New 529 College Savings Plan Options for Oregonians.  Oregon replaced Oppenheimer Funds with a new line up of TIAA-CREF and MFS choices.  Here is an overview of 529 plans and our take on the various options.
3. Are You Affected by the New 3.8% Surtax on Investment Income?  The recently-passed health care law affects many people in many different ways.  This little provision has some surprises, but also some planning opportunities if you act now.
4. Team Update. We’re all moved into our beautiful new office and loving it.  Here’s a look at what else has been going on.

This is a year of exciting changes.  We’re moving to a beautiful new office, and we’ve updated our marketing materials.  So, with this 19^th year of the Kelemen-Way Perspective, we thought it was also time to update our format.

•  Is the (Recent) Past Prologue?  The 2000’s have been described as “The Lost Decade.”  But is that helpful?  We crunched the numbers using rolling averages to create hundreds of 12-month “years” and 10-year “decades.”  The results will surprise you.
• Tax-Deferred Annuities—Too Good to Be True?  Annuities being aggressively touted these days, but there is far more to them than meets the eye.  Before you take the leap, read this article.  It could save you thousands of dollars.
• Remember When?  If you’re worried, depressed, or just angry, you need to read this to get a grip on things.  We’ve come a long way from just 18 months ago! 
• Thinking Twice About Converting to a Roth IRA.  We’ve written extensively about the ins and outs of Roth Conversions.  To counterbalance all the hype, here’s a chart  that lays out circumstances when a Roth conversion may not be in your best interest.
• Team Update  Get a glimpse of our new office and what we’ve been doing the past three months.  We’ll be open for business in our new quarters March 1.

1. Where We've Been, 10 Lessons Learned.  The only bad experiences are those from which we learn nothing.  So to make the past 15 months of economic craziness a better experience, here are 10 important lessons to remember as we go forward.
2. Changing Portfolios for a Changing World.  The United States is still an economic powerhouse and a good place to invest.  But other countries are catching up.  Here, along with some graphics, are some reasons to consider increasing your allocation to the international asset class.
3. Should You Buy TIPS Now?  Treasury Inflation Protection Securities are in the news these days as talk of inflation becomes common.  How do they work?  Is this the right time to buy them? 
4. We're Moving!  Check out the architect's rendition of our new office building. Move in date is late January.  And check out the recent comings and goings of our team.
5. Our Summer (Working) Vacation.  Here is a brief listing of all the value-added projects we provided to clients over the past few months.  As you can see, we do far more than just manage portfolios on a fee-only basis.

1. Moving Forward with Realistic Expectations.  Returns in the markets have been exceptional year-to-date, but we still have a long way to go to get back to where we were.  But should that be your goal, and if so, how do you do it?
2. Start Thinking about 2010 Roth IRA Conversion.  In 2010 anybody at any income level can convert to a Roth IRA and take two years to pay the income taxes.  Here are the pros and cons to consider.
3. The Many Dimensions of Risk.   Risk has many layers and dimensions.  Here is an interesting way to look at them and put your own situation and risk tolerance into context.
4. What Does the ‘H’ Stand for?  We get this question all the time.  Here’s the answer! Will New Regulations Affect You?  In the wake of the financial meltdown and the Madoff scandal, Congress and Federal regulatory agencies are taking testimony about new regulations.  The new proposals will probably affect our clients less than those of the big, proprietary mega firms.

1. Between the Cracks—Back to the Basics.  We’ve been so focused on the economy and the investment arena that many wealth management and planning basics were overshadowed.  This issue looks at some planning opportunities brought about by the current economic environment and changes in the law.  Here are just a few:  Loss carry forwards, mortgage refinances, Roth IRA conversions, GRATS, CLATS, QPRTS.
2. Five Safeguards to Protect Yourself from another Madoff.  Here are some things we do and things that you should do.  They may seem obvious now, but they didn’t to the Madoff victims.
3. New Limits and Opportunities.  The IRS and Social Security have released new thresholds for certain tax breaks and retirement plan limits.  Use this as a helpful resource.  We also address the American Opportunity Tax Credit for college education funding.
4. Why Continue Making Systematic Investments in this Market?  Believe it or not, we get asked that a lot these days.  Here’s the answer.
5. Our Always Popular Team Update.  Here’s what’s going on in our lives personally and professionally.

1. The Big Picture and Unnoticed Details.  How does the stock market drop compare to other years?  Pretty bad, as you can see by the graphic that goes all the way back to 1825.  The news is definitely not good.  But between all the screaming headlines, have you seen some of these important details and positive developments?
2. Three New Trends in Behavioral Finance.  We are noticing three new trends in client behavior.  Do you fit any of them?  We offer some suggestions on managing them, including a diagram to help you put your situation into context.
3. Then vs. Now.  The 1930s are mentioned frequently these days.  Here are some key differences between then and now that put today’s situation into perspective.  The one point we forgot to mention (in the chart at the bottom of page 2) was that things back then were far simpler than they are in today’s complex world of global finance.
4. Have You Read These Lately?  Here’s something for fun and a sense of perspective.  Check out these cover stories and headlines from major publications.  Can you recall when they were published?
5. The Jaguar Joyride.  You’ll know what we’re talking about after you see the photo and read our Team Update.

1. Take Stock, Take Action.  With your portfolio values down, what can you do?  Here is a checklist of suggestions to help you deal with the stress of our economic environment and get yourself on track.
2. A Framework for Making Portfolio-Changing Decisions.  If you feel that you must change your portfolio because of your anxiety, you need to consider your long-term goals and all the good and bad consequences of such a move.  This article helps you do that.
3. Think Beyond the Moment.  It’s always hard to see outside of the current trend, even in good markets.  Here is an historical perspective.  Things were bleak during the Great Depression, but some of the best stock market years occurred then.
4. What Do a Chicken and a Mortgage Derivative Have in Common?  You’ll never look at a chicken the same way again!
5. Team Update.  Our last newsletter was in August, so there is a lot of catching up to do.  Medical Economics Magazine named Ron again as one of the 150 best financial advisors for doctors.

The Bernard Madoff scandal affected high-rolling investors, speculators, charities, hedge funds, and even small investors.  They have lost over $50 billion.  How can you protect yourselves from this?  Why are our clients better protected?  They have seven safeguards.

Medical Economics Magazine selects Ron Kelemen as one of the 150 Best Financial Advisors for doctors.  Kelemen was the only advisor selected between Eugene, OR, and Olympia, WA.  This is the second time that he has made this exclusive biennial list.  Read more here.