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The price you pay for frothy assets

08.03.10

As the 10th anniversary of the bursting of the tech bubble is upon us, you've probably read a slew of stories about what an awful decade this has been for stocks.

There's plenty to distract you from financial planning this time of year, from cheering on your favorite football team to daydreaming about Thanksgiving dinner. But you don't want to let some end-of-year deadlines slip by without taking steps to minimize taxes and maximize savings. Especially in this economic climate, a little extra cash can go a long way. There are those rare moments in business when a technology goes from being cutting edge to being an indispensable part of everyday life. The midterm elections are nine months away, but it's not too early to begin handicapping them -- from a dollars and cents vantage point, that is.



Question: I had the good fortune to be able to retire early at age 52, but last year's market meltdown has made me rethink the decision. I may still be okay, but I don't have the same level of certainty I once had. My question is this: How will Social Security be calculated for me and how does the fact that I haven't worked the last few years fit into the calculation? --Jack Ford, West Newbury, Mass. Bankruptcy filings by American consumers increased nearly a third in 2008, according to a new report. As yet another bank faces collapse, consumers are worried about their cash.

If you knew coworkers, former bosses or exes who cheated on their taxes, would you turn them in? The Internal Revenue Service can make it worth your while.

Fourteen-year-old Dalyn Fountain has all the trappings of today's teens: her own cellphone, an iPod, a new laptop, and cable television in her bedroom. Until recently she also had a ready line of credit from the Bank of Mom & Dad - no payback necessary. Americans are loaded up with credit card debt. What's worse is that some husbands, wives and even children hide those money woes from their families. The results are often devastating.

Question: My husband and I have been happily married for 28 years. Careful spending and sound planning over time has provided us with a very comfortable financial future. Although we're compatible in many ways, our outlook differs when it comes to enjoying our money. I'm more of a saver and I hate to shop. I'm already retired, and when my husband retires in a year we'll begin drawing on our retirement savings. Can you suggest some tips on how we can communicate effectively about spending our money? How do we assure that we'll both have the independence to decide how we want to spend "our share" without judgment? --Margaret M. Target-date funds, those all-in-one portfolios of stocks and bonds that are supposed to be age-appropriate, have become targets themselves lately. The charge: that they failed to protect older investors from last year's downturn. Select from our sampling of the largest passive portfolios that track either U.S., foreign, or specialty markets.



Question: I'm 36 and have saved only about $20,000 for retirement. How much per year should I try to save for the next 30 years to assure I'll have a reasonable retirement? --Beth, Grove City, Ohio During a recent speech, money manager Van Hoisington, president of Hoisington Investment Management, asked his audience of sophisticated investors to raise a hand if they thought inflation was going to be a problem sooner or later. Is the daily indulgence of Starbucks and McDonald's coffee replaceable? High-flying shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters seem to indicate so.

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