Was the Obama Nation Interview Appropriate?

Dear Bob,

I'm seriously confused with how Prudent Money shifts to political forum. To be honest, I was uncomfortable with how your program became a medium for political authors to use in fighting political rivals. Do you think it was appropriate to allow that? I may be wrong, but I think your good program is aimed something higher than partisan politics. I lot of my friends have reacted to what they think is wrong. I'm sure you'll understand what I'm trying to communicate.

I really appreciate your e-mail and your thoughts. For those of you that have followed me through the years, you know I have a dislike of the actions of those who play politics. Politics has a way of shading the truth. Just like politics, marketing can also shade the truth. It creates a reality that is more of an illusion than anything else.

When you combine marketing and politics, you have created a dangerous combination. I brought Dr. Corsi on the program and did the interview, not because I am making a political statement for or against anyone, but I brought Dr. Corsi on the program for two main reasons.

First, this is one of the most important elections of our generation. As a voter you need to read and see everything about these candidates in order to get some resemblance of the truth. This is also an election that could drastically affect your money. In the last election, only 68% of voters showed up to vote. Guess what, politics won. If we are ever going to start to get a voice in Washington and get politics under control, we have to get out and vote and politics ARE affecting our financial future.

Second, we need to vote for the right reasons. I believe that voting just for the sake of change is not a good reason. Both politicians want to change things. However, we need to get a good hard look at what they want to change. As Christians, we also need to be in sink with the politician that mostly reflects Christian values.

I have my concerns about both candidates. I think Senator Obama is a dynamic leader that could inspire America again. At the same time, I also wonder whether Senator Obama might not have enough experience for the job. I don’t think that Senator McCain is going to inspire this country for four years. At the same time, he has the experience.

We are in difficult times. As voters and as Christians, we have a responsibility to understand the facts and get as much information as we can. I realize that having Dr. Corsi on my program talking about a controversial book is not going to sit well with 100% of my audience. Then again, I would like to think that what I talk about each day doesn’t sit well with all of my audience. I want to challenge you to think and get beyond the marketing and the politics and see who we are looking at today for political office.

Included in Dr. Corsi’s book are statements of fact and quotes from Senator Obama. Some of the book I thought to be sensationalized and information that is not as worthwhile. I will also interview someone that tells the other side of the story of Senator McCain.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Dealing with Debt Collectors

By Dean Malone – www.deanmalone.com

Many consumers are shocked at the tactics used by some debt collectors. While there are likely many debt collectors that seek to comply with the law and treat consumers with respect, there are also many others that seem to care little about the law. A consumer must understand the motivations behind and the mechanics of debt collection in order to intelligently deal with a debt collector.

Money is the Motivating Factor

Debt collection is about one thing: money. Debt collection agencies exist to extract money from consumers and give a portion of that money to their "clients." Collection agencies' "clients" are the alleged creditors of the consumers from whom the collection agencies are attempting to collect. If a collection agency fails to satisfy its clients by collecting a large enough percentage of the dollar amount of the accounts placed with the agency for collection, then the agency's clients will recall their accounts.

The pressure to collect money begins with an agency's clients. Clients purportedly hold debts for which they are the creditor, and they want as large a portion of the debts collected as possible. A large, corporate client might place its defaulted credit accounts for collection with several different collection agencies. This enables the client to play the debt collection agencies against each other and threaten to retain only the agency that produces the greatest results.

A debt collection agency owner understands that she will only be able to remain in business if her agency satisfies her clients by collecting more money than other agencies. Therefore, she puts pressure on her upper level collection managers to collect as much money as possible. Those managers realize that their management positions, and ultimately their jobs, depend upon their ability to motivate their employees to collect the most money possible. Further, those managers might have "leads," or mid-level collection managers. Upper-level managers put pressure on the "leads" to collect as much as possible.

When a call is finally placed by an individual debt collector, it is placed with the understanding of and in response to the pressure brought to bear by clients, the agency owner, upper-level managers, and the debt collector's "lead."

The debt collector understands his goal: collect money from the consumer - now. The debt collector does not want money later. The debt collector wants and needs money now. Further, the debt collector understands that he will keep his job and earn bonuses only by collecting money in as large amounts and as fast as possible.

Bob’s Comments on Dean’s Article

This is why debt collectors go to any extent to collect debt. Harassment is a very effective way of collecting debt. Listen to the pod-cast of my latest interview with Dean Malone – Prudent Money Show – August 27, 2008.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Tackling College Savings Issues

So how are you doing for saving college education for your kids? A recent survey shows that the ones who are saving are cutting back due to tough economic times. The survey also asked parents what they felt public college, as well as private college, tuition would cost. Of the parents surveyed, 57% thought that college would cost up to $15,000 for a public school; 67% thought that a private college would cost up to $25,000 a year.

Well, apparently there is a little misinformation. Let’s talk about some real numbers as well as what you would have to save today if your child is 10 or younger.

According to Finaid.org, the cost of a public school costs $17,336 a year and $35,374 a year for students at a four-year private college.

If that is not bad enough, it is the inflation rate that makes sending your child to college so expensive. Since 1971, the average inflation rate has been 7.7% per year. The good news is that today, it is estimated to be around 5 to 6%. That 7.7% figure took into consideration the inflation filled years of the 70’s.

So, how are you going to tackle those big costs? I think that every parent wants to put their child through college. At the same time, it is important to really figure out how that is going to happen. It is extremely expensive and takes a pretty big monthly investment to pull it off.

For instance, if you had a 2 year old and you knew you wanted to put your 2 year old through a 4 year private college, it would take a monthly savings of $792.66 to handle that cost. For a public college it would take a monthly savings of $388.47.

For a 5 year old, you better start saving $985 a month for a private school and $482 a month for public education. As you can imagine, those numbers just get larger.

For a chart of approximate monthly savings for children ages 1 through 10, click through to this article.

So, how do you tackle this objective? It is important to put a game plan together and determine how much you are willing to cover of those expenses and how much you expect your child to pay for either through working or student loans.

If you start saving for college and it is your plan to pay for the whole thing, determine ahead of time what other goal that is going to compromise.

Be realistic about how you are going to fund college for your kids and to what level. This is a planning event that needs to take place way ahead of time. In the event that you don’t have the luxury to pay for all of the college costs, then start preparing your child now and start figuring out how college will be paid for. This can be great incentive for better grades and/or for your child to get a part-time job to help out with costs.

Now in the event that college is going to be paid for by the use of a loan, make sure you educate your child on how the student loan works and the awesome responsibility and liability that awaits them down the road.

If you as a parent are going to borrow for college, make sure that you have a game plan to pay that loan back and that it doesn’t become a problem.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

New Report about Banks and Overdraft Charges Shouldn’t be a Surprise

In their latest report, the Consumer Federation of America showed that banks are still gouging consumers with overdraft fees. Overdraft fees have their place. If a consumer doesn’t have enough money in their account, then the bank should not authorize payment and charge a service fee. Of course, if a debit card is not honored, then the consumer knows right away that they have a problem and can take the steps to fix it.

How about the consumer that overdrafts and doesn’t know it? Well the top 10 banks certainly aren’t taking the necessary steps to keep you informed. Technically, when you overdraft and the bank covers it, a loan has been made. However, banks do not have to disclose fees or how the system works. They don’t have to go through the process of providing a Truth in Lending disclosure. The bank customer just thinks that the account has overdraft protection. Little do they know that it can be a much bigger nightmare if this were to occur.

Think about it for a second. The bank could allow a number of overdrafts on small items through a few days. If you were to use a debit card for ten items over a two day period and be in the overdraft, you could rake up $340 in fees plus the money that you spent that you did not have in the first place.

For consumers who are running tight in cash, that could produce a huge problem. However, that is not the biggest problem. Banks can process your payments in whatever order they choose. So, they could choose to pay the largest to the smallest, the smallest first, or pay in any order. Seven of the top ten banks reserve the right to pay in any order that they choose.

Depending on how items are paid, it could mean the difference between hundreds of dollars of additional fees.

Six of the top ten banks charge daily overdraft charges after a certain amount of days. Seven of the top ten banks pose no maximum amount of fee charged.

So, why shouldn’t this be a surprise? Banks are hurting and need to raise capital. Who is the best to get that capital from? Over 17.5 billion dollars were raised last year in unauthorized overdraft loans with many of those fees triggered by small debit card purchases.

Is there any reason why banks love for you to use debit cards? Once again, debit cards carry the highest liability in so many areas and do absolutely nothing for your credit.

For a listing of the ten major banks and their practices, click here.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

A Very Good Scam – Be Careful

The scam is convincing. If you are hurting for money, you will want to believe is true. You receive an authentic looking check in the mail along with this notice.

FINAL NOTIFICATION

Congratulations.

We wish to notify you of the release of the Consumer's Reward Program Lottery held on June 20, 2008. Your name, attached to ticket number 976033 drew the lucky number of 3, 7, 11, 15, 23, 28, 36, and 49 which ultimatly WON the lottery in the second category.

Please read the following carefully.

You have been approved for the lump sum payment of $39,000 credited to an account with the above Claim Number. This amount is drawn from the total prize of $480,000 shared among the North American Winners in this category. Previous attempts to contact you directly on May 29, 2008 failed, resulting in this final notification. For security reasons, we advise that you keep this award from public notice until your claims have been finalized. This will help us prevent fraud and double claims.

THE DRAW
All participants were selected randomly through computer from Consumer database directory system, drawn from a pool of 98,000 customers provided by various department and chain stores and other services institutions across North America.

CLAIMS
In order to facilitate speedy and hassle free processing of your claim, we have deducted $3,900 from your total prize to enable you pay for the applicable Tax. Please contact one of your agents Nicole Wilson or Ron Springs at 1-905-598-1826 as soon as you receive this notification. They will assist you in finalizing your claim.

ALL PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED BY AUGUST 16, 2008

Office Hours
Monday to Friday 9AM - 9PM, Saturday 10AM - 5PM, Sunday - Closed

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE MORE!!

Sincerely,

Sara Dose
Vice President

What’s the catch? You call the gentleman at the number listed and he tells you to do two things. First, deposit the cashiers check. Second, go ahead and send a wire to him for the money that you would owe in taxes. Remember that the cashiers check was an advance that they send you in the mail to help you pay the taxes. The scammer gets the money and the check you deposited ends up being no good and you have officially been robbed.

They even cleverly tell you to keep this secret until the deal is finalized.

The cashiers check that they send you is as authentic as it gets. They conduct this scam out of the country, making it even more impossible for United States officials to get the stolen money back.

Keep a few things in mind when it comes to scams –

1) Never send money to anyone so that you can get money sent back to you
2) If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.
3) Always do a Google search on the net if you are unsure – people will frequently report scams on the internet.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

How Much Should Someone in Retirement Have in Stocks?

A recent article in a major publication had some disturbing advice. This article was advocating a larger percentage of retirement money invested in stocks in retirement due to people living longer. The article stated that the old rule of thumb says to take your age and subtract it from 100 to come up with the total percentage of your portfolio that should be invested in the stock market at retirement.

Then the writer quoted the four most dangerous words in the world of investing – “Things are different now.”

Here is the reality about investing. Things are different now regarding our environment. Let’s face it! From a cultural perspective, today does not look like the 1920’s. Times have definitely changed. However, there is one thing that has not changed and that is risk. Risk still works today the same way that it worked 100 years ago.

Your risk level increases as you increase the percentage of your portfolio that is invested in stock. It is that simple. Thus, it makes no sense to gamble away your retirement by increasing the amount of money that you have invested in stocks.

Yes, you increase the probability that you will have a better return on your investments. However, you also position yourself to where you could get hit with some big losses. Big losses are damaging to a retiree’s portfolio for several reasons. First, they are taking money out of their portfolio while their investments are losing money. This is one of the quickest ways to run out of money. Second, and most importantly, some in retirement do not have the time to make up big losses.

Let’s look at some examples.

Strategy 1 60% S&P 500 (Stocks) and 40% in Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index

Strategy 2 40% S&P 500 (Stocks) and 60% in Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond index

Strategy 3 20% S&P 500 (Stocks) and 80% in Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond index

The investor retired in December 1999 right before the bear market. The newly retired has a $500,000 portfolio and will be taking out $2,000 a month.

Strategy......12/31/99.....12/31/02.....06/08

Strategy 1.....500,000......364,444......386,548

Strategy 2.....500,000......465,021......484,314

Strategy 3.....500,000......502,615......517,600

If a retiree were to take the advice of the writer of the article, his portfolio would have been decimated. It didn’t even matter that the stock market went up between 2002 and 2008. Just look at the difference between having 60% or 30% or 20% in stock in a portfolio.

So, why did I use the 2000 bear market as a starting point? First, bear markets will occur in an investor’s lifetime. Thus, you should have an idea of how a strategy will perform in the bad times. Second, you can never predict when a bear market is going to happen. Timing could either be to your advantage or work against you.

This is all based on a buy and hold approach. If you have your retirement money professionally managed for growth and risk, then having a little higher percentage in stocks can make sense.

Numbers were calculated using CDA Weisenberger Software. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. This blog is not intended to be advice. Before making any changes to your portfolio, seek the advice of a financial professional.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Does Your Advisor Protect You Against Loss or Just Invest for the Long Term?

What is your investment advisor’s investment strategy? Unfortunately, for most advisors, the strategy is all the same – just buy and hold for the long-term ….no matter what.

If you called your investment advisor over the last few months, I bet I can guess what type of advice you were given.

“Don’t worry we are long-term investors. Markets will go up and markets will go down – however, they always go back up.”

So, why is that the standard line when the market is going down? Why does it seem that most advisors don’t take an active approach when it comes to guarding against investment loss?

The biggest problem with the financial services industry is that the industry is a one-trick pony. The financial services industry can show you all day how to make money. The industry can talk about performance numbers and average annual returns. However, they don’t have a strategy for protecting your money.

They use the misguided concept of “time” as a strategy. As long as you have time on your side, you can weather the storm. A prudent investment approach consists of strategies that will help you grow money and protect money. What I want to suggest to you today is that protecting money is as important to your overall growth as are the strategies for growing it.

If your investment advisor is willing to allow you to continue to take losses and not offer up a strategy for protecting against loss, then consider if those fees you are paying are really worth it. After all, you can invest your money with a no-load mutual fund company for free and just buy and hold with no strategy for the bad times. Investing for growth can be done by most. The value in a financial advisor comes when they are working to protect your money as well.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Investing Quotes in my arsenal (by Ashley Hodge)

Today's blog was written by a guest contributor, Ashley Hodge. For more information, go to his website at www.stewardshipmandate.com.


I was reading Psalms 62 this morning. Psalms 62:1 states, "My soul finds rest in God alone." That got me thinking that this verse probably inspired Saint Augustine's famous words in Confessions, "My heart was restless until it came to rest in Thee, O Lord."

I put together a list of quotes that I have found helpful in advising people on money issues- specifically investing. A well-timed quote can say a lot without having to rely on excessive words.
So here are some of my favorites. Some of these I have heard attributed to Warren Buffet. Some to John Templeton. But they probably borrowed many of them from their mentors. They are helpful reminders after the continued rash of bad economic news.

- Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria.
- There is no cure for high prices like high prices.
- You make your money in bear markets, you just don’t know it at the time.
- There are old pilots and bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots.
- Your money is like a bar of soap. The more you play with it, the smaller it gets.
- Gambling is investing for people who are extremely bad at math.
- You don’t know who is swimming naked until the tide rolls out.
- Economists have successfully predicted 14 of the last 3 recessions.
- The four most dangerous words in the English language: ‘this time is different’.
- Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.
- Successful investing is anticipating the anticipation of others.

Perhaps the most important thing one needs to remember as it pertains to investing or anything in life- God is in control of all things in this world. Psalms 84:12, "O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man (or woman) who trusts in You."

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Obama Nation

Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jerome Corsi. His book, Obama Nation, is the new #1 best seller on the New York Times list. This is a look at Senator Obama from a different angle. It is an inside look at Obama the politician and how an Obama Presidency would effect America.

Why would I interview Dr. Corsi on Prudent Money? It is very simple. We are at a crucial point in this country. Politics are completely out of control on both sides of the aisle. Unfortunately, we are the reason that politics are out of control. We have given the power over to the politicians and not utilized our greatest power - the right to vote.

During the last election only 68% of Americans voted. We need to get out in masses and vote our views and hold these politicians accountable. The problem with politics is the aggressive marketing. Both candidates are marketing sensationalism to garnish your vote.

I want to look past the marketing and see who these candidates are and how they really will stand up to the challenges of being President. So, I first bring you Dr. Corsi's view. Next, I will find someone to give a different look at Senator McCain.

We need to become a country of informed citizens that exercise the right to vote. This next President could really effect your financial situation. We need to make sure (either one) that the right candidate gets elected.

For me, I want a third choice. I think that Obama just doesn't have the experience. I also don't agree with his stance on Christian value issues such as abortion. Unfortunately, he is extremely far to the left on that subject.

At the same time, we need a real leader that will inspire and bring this country back together. I don't think that Senator McCain is the man for that position.

For me, I think that National Security is the BIG issue. This gives Senator McCain for me an advantage.

As far as taxes go, you can complain about what Obama is going to do all day. The reality is that taxes will probably be increased regardless who is President. Unless we have a huge money tree beyond the printing press, we have no way of paying for all of our liabilities.

Take some time and listen to the interview - click here

Borrowing from Your 401(k) Plan Could Cost you $100,000’s of Dollars

On my program yesterday, I interviewed Pam Villarreal, policy analyst with the National Center of Policy Analysis. They have completed a project on the long-term effects of borrowing against your 401(k) plan. The results are disturbing.

They developed a 401(k) borrowing calculator that shows the long-term impact of borrowing from your 401(k) plan. Let me give you a good example:

$100,000 account balance
$10,000 borrowed
24 months pay-back
8% return on investments
Retire in 30 years

What was the difference in retirement savings? By borrowing $10,000 the retirement plan was short $229,445. There are many bad assumptions that are being made when borrowing from your 401(k) plan.

For a few good resources, check out their white paper on 401(k) borrowing. Also go check out the 401(k) borrowing calculator.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

If your Company is Bankrupt, is your 401(k) Plan in Jeopardy?

A listener posed a question yesterday regarding the Bennigan’s Restaurant closing and whether or not employees lost money in their 401(k) plans because of it.

After doing some research on the story, I discovered a few sound bites from some of the employees mistakenly stating that their 401(k) plans had been tapped for money. The reality is that with extreme exceptions, your 401(k) plans are very well protected in the event that your company files bankruptcy.

If an employer goes out of the business, the 401(k) plan is terminated. When a plan is terminated, affected participants are 100% vested (they own their employer match) in all employer money in their account, regardless of the plan's vesting schedule. Participants are always fully vested in their own contributions. Participants always own their own investment accounts. This means that the money in the plan is now available to be distributed to the plan participants. Under the law, the employer, even in bankruptcy, can't touch the money in the plan. The 401(k) plan money can't be used for any other purpose except to pay benefits and expenses related to the plan.

The 401(k) assets are also protected by law from creditors.

Are there times when money is taken out of a 401(k) plan illegally? Yes, there have been instances in the past where fraud and illegal activity have occurred. However, it is much tougher today to get away with that type of crime.

In extreme cases, the Department of Labor steps in where there is abuse of the retirement funds, but that rarely happens.

What about pension plans? Well those are protected as well but by different means. Pension plan assets are protected up to certain limits by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. In this case, certain pension plan benefits could result in a loss due to a company going bankrupt. However, for the most part, everything should be covered.

Now there are stories such as Enron where employees lost everything in their 401(k) plans due to a company going bankrupt. That had nothing to do with a company taking the money out. Those losses were a result of an employee being heavily invested in their company stock. As a result of the company going into bankruptcy, the stock plummeted and was virtually worthless. Thus the employee lost their future.

As a rule of thumb, you never want to have more than 10 to 15% of your company stock inside your 401(k) plan. It is just too much risk.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Are 401 K Plans the Best Place for your Money?

Since the development of the first 401 K plan back in 1979, these retirement plans have been the first choice for investors. However, are they the best choice for your retirement money? Well, let’s take a look at the advantages of a 401 K plan.

I can really only think of three. First, you do receive an up-front tax break on your annual deposits. I think that this is one of the main reasons most investors invest into the 401 K plan and it is the tax break. However, is a tax break a good enough reason?

Second, and the only reason to invest into a 401 K plan, is the employer match. It never makes sense to pass on free money. If an employer is giving away money, it makes sense take advantage of it.

Third, and maybe a stretch, it is a convenient way to invest money. There is a great convenience factor of the money never making it into your checking account and going directly into your bank.

So, what are the downsides?

First, the high expenses associated with investing in a 401K plan. Expenses inside of these plans are higher than most people think. Unfortunately, they are not fully disclosed and hidden.

Second, and the biggest drawback with 401 K plans, is options. Most 401 K plans don’t have enough of the types of investments that really help you an investor to properly diversify.

So, what is the verdict? In most cases, I have always believed that you take advantage of the match that an employer is will to give for investing into the 401 K plan. That is a key advantage. Beyond the match, I don’t see a good enough reason for investing into a 401K plan. Once again, this is in most cases.

Most investors would still argue that the tax advantages make it worth it. I would argue that the lack of options in most 401 K plans is a much bigger disadvantage.

So, what would be the alternative?

Consider investing the maximum amount possible into a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA will not give you a tax advantage up-front. However, it potentially gives you an enormous tax advantage when you withdraw the money. All of the money that you earn is never taxed during the growth stage and never taxed when you take it out. This is a tax-free distribution. In my opinion and in most cases, that will be a much greater tax advantage than getting a small up-front tax deduction.

Plus, you have the flexibility and all of the options that are afforded to you in a regular IRA brokerage account. You would no longer be restricted with limited options.

What if you don’t meet the requirements to invest into a Roth IRA? Well if you are a couple and your adjusted gross income exceeds 160,000, you cannot make a contribution. Instead, you make an after-tax contribution into an IRA. Then in 2010, new regulations take effect that will remove those restrictions on the Roth. You then transfer the money from the IRA into the Roth.

The only downside to this strategy is that you might owe taxes on some of the money that you convert to the Roth. However, the Government is giving you more than 1 year to pay the taxes back.

This is an example of how to get the best of all worlds while investing for retirement.

This is one way to invest for retirement. The key before implementing any strategy is determining if it is right for you.

Are Target Funds more Aggressive than Advertised?

A recent commercial by a major fund company was marketing the easy approach to investing by using their target funds. The commercial starts off with a couple trying to explain their approach to investing as they approach retirement. The wife looks at the husband and says, “You tell them.”

The commercial makes both out to be very clueless about their investments as the husband declares, ”Well they move the money around at the right times for retirement…I don’t know, I just let the company take care of it.”

Welcome to the world of easy investing as marketed by the mutual fund industry. These target funds were designed for you not to think. You are instructed to figure out when you are going to retire and pick the fund that is closes to your retirement date. For example, if you were retiring in 2020, you would pick the 2020 target funds. If you were retiring in 2035, you would pick the 2035 target fund.

The whole idea is that the fund is intended to change risk levels as you get closer to your retirement. However, are these funds making the appropriate changes?

According to a Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. analysis of the 25 largest target date funds, some had between 20% and 30% of total assets invested in mortgage bonds and/or financial stocks. These are some of the riskiest investments you can own. So, can you imagine retiring in 2010 and taking some substantial unintended risk in your portfolio?

One 2010 target fund is -11% year to date. This fund has a 67% stake in stocks. So someone retiring in less than 2 years has a 67% stock exposure while in this fund. The fund brochure says it is designed for investors in their 60’s about to approach retirement.

How about a 2005 target fund? This is for someone already invested. One very popular fund from a large fund company is -8% year to date. That is for someone already in retirement.

Here is the bottom line when it comes to investing.

First, you can never go on autopilot as the mutual fund industry would like you to think. You need a system that will help you establish what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to your investment returns. For instance, there could be as much as a 10% difference between one of the worst target date funds and the best.

Second, if you are going to have a buy and hold type portfolio, you need a great deal more diversification than a target or lifestyle fund will provide.

Third, when investing in anything that is earmarked conservative, take a great deal of time investigating what it is that makes that fund conservative. There are too many examples of conservative funds that have lost a great deal of money.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

Steps to Take in a Tough Economic Climate

“Stop whining,” says former Senator Phil Gramm. “This recession is all in your head.” Well, with all due respect to former Senator Gramm, I think that it is a little more than just in my head. It is coming out of my wallet every time I turn around. I think that this recession we are facing (and yes, I do believe we are in a recession) is starting to get to people. We are paying more at the pump, at the grocery store, and in utilities. However, he is right. It is time to stop whining and do something about it.

I believe that there is a series of steps that you should take right now to make sure that your financial house is in order. Who knows what the future will bring. However, I like to live by one verse when it comes to money and future risk.

"A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12).

Most people fall into the simpleton camp. We have no way of predicting where the economy is headed. However, we do have control over our actions. If we take the right actions right now, you can provide for whatever is coming down the pike.

1) First things first – Give this process over to God. I believe that the most important priority in our life is the one that we typically forget. You cannot be prepared with getting your financial house in order without God being in charge.
2) Start tracking your expenses – It is so important to know where you are spending money. How are you going to know where to cut back if you don’t know what you are spending?
3) Be proactive – Look ahead and anticipate future expenses. Sit down and anticipate one time expenses that will occur in future months and figure out how you are going to pay for them.
4) Check your insurance coverage – This is something that you should do regardless of the economic climate. There is no excuse for not being prepared for the curveball life might through you or your family. Understand how your health insurance works. Especially know that you have enough life insurance. Life insurance is inexpensive and is one of the most important coverages you can buy for your family.
5) Know the risk level that you are taking with your investments – Talk to your financial advisor or your 401(k) representative. Prior to talking with them, pray that you will have a sense of peace. If you don’t get that sense of peace, get a second opinion. The bottom line is that most advisors are not equipped to handle these types of environments. Thus they will just tell you to hold on for the long-term and not worry about it. Just remember that big losses are tough to come back from. It never makes sense to put yourself in harm’s way when it comes to investing.
Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

We should worry eight percent of the time?

Tomorrow I am going to post a step by step game plan on how to handle this current economic environment. Today, I want to start off by laying a foundation. It is so important to get our heads straight. My pastor, Dr. Jim Dennison at Park Cities Baptist Church, wrote the following essay. I have kept this close and refer to it often. I wanted to share it with you. If you want to read more of Dr. Dennison’s daily work, go to www.godissues.com.

The first step to living in the now is wanting to. So, why should we live in the present? For three reasons. First, worry over the future is pointless. A survey regarding worry revealed these facts: 40 percent of things most people worry about never happen; 30 percent of what we worry about has already happened and cannot be changed; 22 percent of what we worry about regards problems which are beyond our control; only eight percent of what we worry about are situations over which we have any influence.

Mickey Rivers, former New York Yankees outfielder, was right: "Ain't no sense worrying about things you got control over, 'cause if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no control over, 'cause if you got no control over them, ain't no sense worrying about them." Any questions?

A wise man once said, "The biggest troubles you have got to face are those that never come." It has been observed that the bridges we cross before we come to them are almost always over rivers that aren't there.

Winston Churchill once quoted a man on his deathbed who said that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened. Don't live in tomorrow, for such anxiety is pointless.

Second, refuse to worry about the future, because tomorrow doesn't exist. The Greeks pictured history as a line, and made five-year plans. The Jews knew better. They saw time as a dot, the here and now. "Yesterday" is gone, and "tomorrow" doesn't exist. It's just a word with no substance. We live in the past and the future; they lived in the present.

Take Paul's experience on his second missionary journey. He thought he was to turn back East when God called him West. The result was his ministry in Macedonia and Europe, and the movement of the gospel to the Western Hemisphere. The apostle had no idea this was his future; he was simply staying faithful in the present.

Third, choose to live in the now, because it's the only way to know God. He is the great I Am, not the I Was or the I Will Be. He cannot help you with the future, for it doesn't exist. If you want to know God, you must live in today, for this is the only day which is. God does not live in our guilt over the past or fear about the future, but in our present faith and trust.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.

When is a Recommendation to Change a Good One? Part II

Yesterday, I wrote about being careful about just taking an advisor’s recommendation to making a change in your portfolio. Bear markets create emotional investors.
The salesperson who is acting as an advisor recognizes that emotion and uses it to make new sales. Of course, there are also the advisors who do things the right way.

The problem is that it is not easy telling the two apart, so you have to look at other factors.

If you are working with a salesperson, a change to another advisor is strongly recommended. What if you don’t know?

Let’s take a look at some situations when it makes sense to change advisor relationships.

- There is no solid professional relationship of any kind

When I say the word “relationship,” I am not talking about the type of relationship where the advisor takes you to lunch 4 times a year. I am talking about the type of relationship where you are kept informed and know that you can depend upon your advisor in any situation. An advisor who can relate to you well on a personal basis might be a good friend candidate and maybe someone that is not a good advisor candidate. Yes, the personal aspect is extremely important. At the same time, the professional relationship is vitally important. After all, all of those lunches will not help you retire one day.

- Your advisor calls you frequently with new investment ideas and recommendations

A red flag occurs when an advisor calls you frequently with different investment ideas requiring you to frequently move money around creating new fees. It has been my experience that there are very few times when it makes sense to make changes that require penalties or new fees.

- Changing advisors would mean a complete change in investment philosophy

Many times changing advisors from one to another because of investment strategy ends up being a parallel move and doesn’t create any value. Moving from one buy and hold advisor to another needs to be carefully investigated to determine the real benefit.

Moving from a buy and hold account to an account that is managed with a fee based advisor is another story. These are two totally different investment styles. The buy and hold strategy is passive and the managed investment account is actively managed for risk and reward.

The only word of caution is the definition of a fee based advisor. There are many people who set up fee based investment management accounts that charge a fee and really do nothing to earn that fee. They basically charge a fee to just buy and hold your investment account. Personally, I think that a fee based arrangement where the money is actively managed is the best strategy. At the same time, you need to make sure that the fee is creating value of some kind.

Copyright © 2008 Prudent Money and Bob Brooks. All rights reserved.