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Cal Burgess

Protecting Against Uncertainty

Protecting Against Uncertainty

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group This morning I took my son to a local diner for breakfast.  During the meal I couldn’t help notice the couple to the booth in front of me discussing how to protect a lump sum of money.  This couple was in their mid 30s, with a 3 yr old they were busily entertaining.  The option they were discussing was a 5 year CD.  I found it interesting that the husband made the remark “5 years from now...

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Covering Your Bases on College Planning

Covering Your Bases on College Planning

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group There are a plethora of options out there in regards to college education, so when it comes time to pick the best option for your loved one, it’s important to make sure all of your bases are covered. Unfortunately, many college plans today fail to deliver the anticipated results for a couple of reasons: volatility or change. Since there is very little certainty in life, it is crucial to use a flexible college-planning tool that allows you...

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Why a $7.2 Billion Loss from the USPS This Year is Not a Concern

Why a $7.2 Billion Loss from the USPS This Year is Not a Concern

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Just recently, the Federal Reserve System announced that first-quarter losses from the United States Postal Service stood at 1.8 billion dollars. At this rate, the USPS is on track to cost American taxpayers over $7.2 billion by the end of the fourth quarter. To put this into perspective, this amount is equivalent to a $20 million dollar loss per day, with no hope of any profit for quite some time, if at all. At first glance this...

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A Suggestion to Help End Corruption

A Suggestion to Help End Corruption

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Over the last few years, time and time again, the true nature of Wall Street’s corruption has been in the spotlight. The result has been billions of dollars in losses, fines to the perpetrators, and in some cases, a prison sentence. Unfortunately, the end result is the same: Wall Street adamantly opposes any type of regulation needed to protect the nation from another financial collapse. Attempts to regulate the securities sector is often misunderstood as a deterrent...

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Protecting Against the Federal Stimulus

Protecting Against the Federal Stimulus

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group My predictions in May of this year were correct when I said that the federal stimulus would continue and volatility would be the norm.  In September of this year the Federal Reserve announced Quantitative Easement III (QEIII), which was designed to keep pace with Mario Draghi and the ongoing Euro crisis; promising continuous monthly injections of $85 trillion in order to protect our nation from an economic collapse.  There is no way to know how long this...

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Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis?

Have You Fallen Victim to Retirement Osmosis?

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Today the market just announced that manufacturing activity has contracted to a 3 year high. This means that US manufacturing activity has dropped to its lowest level in 3 years. However, investors remain optimistic. They realize that the worse the economy looks the more likely the Fed is to pump another round of Quantitative Easement. This in turn will cause the market to rally which will allow investors to temporarily offset short term losses. That is, until...

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An Unanticipated Recommendation

An Unanticipated Recommendation

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group A few months ago I made a recommendation to a referral (now a client) regarding an indexed universal life policy. His financial goals were straight forward; he wanted to protect his money from rising federal income taxes while protecting as much of his money from market risk as possible. When we met, I could tell that he was frustrated with the performance of his portfolio and was skeptical about other financial vehicles that he entertained. After about...

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Permanent Life Insurance: The Financial Perks

Permanent Life Insurance: The Financial Perks

Written By: Cal Burgess | Retirement Servicing Group Who would have ever thought that one of the most attractive tax deferred, cash accumulating vehicles could be found inside a permanent life insurance contract? Imagine that, insurance policies that have outperformed the S & P 500 over the last 15 years with respect to cash accumulation. If you haven’t heard this concept, I strongly suggest that you educate yourself on all of the benefits that you have been missing out on. One of the ways to...

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Think Twice Before You Roll Over Your 401k to a New Employer

Think Twice Before You Roll Over Your 401k to a New Employer

Written By: Cal Burgess, Retirement Servicing Group Today, with the amount of layoffs and the number of workers being forced to change career paths, the need to protect their 401k, 403b, or other employer sponsored plan (ESP) is taking a sideline to the need of finding another income source. Ironically, they could be bettering their retirement position by helping to secure an income stream for their future retirement needs. Many employees do not know all of the options that they have with respect to their...

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Income Planning For Rising Taxes

Income Planning For Rising Taxes

Written By: Cal Burgess, Retirement Servicing Group The Bush Tax cuts are set to expire in January of 2013, which will prove to be a major problem for many investors. This is especially true considering we have spent more money as a nation over the last 4 years than any other time in US history, bringing the debt toll to over $4.5 trillion since 2008. This drastic spike in spending is likely to be followed by a steady increase in Federal income taxes. It’s not...

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