Entries by Michael Fogel

Is there a New Subprime Bubble Brewing?

Does anyone remember the mortgage crisis of 2008? I do vividly, and I hope we never have to live through a financial crisis of that magnitude ever again. For many people in the world, the fallout from the mortgage crisis was catastrophic. If there is one thing we can learn from history, they try not […]

Is the Stock market due for a Correction?

I can tell you without a doubt that there will be a correction and a great buying opportunity in the stock market. This will happen and the question is not if but when. A stock market correction is defined as a drop of 10 percent or more from peak valuations. Market corrections are healthy and […]

Is it too late to Get Invested in Stocks?

I am fairly certain there are many people who have missed the latest move up in the stock market. Election uncertainty drove many investors to the sidelines in fear of some type of market collapse. Well here we are three months later and the market continues upward. The S&P 500 is up over 11 percent […]

Bonds Make Stocks look Cheap

If you read my article a couple weeks ago, you already know I thought the market was going to set a new high before year-end. Well here we are and the market is sitting at all-time highs. I also said I thought the stock market was expensive, but it was expensive for a reason. It […]

You Have to Invest your Money Somewhere

The title of this article seems very fitting to me. This is another time of uncertainty that will make even the most seasoned investor a little nervous. It feels like every investment vehicle out there is expensive. However, you cannot put your money in a mattress if you are investing for retirement or need an […]

Annuity vs. Managed Investment Portfolio

Benefits of the managed investment portfolio: The insurance company fixes the rate of return at the purchase or start date of the annuity. That rate is currently lower than what is available in the market, and is commonly lower than the market, as the difference between the two rates is profit to the insurance company. […]

Cash Is an Asset Class

There are times when having cash in your investment account makes more sense than being fully invested. How much cash to have available at any given time varies when it comes to money management. There are times when being fully invested is appropriate and there are times that having as much as twenty percent cash […]

New Advisor Rules a Step in the Right Direction

Many of the articles I have written over the last few years have dealt directly with the issue of products that come with high fees and steep commissions paid to brokers. The new Department of Labor rules, which take full effect in January of 2018, will help to eliminate these products from being sold inside […]

Your Insurance Company may be robbing you blind

Last week one of my client’s came in to review the variable annuity she purchased back in May of 2008. She wanted an explanation of how this product worked and was concerned because she was not making much money on this investment. This annuity was purchased from a very large, well known insurance company on […]