http://www.associatesgroupinc.com Site News daily 1 2006-06-08T05:33:31Z http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/avoiding-financial-disaster Our friend, Terry Savage, wrote a series of columns recently on funding Long Term Care. She has long been an advocate of pre-funding long term care expenses. We have also been active in calling attention to the need for setting aside dollars for expenses that accompany living a long life. No publisher daverill 2012-04-19T18:44:49Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/just-like-the-big-boys Endowment funds, like those at Yale and Harvard have outperformed literally all other investors over the past several years. What are these folks doing? Can it be duplicated by us ordinary folks? The first answer is that they are more broadly diversified than most. The second answer is yes. No publisher daverill 2012-04-06T17:55:25Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/watch-out We just received letters to several of our clients from one of the leading insurance companies in the field of Long Term Care. The news was shocking, it informed Illinois policyholders of an 80% increase in their premiums. No publisher daverill 2012-03-05T21:56:40Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/set-the-record-straight The financial press is filled with contradictions. For every positve article about an investment or financial profuct, there are also negative ones. This is as it should be, because nothing is perfect and nothing is right for everyone. The one rule that should be followed, and isn't is honesty. Take a position and explain it, but do it with facts and figures. No publisher daverill 2012-02-17T20:59:26Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/pockets-of-opportunity Despite a generally lackluster outlook for 2012, there are some areas that offer both short and long term growth opportunities. We are looking at categories of investment, not specific stocks or bonds. We will be happy to provide specific names to those interested. No publisher daverill 2012-01-28T18:56:34Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/publications/2012-your-investments In our previous article, we painted a cautionary picture for 2012. Continued volatility in stocks, low interest rates, problems in Europe, slowing growth in Emerging Markets. All this being said, this is not the time to stuff your funds in a mattress. There are opportunities to outperform the miserly returns being offered by money market funds, bank accounts and the like. No publisher daverill 2012-01-13T06:42:45Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/publications/outlook No publisher daverill 2012-01-06T17:18:53Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/beware-its-that-time-of-year Typically, tax time, April and the month before, and year end are the times that we see the most outrageous claims for investments. If you have been watching the financial press you have seen a number of articles on high profile investment advisors finding themselves in big trouble for various indiscretions, ranging from outright thievery to insider trading. No publisher daverill 2011-11-15T22:52:47Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/publications/solving-the-life-insurance-dilemna Life insurance is a critical part of everyone's financial life. Sadly, it receives little in the way of thought and planning in most situations. A young family, thinking about affordability, will usually buy the least expensive term insurance that they can find. This is not a bad strategy, but the mistake is assuming that, when the term insurance guaranteed premium expires, there will be no further need for life insurance. So we see someone who has reached age 50-60, facing a choice between a term policy that is no longer affordable, and a permanent policy with a premium that is too steep. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:55:16Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/take-a-giant-step-back Surely everyone has seen and been amazed by the tremendous swings in stock market indices over the past several months. In a single day, markets will be up several hundred points at the open, down by even more in the afternoon, and finish up by over a hundred points. Scary? yes. Confusing.? Yes. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:38:08Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/safe-hideouts In case you haven't noticed, we are in a period of turmoil, economic uncertainty, and a lack of confidence in our government and regulators. More than likely, the investment markets will remain stagnant, with little movement in either direction. If there is to be a strong movement, it most likely will be negative. Interest rates will remain low, so savers will get precious little from banks, and retirees will struggle with low interest rates on their retirement nest eggs. Not a rosy picture. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:41:40Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/comfort A major financial publication recently ran an article about a 67 year old who had retired and purchased a variable annuity to fund his retirement income. He was feeling very comfortable, despite recent market declines and volatility, because he had a Guaranteed Income Benefit as a part of the annuity he purchased. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:35:14Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/publications/6-buckets-for-life The primary concern of Baby Boomers is that they will run out of money in retirement. Many traditional financial advisors recommend a mix of stocks and bonds, usually about 50-60% stocks and 40-50% bonds. This may work, but is absolutely not guaranteed. Stocks rarely have dividend rates above 2-3%, and do not generate capital gains each and every year. Bonds pay the rate of interest stated, but do not have the ability to keep pace with inflation. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:49:43Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/publications/invest-with-the-best Modern Portfolio theory shows how risk adjusted returns of a porfolio can be improved by diversification across assets with varied correlations. This is a way of saying, while some assets are increasing in value, others are decreasing or remaining stable. No publisher daverill 2011-10-30T17:51:57Z News Item http://www.associatesgroupinc.com/more-for-less Surprise, something is actually getting less expensive. A huge change has taken place in the life insurance industry and it couldn't have come at a better time. No publisher daverill 2011-05-26T22:37:04Z News Item