James Bradley

Insurance PFA Ponderings

December 11, 2020

How much life insurance is enough?

“Fun is like life insurance: The older you get, the more it costs”. Life insurance is contrastingly both easily understood and the object of much misunderstanding. The basic premise is simple: If you die and have a life insurance policy, the insurance company will give money to your survivors. Used…

James Bradley

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Market Commentary

November 5, 2020

Market Commentary | November 2020

https://youtu.be/lq2LgYyUaYE James Bradley & Sam Chaplin discuss the current investment climate in the wake of the US Presidential election, Coronavirus and earnings season. You can watch the video above or read the commentary below. Market Review July kicked off the third quarter with a bang as stocks surged throughout much…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

November 2, 2020

You can give all your income to charity this year. But should you?

In light of the COVID pandemic, the CARES act has created new planning opportunities, including the ability to deduct up to 100 percent of your income for charitable contributions. This important incentive comes at a crucial time when the need is great. Planning your charitable giving, however, should be done in a way…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

October 30, 2020

Annuitizing TIAA Traditional: Standard and Graded Options

There are a lot of different ways to set up lifetime income from your TIAA contracts. Most of the decisions you need to make revolve around whether you want to provide income for your life, or for the lives (or shorter-term needs) of other loved ones. Choosing among these options…

James Bradley

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News PFA Ponderings

September 11, 2020

The ‘BIG CHANGE’ for UMS Retirees

Changes are coming to the University of Maine Retiree Health plan. Here, in this post, we're giving you what we've been able to find out about the new plan so far, and to give you some additional color to what you can get from the published information. If you want…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

September 3, 2020

Health Reimbursement Account – a new wave in employer-sponsored health coverage?

Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Health Reimbursement Accounts – or HRAs – joined an already complex alphabet of healthcare funding options that exist for employees and business owners. HRAs are possibly the least understood of these because, for a lot of reasons, they have been used relatively scarcely. …

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

August 20, 2020

Contextual Finance- or Why Benchmarks are Important

Two economists meet at a conference. One asks the other: “How’s your wife?” The second economist responds: “Compared to what?” People who have been on earth at least as long as I have will recognize the riff off the king of the one-liners, Henny Youngman. More on Henny later,…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

August 19, 2020

Why can’t I get much return on safe money?

“I am more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money.” Will Rogers Two things seem to occur pretty reliably during periods of market stress and uncertainty: People become very interested in safe places to put their money, and the return on safe assets drops…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

July 31, 2020

Making a Difference During COVID – New Opportunities

During these difficult times, non-profit organizations are especially challenged. Fortunately, agile organizations and a motivated donor base have been able to, at least in part, step forward to help. The government has been helping with funding of its own in the form of direct support and by providing some expanded…

James Bradley

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PFA Ponderings

July 31, 2020

2020 – “Gap Years” and 529 Plans

Gap years have always been an option considered by students leaving high school – and for a lot of reasons. 2020 marks a year when the list of reasons may be growing substantially. A sudden change in the number of high school graduates who are reluctant to jump into college…

James Bradley

Love0

How much life insurance is enough?

Market Commentary | November 2020

You can give all your income to charity this year. But should you?

Annuitizing TIAA Traditional: Standard and Graded Options

The ‘BIG CHANGE’ for UMS Retirees

Health Reimbursement Account – a new wave in employer-sponsored health coverage?

Contextual Finance- or Why Benchmarks are Important

Why can’t I get much return on safe money?

Making a Difference During COVID – New Opportunities

2020 – “Gap Years” and 529 Plans

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