Rick Brooks
Rick Brooks's Latest Posts
Banking, Crisis and the FDIC Insurance Limits
In my 25 plus years working in investment management, it’s fortunately rare that I have to discuss the FDIC and bank account insurance limits with clients. Unfortunately, that has become a pretty common topic the past few weeks. The failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Silvergate Bank all in the same week brought […]
The Ugly Math of Variable Annuities
When a new client recently asked me to review a variable annuity they had purchased ten years ago, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Variable annuity contracts can be complex documents, loaded with confusing provisions, definitions, and terms. Often, the most complex parts are the most fundamental: the calculations used to […]
Secure Act 2.0 Made Some Big Changes to Retirement Planning
At almost the last minute of 2022, President Biden signed the Secure Act 2.0. It made a lot of big and small changes to financial planning over the next few years. Here are some of the highlights that go into effect in 2023 and 2024. Changes to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Probably the biggest, […]
Looking Forward to a New Year
As 2022 winds down and we start thinking about how to work off the pecan pie and holiday celebrations, folks often naturally wonder what the new year has in store. For most of us, this feeling will be particularly acute as we open our brokerage statements in January. 2022 has been one for the record […]
Do You Use Venmo?
Earlier this year, I took a trip with some friends. We did some sightseeing, went to some fantastic restaurants, and overall had a great time together. As we travelled, it was easier for one of us to pick up the bill for dinner or the hotel than to split it on four credit cards or […]
It’s Open Enrollment Time for Medicare
Every year, those enrolled in Medicare can switch their insurance coverage. Whether you have Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (“Medigap”) and a prescription drug policy or Medicare Advantage, this is when you can review your policy and possibly make a change. This annual Open Enrollment period lasts from October 15 through December 7 each […]
What to Look for in your Annual Life Insurance Review
Seriously, when is the last time you reviewed your life insurance? I don’t mean the letter you get (and probably throw away) from your insurance agent every year asking if you need more. I mean really sitting down and thinking about the life insurance you have, why you have it and what you are paying […]
Complexity as Job Security
We’ve all heard stories about the guy at work who makes his job seem far more complicated than it really is so that he becomes harder to fire or lay off. Complexity as job security is nothing new. And Wall Street product manufacturers are wizards at this. In the 1990s, as mutual funds were becoming […]
Inflation – Here to Stay
Like most investors, I’ve been surprised by both the magnitude and persistence of the inflation spike we’ve seen over the past several months. The forecasts continue to suggest that inflation should moderate somewhat by year-end and into 2023, but that doesn’t take the sticker shock out of the prices we’re paying today at the store […]
Insurance for International Travel in a COVID World
After more than two years of being stuck at home, there are a lot of people who are ready to pick up and go. ANYWHERE! International travel is more “adventurous” in the COVID era – the pandemic is still raging in much of the world, so the possibility that travel plans could be upset by […]
