To Congress and Our Media Friends, Regarding America’s Fiscal Cliff

To Congress and Our Media Friends, Regarding America’s Fiscal Cliff

If you’ve paid attention to the news for even just a minute since the presidential election, you’ve likely heard about the so-called “fiscal cliff” which apparently is due to hit us in about a month or so.

Funny thing happened the other day with my teenage daughter, Amy. She watches the gossip – you know, “reality” – channels, about 99 percent of the time. So when it was time for me to catch up on the news (the other 1 percent of the time that I get to watch TV) and Amy heard the newscasters talking about nothing but this dangerous fiscal cliff, she perceived it as an impending storm, perhaps akin to Hurricane Sandy.

It may not be a weather-related storm, but from what we can gather so far from the media experts and our esteemed politicians, it’s going to be very serious! The American economy as we know it is scheduled to completely fall to her knees – something they tell us will be “unacceptable,” which is why there needs to be a “compromise” in Washington DC.

Okay, I comprehend the seriousness of the problem. But what I want to know is: What exactly is this fiscal cliff and what caused it? As our esteemed politicians and media gurus tell us, the culprit is too much spending and a dinosaur of a tax code with loopholes for special interests. These have resulted in a ridiculously unsustainable $16 trillion-plus in debt.

Oh, really? So this cliff didn’t just suddenly show up after the elections? If the problem goes back further than November 5, 2012 – say 10 years or more – where was the urgency over the last decade? Congress has been in charge of both our spending and our tax code, the things at the center of this storm (for Amy’s benefit), and yet we’re just now learning that we’re heading over a cliff? This wild spending and immense debt were acceptable for all that time and just suddenly became problematic?

I tend to wonder whether Washington, D.C. is doing a very good job managing our nation. If something is as bad as this so-called cliff, why wouldn’t they want to fix it while it was still somewhat manageable? Why wait till it became a crisis to decide it needs to be fixed? My leadership instincts keep leading me back to this basic question: How did we get here? And where has the media been all that time?
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If you’d like to learn more wisdom and common-sense information that will help you ensure that you don't lose a penny in the next market downturn, please contact us for straight, clear answers. What you don’t know matters as much as what you know! Call us at 877.656.9111 or visit us on the web to schedule your complimentary consultation TODAY.

Thanksgiving Wishes for You and Yours

Thanksgiving wishes for you and yours

Boy did time fly by quickly or what? Feels to me like last Thanksgiving was just last week, but here we are again.  Anyway, despite the challenges we’ve all faced this past year – some obviously more severe than others – the one thing we can all be thankful about is that we’re still breathing today. And if you’re reading these words, you’re obviously of a sound mind.

So on my own behalf and on behalf of my top-notch team of dedicated professionals here at Laser Financial Group, we want to thank you for making us a part of your life. We are truly grateful for your readership and business. May the good Lord continue to bless you and yours and this great nation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Samuel

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Please feel free to contact us 877.656.9111 or LaserFG.com with any questions or concerns about your retirement planning.

How to Shield Your Nest Egg from Stock Market Dips but Make Money When It Rises

How to Shield Your Nest Egg from Stock Market Dips but Make Money When It Rises

It’s a gross understatement to say that the stock market has been rather chaotic recently. A staggering percentage of Americans (studies put the number above 80 percent) have seen their retirement dreams either seriously curtailed or completely squashed. Some have had to come out of retirement to reenter the workforce just to survive, while an equally frightening number will have to work well beyond their originally intended retirement ages. 

Just this past week, all the major indexes shrank sharply, causing a further fracture of many Americans’ nest eggs.

Financial advisors and media money experts routinely offer explanations as to why investors shouldn’t fret losing some money every now and then. Instead, you should focus on the so-called “long term,” when everything will somehow magically work out. I strongly beg to differ. I believe these Monday morning “quarterbacks” – ahem, alleged money “experts” – are ignoring the real fundamentals of investing, even though the fundamentals never change. January will always precede February, just as planting always precedes harvesting.

Anyone with money invested directly in the stock market must understand a few things:

1.      Whenever the market dips, you lose a portion of everything you’ve accumulated up to that point in time (seed money plus interest).

2.      You’ll need a new gain that is much larger than the loss just to break even and return to your pre-loss balance. For instance, a portfolio that loses 33 percent must gain 50 percent (not simply the same 33 percent it lost) just to break even. It’s therefore incredibly difficult to get back to where you were before a loss – something that many folks sadly discover the hard way, only after it occurs.

3.      No one can accurately predict the movements of the stock market beyond what everyone already knows: it may go up or down at any given time.

Remember, again, that these are fundamental, indisputable facts.

Now I’m going to surmise that you’d love to invest in the stock market only when it’s going up and avoid it entirely when it plummets, right? The great news is that over the past 17 years, our clients have been investing their nest eggs precisely that way. They follow a simple, proven, and in my opinion commonsense investing approach that allows them to make money when the market is up without losing a cent when it drops. Here’s how it works.

For starters, all of your seed money is guaranteed from day one, so you are sure not to lose a penny. Then your portfolio's earnings are tied to the appreciation of a stock market index (e.g., the DOW or S&P 500), up to a certain cap. The most powerful thing is that you actually lock in your gains, so you won’t lose anything when the market/index dips, but you gain – up to your cap – when it increases. Best of all, this is not an exotic deal reserved for a special group of investors – anyone can employ it.

Isn’t this how you should invest the money you can’t afford to lose?

If you’re tired of the investing rollercoaster and would like to explore some proven alternatives that other folks are already using to protect and grow their wealth in this new economy, please contact us today at 877.656.9111 or  LaserFG.com. Your consultation will be complimentary with zero obligation; we don’t expect you to buy a thing from us.

Your retirement is certain – shouldn’t your nest egg be, too?

Exercise your right to VOTE!

Exercise your right to VOTE!

If you havenʼt already done so, I strongly encourage you to vote this Tuesday! Like most average Americans, I havenʼt much enjoyed “the politics” of this campaign season. To be completely honest, I’m thrilled it’s going to be all over – at least for a while – this week. 

However, as someone who grew up in South-Saharan Africa, I can’t even begin to tell you the power we have as Americans – not just by voting, but because our votes actually count. Believe it or not, outside of this country, many political systems don’t even allow their citizens to pick their leaders. While many allow voting, there’s so much fraud that the will of the people doesn’t matter if it runs counter to the desires of those in control.

You likely know these things already, but I don’t think most Americans truly understand the power they have to vote under the Constitution of this great nation, or the system that was put in place by the Founders to ensure that those votes would matter.

If you need help finding your polling location, this link has a contact list for every state.

Let’s go do it, folks! And may God continue to bless America and make it prosperous and strong forever!

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This public service information is brought to you today by Samuel N. Asare and the professional financial strategists at Laser Financial Group. Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation today! Call us at 877.656.9111 or visit us on the web.