Howard Schwartz

Comments

• I do not like dividends and I am not alone. Dividends do not increase your wealth. They result in double taxation since they are paid out of corporate profits after taxes and then taxed again when you receive them. There is an ETF run by Roundhill, XDIV, that indexes the S&P 500 without paying dividends. If you are not convinced yet, look at how Berkshire Hathaway has performed without ever paying a dividend. Warren Buffet does however buy back shares when they are attractively priced. That makes sense to me as it does not result in unnecessary taxes.

  Post: I will still take the dividends

  Link to comment from September 14, 2026

• My wife and I made a deal in 1982 when we got married. We would contribute to whatever workplace plans we had available to get the maximum employer contributions. These started out as traditional profit-sharing plans and converted to 401(k) plans when they became available. I insisted on investing 100% in the stock funds available and it worked out great since we mostly contributed six percent and received four percent from the employers. We spent all the rest of the money as we had a house and children to support and when we had extra money, it went into college funds and an emergency fund. BTW, the success of this non-plan plan had a lot to do with the start of a generational bull market in stocks. Never confuse brains with a bull market.

  Post: Locking it in

  Link to comment from September 9, 2026

• I'm from North Jersey so it's Taylor Ham (which I have never eaten).

  Post: The best state to retire? Take a close look.

  Link to comment from September 7, 2026

• With all the complaining New Jerseyans do about our high property taxes, according to WalletHub we are eighth in total tax burden. Not great but not apocalyptic either. New Jersey usually is in the top three in income and almost 10% of taxpayers have a net worth over $1,000,000 leading the nation. The reason I live here is simple; I have always lived here, and I know where everything is.

  Post: The best state to retire? Take a close look.

  Link to comment from September 6, 2026

• We sold our home of 32 years last September. It had a large, moist basement and two attics. When we negotiated with the builder for our new home, I insisted on not ordering a basement. It cost $45,000 extra and one of the reasons we moved was to avoid stairs. My wife reluctantly agreed but it was the right decision. BTW, I found a box in the basement of the old home that we moved in 1993 and had never opened.

  Post: Make the Attic Great Again

  Link to comment from September 1, 2026

• Thanks for this thought-provoking article. Predicting the future is tricky, especially when confronted with such a complicated decision, which I think may be the hardest to get right due to all of the inputs that need to be considered. When I reached age 63, I subscribed to MaxiFi because it offered an ability to perform the needed calculations. After considerable data input and getting instructions on how to get the answers I needed, I finally was told it did not matter if I converted my substantial traditional IRA to a Roth. My financial situation would be so close with the conversion or without that it was a toss-up. So, I did several small conversions that converted about 20% of the traditional IRA. Was it a good decision? Who knows. At least my children will probably inherit some money tax free at my inevitable demise.

  Post: Traditional or Roth

  Link to comment from September 1, 2026

• I think that nominal bonds are heading for trouble. Inflation protected bonds and senior floating rate loan funds may be a better choice right now.

  Post: Federal debt

  Link to comment from August 20, 2026

• This creative accounting by our elected leaders is not limited to the Federal government. I live and pay taxes in New Jersey where the future unfunded liabilities for state worker pensions and retiree healthcare expenses are around $162 billion. That is over $42,000 per taxpayer. I guess I should be thankful I don't live in Illinois, where it is even worse.

  Post: The Federal Debt and Social Security Payments

  Link to comment from August 20, 2026

• The maximum Social Security benefit in 2026 for someone who made more than the taxable wage base for at least 35 years and retired at age 70 is an astounding $5,181 monthly or $62,172 annually. Ida May Fuller of Ludlow Vermont received the first Social Security benefit check in 1940. It was $22.54. Feckless politicians of all political parties caused Social Security's problems. Now, feckless politicians of all political parties need to repair the problems their forbears caused. I don't mind paying taxes. I wish I paid $1,000,000 annually. What I do mind is the feckless politicians continually changing the rules.

  Post: Income taxes on retirees with Social Security

  Link to comment from August 18, 2026

• This is good to know for Medicare Advantage participants. The choice to take original Medicare or Advantage can be difficult, depending on where you live. My wife and I both chose original Medicare eight years ago even though it cost more. I was diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago and am glad I can choose any physician who accepts Medicare. Sometimes cost is not the most important consideration. If you don't get sick, it doesn't matter much which plan you choose.

  Post: Medicare Advantage Part C — Not too soon to start planning for 2027

  Link to comment from August 14, 2026