So President Obama wants to end so-called “tax loopholes” for American oil and gas companies? Sounds like a good idea, until you learn that what the President is really asking. The “Close the Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act” essentially asks American taxpayers and businesses to shoulder the economic brunt of the administration’s ambitious green energy objectives.

Here’s a sobering statistic: 46 percent of workers surveyed had little or no confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. So you may want to explore all possible retirement savings vehicles —including a variable annuity.

You’re probably accustomed to measuring the progress of your investments, and the overall condition of the investment world, by checking on indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. And since these types of benchmarks focus almost exclusively on American companies, you might get the idea that the best investments are located right here in the United States. But that impression would be false — because there is, literally, a world of investment opportunities beyond the U.S. borders.

You probably aren’t too worried about it, but April is Stress Awareness Month. Each year, the Health Resource Network sponsors this “month” to inform people about the dangers of stress and to share successful coping strategies. Obviously, it’s important to reduce stress in all walks of life — including your investment activities. How can you cut down on the various stresses associated with investing?

Life is full of ups and downs — and the financial markets are no different. As an investor, you’re no doubt happy to see the “ups” — but the “downs” can seem like a real downer. Isn’t there any way to help smooth out the volatility in your investment portfolio?

As an investor, you may find that bonds can be a valuable part of your holdings. But there’s more than one way to own bonds, so you’ll want to be familiar with the various investment vehicles available — because the more you know, the better the choices you’ll be able to make.

If you’re planning to get remarried, you have plenty of company: More than 40 percent of all U.S. weddings are second marriages for at least one of the participants, according to an estimate by the National Stepfamily Resource Center. Naturally, a second marriage will bring many changes to your life — not the least of which may be changes in your financial strategy and goals.

In Europe, the financial crisis drags on. China’s economic growth has slowed from “wow” to “ho-hum.” Here at home, we’ve seen heated political debates over taxes, spending and deficit reduction. Taken together, these factors have created a “fog of uncertainty” that has left many investors in the dark about their next moves. But is this “fog” really impenetrable — or can you, as an individual investor, see through it to a place of clarity?

In Europe, the financial crisis drags on. China’s economic growth has slowed from “wow” to “ho-hum.” Here at home, we’ve seen heated political debates over taxes, spending and deficit reduction. Taken together, these factors have created a “fog of uncertainty” that has left many investors in the dark about their next moves. But is this “fog” really impenetrable — or can you, as an individual investor, see through it to a place of clarity?

These days, you can go online and invest, for modest fees. You can also visit various websites for research and watch numerous cable shows for investment recommendations. So, why shouldn’t you be a “do-it-yourself” investor rather than work with a financial professional?

Not all households have two wage earners. By choice or circumstance, either you or your spouse may be out of the work force for an extended period of time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make progress toward your joint financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement. It does mean, however, that you need to carefully review your situation and make the right financial moves.

In the past few years, Americans have done a pretty good job of whittling down their debt load. If you’re in this group, you may now have a chance to use your lower level of indebtedness to your advantage — by investing for the future.

If you’re somewhat familiar with investing, you probably have heard that owning mutual funds is a good way to help diversify your portfolio. Is this true? And, if so, how should you go about selecting the right mutual funds?

As an investor, you can sometimes feel you’re at the mercy of forces beyond your control. This may be especially true today, when the entire country appears to be on edge about the approaching “fiscal cliff.” What can you do in the face of such a dire prediction?

In the past few years, Americans have done a pretty good job of whittling down their debt load. If you’re in this group, you may now have a chance to use your lower level of indebtedness to your advantage — by investing for the future.

Like every other investor, you prefer not to see the value of your investments drop. But at some point they will fall simply because of the ups and downs of the market. And how you respond to short-term losses can help determine if you enjoy long-term investment success.

(480) 706-0327

Over the past several years, you might have heard about socially responsible investing, sometimes known as “sustainable investing” or “ethical investing.” Probably the most common way to take part in this type of investing is through socially responsible mutual funds — but are these funds suitable for your overall financial goals?

If you work for a medium-size or large organization, you may well be entering that time of year known as “open enrollment.” While it may not be as dramatic as last week’s election, open enrollment will provide you with some choices that can have a big impact on your life.

A presidential election is almost upon us. But if you have young children or grandchildren, you know what’s really important this week is Butterfingers, not ballots, and Pop Rocks, not the popular vote. Yes, it’s Halloween time again, which means you’ll see plenty of witches and vampires scurrying around. You’ll no doubt find these characters more amusing than frightening, but you don’t have to look far to find things that are a bit more alarming — such as these scary investment moves:

Election Day is drawing near. As a citizen, you’ll want to cast your ballot for those candidates who best represent your views on a range of important issues. But as an investor, you might be wondering how the election’s outcome might affect one specific area — your financial outlook.

As an investor, you can sometimes still feel you’re at the mercy of forces beyond your control. This may be especially true today, when the Federal Reserve has warned of an approaching “fiscal cliff.” What can you do in the face of such a dire prediction?

If you’re planning to get remarried, you have plenty of company: More than 40 percent of all U.S. weddings are second marriages for at least one of the participants, according to an estimate by the National Stepfamily Resource Center. Naturally, a second marriage will bring many changes to your life — not the least of which may be changes in your financial strategy and goals.

Have you recently received a pension buyout offer? If so, you need to decide if you should take the buyout, which could provide you with a potentially large lump sum, or continue accepting your regular pension payments for the rest of your life. It’s a big decision.

We’re in the “Dog Days” of summer — traditionally the hottest, steamiest time of year. But in a few weeks, the temperatures will begin to cool down. Nature isn’t alone in this heating-and-cooling pattern — you can also find evidence of it in the investment world. To be specific, today’s “hot” investments can lose their sizzle quickly — which means that, as an investor, you’ll need to take steps to avoid being left out in the cold.