John Osbon's Posts

Where, you might ask?  Look at the Social Security website and online benefits calculator from an asset point of view.  Since the Social Security administration stopped sending out paper statements to you on your birthday, you can now go online and get personal benefit information along with valuable extras.  13 million people have already registered and collected their data.  One…

Make it personal If you’ve ever used a power saw, food processor, or lawn mower, you know that the right tool makes any job much easier and faster.  That’s the spirit behind the interactive, personalized tools in the Osbon Labs. With a few clicks of the mouse these tools will help you better understand your own financial situation and plan for…

The relentless search for “better” is a basic, and essential, human instinct. We want better shelter, better food, better people in our lives. We want better goods and services so badly that entire industries have developed to create, advertise and sell them.  We strongly encourage all investors to seek and demand better. Considering the time we spend choosing restaurants, detergent…

More than 20 Boston area companies have been acquired so far this year. Almost all were privately held. When you are acquired, it’s not just a life-changing liquidity event, it’s validation of your business model and a hard-earned reward for your ideas and long hours. In the big deal, you’ll receive cash, stock and/or incentives to continue working. Then what?Based…

Are you considering a new investment advisor? Or reflecting on an existing investment relationship? Or just wondering if you are getting the best for your money? Then use this six question investment checkup checklist as your guide. Ask your current advisor and any prospective advisor.  By the time you are done, you’ll know if you and your money are in…

Summer is a great time to accomplish things; it’s more relaxed and you have more time. With time to focus and prioritize, why not put the most important person – you – first? Here are five tasks with long and short-term payoffs for your to-do list. 1. Cut your taxes Let’s get started with the easy steps, like cutting taxes….

Active investors are at it again Underperforming, that is. According to the Wall Street Journal, 74 percent of actively managed large cap funds are lagging the S&P 500.   The Journal’s story, “Stock Pickers Have Tough Time in 2014” lists the usual reasons active managers underperform such as market timing, high costs, wrong guesses and overconfidence in forecasting. Even the weather…

Investment fitness never goes out of style The last time I wrote about investment fitness, I suggested that the best time to put your portfolio into order and balance was during good times, because it can be difficult and expensive to accomplish during market turmoil. As it turned out, that was November 30, 2007, shortly after the Dow crested over 14,000…