The bottom line: The simplest step would be to dismantle the Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA. But while there is a bill with growing support that would repeal the law, called the Respect for Marriage Act, it seems unlikely to get far in Congress. Instead, legal experts and gay advocates say, their better course is through the courts.

There are some landmark cases making their way through the system:  The plaintiffs in two separate cases — which include seven couples and three individuals who have been denied federal benefits like Social Security payments and the right to file taxes jointly — prevailed in a lower court in Boston in 2010.

If the plaintiffs prevail, their victory should extend to all same-sex couples in the jurisdiction covered by the appeals court  — which includes Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where gay marriage is legal; Rhode Island, which allows civil unions; and Maine and Puerto Rico. That means they would be eligible for federal benefits and the “full respect and recognition of the federal government” that heterosexual married couples receive.

Then talk with your financial planner to see how the projected expense fits in with the rest of your retirement planning: DON”T just buy it from a salesperson, no matter how nice or knowledgeable they are: you need the whole picture to make a good decision.

Please read this article before you visit with me or any other financial planner. I am happy to review it with you as well.  For the record, I charge by the hour for advice, as does the author, which while not being a perfect compensation model, does a reasonably good job aligning my clients’ interests with my own.

Some of the best advice given in this article is to understand your planner’s compensation model, so you can objectively evaluate his/her advice to you.  The other point he makes, which should really keep you out of trouble, is to make sure you completely understand any recommended investment and how it fits with your investing objectives.  If you can’t describe the investment to a good friend, then maybe you shouldn’t be buying it!

It is not a move for the faint-hearted, however.  You should be an experienced real esate investor, and understand the strict limitations set by the IRS for self-directed investments within your IRA.

Obviously it would be alot better if spouses had open and honest communication, but then they wouldn’t be getting divorced….right?

A very well researched article from the Wall Street Journal on private vs. federally funded sudent loans.  Watch the videos as well.

The author of this Smart Money article makes a very worthwhile point, which is that housing has a “functional” or “use” value.  It is not necessarily an “investment”- and forecasts show that you would be  doing great if your home appreciated with the rate of inflation- currently about 2.2%.

I sure hope he is wrong, but the statistics are overwhelming: we are at the beginning of a retirement crisis for the baby boomer generation.  We should be praying for good  health long into our golden years- we will need it to keep working and funding our retirement!

Come talk to me or Sam if you need help deciding what to do with your current allocations in your retirement plan .