Tag Archives: Phil Cannella

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Elucidates on the Responsibilities of Wielding the Sword of Truth

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella has a system that he has built and refined over the years that is built on the very foundation of truth. But what does “wielding the Sword of truth” really mean? I think of a knight in shining armor gallivanting around the country side in days gone by. Is this what is meant? The answer to this question comes from Phil Cannella himself. He says, “Wielding the Sword of Truth means I always deal from a position of Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Strikes Out At the Lies

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella is diametrically opposed to those who purvey lies in order to serve their own ends. In Phil Cannella’s books, there is no greater harm that one can do in the financial industry than to take advantage of the ignorance of the many to line one’s own pockets. Phil Cannella disagrees with the way financial services are offered to seniors for it preys on this ignorance to make a gain for oneself. Phil Cannella sees little benefit for the Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Shows Us the Power of the Sword of Truth

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella has a Sword of Truth. To some this may sound like no more than a marketing slogan. If it were just a slogan we would have to question why it is so successful, for only truth begets success. We asked Phil Cannella what exactly is the Sword of Truth? “The Sword of Truth represents the philosophies by which I choose to live and is a simple yet powerful concept. It is a double-edged sword; one edge represents accurate Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Talks About Truth

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella has a powerful tool in his arsenal and that tool is “truth.” Now that word has boggled philosopher’s minds for centuries upon centuries who are always seeking to uncover basic truths of the universe. For Phil Cannella it is about providing the truth in terms of the real facts of the financial world and real solutions to the issues facing the American retiree. When someone lies, they are doing a disservice, not only to the person they are Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Explains the Sword of Truth

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella utters some deep words when he says that he wields the Sword of Truth. What exactly is that you may ask? In the words of Phil Cannella himself, “in my personal life, as in my financial practice, I have strived to wield what I call the Sword of Truth. The Sword of Truth represents the philosophies by which I choose to live and is a simple yet powerful concept. It is a double-edged sword; one edge represents accurate Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Talks About the Tax-Addicted IRS

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella, like many of us, is not too fond of the IRS. Why should we be? We work hard every day just to make ends meet and then see a large portion of our paycheck taken away from us without our volition. Compare this to what Phil Cannella says about the stock market, which can wipe out your savings in one fell swoop. So which one is worse, the IRS or the stock market? Who knows. But Phil Cannella Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Shows You How to Escape Unnecessary Taxation

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News: Phil Cannella knows how to help you reduce your taxes in a legal way! While many can help you reduce your taxes by using methods that may not pass an IRS audit, Phil Cannella can do quote the opposite. His methods are right in keeping with IRS laws and regulations. This is what makes Phil Cannella such a popular public speaker. He has these golden nuggets of valuable information that he provides to his audience to help them with real Read More +

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella in the News: Phil Cannella Boosts his Efforts to Educate in 2014

Phil Cannella – Phillip Cannella News:  Phil Cannella has maintained a mission to educate Americans on the little known investment options available to them that are truly Crash Proof, meaning even in a financial crisis your retirement finances are safe. Coming off of record breaking bull market in 2013, Phil Cannella’s expert opinion is that markets are primed for a correction, or even a crash. Phil Cannella has assumed the personal obligation to do everything in his power to spread his knowledge of these Crash Proof Read More +

Why Phil Cannella Chooses to Educate

Phil Cannella recognizes that Wall Street has dominated to the financial services industry for decades, and therefore most consumers associate all financial services with Wall Street. Phil Cannella has built his career in the financial services industry, but he is in no way associated with Wall Street. In fact, Phil Cannella stand strong as a consumer advocate, protecting seniors from the dangers of Wall Street. Instead, Phil Cannella has focused his services on safer financial sectors that can provide consumers with guarantees, not just empty Read More +

Phil Cannella Strives to Inspire

Phil Cannella is most recognized as being one of the nation’s leading financial advisors when dealing exclusively with retirement assets. However, there is a side to Phil Cannella that simply cannot be conveyed on a resume. It is his dedication to inspiring those around him that truly makes Phil Cannella successful, not just in his career but in his life. Examples of his inspiring nature can be found by talking to just about anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes with him. “Whether it Read More +

Phil Cannella on Voice of Reason with Larry Kane

Retirement Phase Expert Phil Cannella appears on Larry Kane’s “Voice of Reason” as an expert panelist along with Temple University’s Dr. Bruce Rader and Senior Economist Ryan Sweet of Moody’s Analytics. The men discussed topics that concern retirees, like scandals on Wall Street, Risk and Retirement, and Financial Literacy.

Phil Cannella Action News ABC

Phil Cannella on ABC Action News [youtube id=”Wif4HkSeyOk” width=”685″ height=”385″] Joann Small and Phil Cannella of First Senior Financial Group and Retirement Media, Inc. respectively, made a very generous donation to the American Red Cross to aid in Hurricane Sandy Relief. The donation was made on behalf of all who attended the most recent Crash Proof Retirement educational event at Adelphia Restaurant in Deptford, NJ.

Phil Cannella on TV Fox 29

Phil Cannella on Fox29 [youtube id=”fZ1LWZeiQr0″ width=”685″ height=”385″] Phil Cannella, founder and then CEO of First Senior Senior Financial Group, gives pointers on coping with the ongoing recession in a FOX interview, dated August 15, 2010. Today Mr. Phil Cannella is founder and CEO of Retirement Media, Inc., dedicated to reporting “Truth for the American Retiree.”

Phil Cannella in The Media

Phil Cannella has gained attention over the years as a notable Retirement Expert and Senior Advocate. As with any worthy mission, Phil Cannella’s dedication to bringing truth and logic into an otherwise corrupt financial industry has not gone unnoticed. Whether it is an appearance on major networks sharing his expert insight or news coverage of the many charitable events he has conducted, Phil Cannella is no stranger to the media. Along with his frequent appearances in the media, Phil Cannella is also a beloved radio personality Read More +

Phil Cannella Continues to seek Compliance with IRA Law

Phil Cannella and First Senior Financial Group are required to maintain their insurance licenses by continuing their education through at least 24 hours of credits every two years.  These credits must be earned through a state approved facility such as a university or other professional establishment.  This is a requirement by law to maintain all licenses and keep up with new the rules and regulations of the IRS. Phil Cannella goes one step further by requiring each licensed employee complete additional IRS training every year Read More +

Phil Cannella Provides Free Review Service to all Clients

All clients of First Senior Financial Group and Phil Cannella are provided with a free review service at the headquarters office which is located in King of Prussia, PA.  The review team is comprised of salaried employees who are licensed professionals whose main purpose is to help educate and recommend crediting methods for the upcoming year.  Other services include help with implementing income needs or protecting additional funds from market risk. The review team works day in and day out with the contractual agreements that Read More +

Phil Cannella Protects Clients through Recorded Lines

Phil Cannella prides himself in being a consumer advocate and proves this by recording all of the phone calls in and out of First Senior Financial Group.  The recorded lines help protect the clients from any kind of corruption or misinformation.  The analysts and review team are all held accountable for their actions and what is said to clients; Phil Cannella holds them to this. The recorded lines are a more of a benefit for the client than for the firm.  Should a conflict of Read More +

Phil Cannella Provides a Fiduciary Responsibility

First Senior Financial Group and its founder, Phil Cannella, have a salaried Design Team that is utilized to provide a fiduciary responsibility to all of its clients.  Most financial advisors pick out investment instruments that benefit them more than it does the consumer.  Phil Cannella avoids this by employing a licensed staff who analyze and chose the investment vehicles based on a client’s needs, including but not limited to asset level, income needs, and the desire intent of the funds. The Design Team is paid Read More +

Phil Cannella Educates on a Roth IRA Conversion

Phil Cannella is all too familiar with a common saying that most people have heard before “there are two things certain in life, death and taxes.”  Although this is true and no one can live forever, there are ways to help reduce taxes to the American Retiree and Phil Cannella wants to share that secret. The IRS has something called a Roth IRA which is essentially an after-tax IRA.  A Traditional IRA is all pre-tax dollar contributions that at some point must be taxed in Read More +

Phil Cannella Shares a very little known IRS Rule

The IRS is full of all sort of different rules and regulations which Phil Cannella strives to keep up with.  One little unknown secret that Phil Cannella educates consumers on is called the exclusion ratio.  This rule will allow a person to receive a tax efficient income over a period certain time frame. This rule, however, only applies to Non-Qualified funds. The exclusion ratio utilizes your funds in a way in which the principal and interest earnings are paid out on a pro-rated basis.  Normal Read More +

Phil Cannella Starts 2014 in a Huge Way

Founder of First Senior Financial Group and the Crash Proof Retirement Show, Phil Cannella, recently hosted their first educational event for the 2014 year at the William Penn Inn.  Phil Cannella was accompanied by 200 concerned retirees that enjoyed a remarkable education and free dinner.  The event included exclusive interviews from several U.S. government and economic officials which have never been seen before. These interviews voiced the concerns of the current weak economy and the corruptions of Wall Street.  Phil Cannella thoroughly educated the attendees Read More +

Phil Cannella Emphasizes No Risk

First Senior Financial Group and its founder, Phil Cannella, pride themselves in their ability to safely invest the American Retiree’s nest egg.  Phill Cannella utilizes the Life Insurance Industry’s contractual agreements in order to capture interest in up markets but also preserve the principal should the markets correct or devalue.  It’s all very simple really. The Life Insurance Industry allows an investor to track the gains in the market with not actually being invested in the market through contractual agreements.  These contracts allow the investor Read More +

Phil Cannella Speaks about the Roth IRA

Many have heard Phil Cannella on the radio or at educational events speaking about the “Roth IRA” at some point or another, but we all often have more questions. In this Q&A interview, Phil Cannella answers the questions about the Roth IRA that a lot of us have had all along.   Question: We hear a lot about the difference between a regular IRA and a Roth in terms of wealth preservation. Could you clarify? Phil Cannella: It’s simple. If you want to preserve as Read More +

Who is Phil Cannella?

Not long ago, an interviewer asked noted senior advocate and activist Phil Cannella about the early influences that had shaped Phil Cannella’s enormously successful career and fueled his unbridled passion for senior advocacy. Below is an excerpt from this interview that takes a look into what has motivated Phil Cannella to get to where he is today. Q: Tell us about some of your formative influences. Phil Cannella: In the early 1960s, I was 7 years old and living in a row house outside Philadelphia Read More +

Phil Cannella Educates the Consumer

Phil Cannella is a strong believer in education. Even the great minds of the world have devoted much of their time to learning. Discovering new concepts and learning new skills is what empowers every individual in any walk of life. And so it is with Phil Cannella, whose passion is to educate the American retiree so that they can make informed and wise decisions about their finances. Phil Cannella, in his drive to educate, utilizes his weekly Crash Proof Retirement Show® as well as his Read More +

Phil Cannella Dazzles Crowd at Copperfield Inn

People thronged the Copperfield Inn last night to hear Phil Cannella spell out how to Crash Proof™ their nest eggs. The few doubters in the crowd quickly became believers as Phil Cannella hit them with a treasure trove of invaluable tips to prevent the deterioration of their accounts. We hear frequently from our consumers on how they lost their hard earned dollars on the stock market. It is a sad commentary of the greed that has beset Wall Street. Members of the audience were surrounding Read More +

Phil Cannella Exposes the SEC

Attend one of Phil Cannella’s educational events, you’ll hear a few things about the Securities and Exchange Commission, better known as the SEC. It is that agency of the US Government whose primary responsibility is monitoring and regulating the securities industry, Wall Street, etc. The SEC was created after the 1929 Stock Market crash that brought about the Great Depression. In fact, when you attend one of these events, you will more than likely see an exclusive interview that Phil Cannella conducted with the former Read More +

Phil Cannella On Wall Street

Phil Cannella: A great quote is attributed to Michael Jordan: “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Phil Cannella agrees with this. You won’t achieve your goals in life unless you can get past that barrier, that wall thrown in your path. Phil Cannella Read More +

Phil Cannella Enlightens Thousands

Phil Cannella: “Education is the movement from darkness to light” is a quote attributed to 20th century philosopher, Allan Bloom. It is with these words that Phil Cannella gives such emphasis and focus on educating his consumers. “People are kept in the dark so that they can be taken advantage of” says Phil Cannella when asked why he does what he does. In Phil Cannella’s mind it is more important to educate our citizens so that they can make informed decisions for themselves than it Read More +

Phil Cannella Fights for Freedom

Phil Cannella: “Freedom is never given; it is won” is a famous quote often repeated. People often think of freedom fighters as those who pick up a sword, a gun or a weapon and go out fighting for their country. And some think of those who have risked their lives demonstrating for a worthwhile cause. Many such people truly were freedom fighters. Phil Cannella is such a modern day freedom fighter. He doesn’t use arms or force to wield power. Phil Cannella’s weapon, perhaps the Read More +

Phil Cannella the Educator

Phil Cannella: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” These are famous words of John Dewey, a noted American philosopher of the 19th and 20th century. Words like these couldn’t be more true. When we stop learning, when we stop trying to discover something new, when we stop educating ourselves, what is left to life? Moreover, by educating an individual you are giving him the power to make his own decisions. This is one of the central themes of Phil Cannella’s Crash Read More +

Phil Cannella Goes Down to Washington

Phil Cannella: I believe it was Theodore Roosevelt who said “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” There is one unmistakable attribute of Phil Cannella; he will never do nothing. Standing by the sidelines while someone gets hurt goes against his grain. You won’t see that happening with Phil Cannella around. And so it is as well with people’s finances. Read More +

Phil Cannella Interviews Harry Dent

Phil Cannella: For any of you who do not know, Harry Dent is a renowned economist and best-selling author who uses the science of demographics to predict future market events. Host of The Crash Proof Retirement Show®, Phil Cannella followed how, with uncanny accuracy, Dent predicted the 1990-92 recession; the biggest bull market run in U.S. history and the most recent 2008 credit crisis. Phil Cannella, in his drive to educate retirees everywhere, conducted an interview with Mr. Dent on the current state of the Read More +

Phil Cannella Focuses on Education

Phil Cannella: In this day and age, it is not too difficult to find a Financial Advisor to tell you what to do with your finances. The question really is, can you find a Financial Advisor who is truly concerned and interested in helping you achieve your goals rather than his own bottom line? It is not always easy to tell the difference as both can sound most sincere. Phil Cannella has spent his last 40 years working with senior citizens from all walks of Read More +

Phil Cannella Sees Record Number of Clients

Phil Cannella’s world renowned Crash proof Retirement™ System has now seen a record number of senior citizens protect their hard earned dollars from the perils and risks of Wall Street. First Senior Financial Group holds weekly educational events that Phil Cannella promotes through his weekly radio show, The Crash Proof Retirement Show®. More than 7,000 people registered to attend one of these events in 2013 alone. Once an interested consumer has come to one of Phil Cannella’s events, if he or she expresses further interest Read More +

Phil Cannella Wows Crowd at William Penn Inn

Phil Cannella: 200 people came to the William Penn Inn in Lower Gwynedd, PA to hear Phil Cannella explain how to Crash Proof™ their retirement accounts. The few skeptics in the crowd quickly became believers as Phil Cannella hit them with nuggets of invaluable tips to prevent the erosion of their accounts. As we have heard so often from First Senior Financial Group clients, the risks and perils of Wall Street makes it the wrong place to keep your hard earned dollars if you want Read More +

Phil Cannella on Age Discrimination

Phil Cannella on AGE DISCRIMINATION Each year, more and more seniors decide to suspend retirement and reenter the workforce. Should you find yourself in this situation, it is important to know and understand that there are federal laws to protect you from age discrimination on the job. Phil Cannella explains ADEA The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects both employees and job applicants age 40 and over from discrimination based on age. Employers with 20 or more employees, including state and local Read More +

Phil Cannella on the Different Financial Phases of Life

Phil Cannella: The Accumuation Phase Vs. Retirement Phase The first half of your financial journey is the Accumulation Phase, the first half of your financial life. And the second half is the Retirement Phase, wherein the game will be won or lost for you and your family. Will your money last as long as you? Will you keep your current lifestyle in later years of retirement? Your working years are also known as the accumulation years, in which you need to grow a nest egg Read More +

Phil Cannella Explains Bankruptcy Vs Receivership

Phil Cannella: What retirees need to know about bankruptcy and receivership Financial news stations spout the words bankruptcy and receivership as if their definitions were common knowledge. There are important differences between the terms—especially where retirees are concerned. The most common option for bankruptcy is Chapter 11, or reorganization. Under this option a company continues, rearranges debts by postponing the paying of its bills or by reducing obligations, assets are sold, and proceeds go to creditors. Notice that the process does not necessarily include the Read More +

Phil Cannella on Municipal Bonds for IRAs

Are Municipal Bonds Right for Retirees? Retirees should not hold municipal bonds in an individual retirement account, according to Phil Cannella, IRA expert. The tax-free nature of municipal bonds serves as a major incentive for investors looking to hold long-term assets. However, IRAs are classified as “tax-deferred,” meaning investors must pay taxes when taking money out of an account. “If you place a municipal bond in an IRA, you’ll pay taxes when you cash out of your IRA,” says Phil Cannella. “Municipal bonds work best Read More +

Phil Cannella Warns Seniors about Internet Scams

Phil Cannella has maintained a stance on fighting for the everyday consumer his entire career. By default, that makes those who have made a career from scamming seniors his foes. Wouldn’t we all love to make vast sums of money with the absolute minimal amount of effort? Of course we would. Do we want money flowing into our bank accounts without having to work for it? Absolutely. This is the mantra of every scammer who ever lifted a phone, emailed a phony plea, or offered Read More +

Phil Cannella on the Baby Boomer Crisis

Phil Cannella: “A weak recovery likely, caused by Boomer retirement” It’s not just Phil Cannella saying this, we all know that Baby Boomers are retiring in droves—specifically, the leading edge of an estimated 78 million Boomers turned 65 late 2012. Couple that with a sputtering economic recovery and the news isn’t good for future generations. According to the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, an already lethargic economy may be further slowed as the market becomes glutted with stocks that Boomers are dumping in order to Read More +

Phil Cannella Warns about a Coming Tax Hike

An exclusive interview with Phil Cannella. Phil Cannella, a recognized Senior Advocate and Retirement Expert, spoke with a Philadelphia-area reporter on numerous topics that are of vital interest to retirees. In this portion of the interview, Phil Cannella speaks on the “the looming tax wave,” and how retirees can best protect themselves from the consequences that are sure to follow. Q: Why do you say that the government eventually is going to “come after” retirement accounts? Phil Cannella: Simple—look at the situation. For all intents Read More +

Phil Cannella Shares his Philosophy on Retirement

Phil Cannella, who comes from a background of nearly four decades working with those in or near retirement, shares his unique philosophy on retirement, sculpted from countless hours of getting to know the everyday American and their dreams and views on retirement. Q: Why do you say that retirement funds aren’t just about money? Phil Cannella: It’s simple, and it’s true: The decades you have worked are moments of your time that you have sacrificed for your retirement accounts. They should be deeply personal to you and Read More +

Phil Cannella on the Relationship Between Life and Finances

Another installment of our reporter’s extended interview with noted retirement specialist Phil Cannella, founder and CEO of First Senior Financial Group and host of The Crash Proof Retirement Show™. Q: I’ve heard that you have interesting viewpoints on the relationship between finances and life itself. Phil Cannella: Well, it’s been said that all of life is a cycle. There’s the endless flow of the four seasons. Life newly emerges at springtime, representing a new beginning, like the birth of a child. In the spring of your Read More +

Phil Cannella The Crash Proof Retirement™ Page on CBS Philly

by Phil Cannella For all the longtime listeners of the Crash Proof Retirement Show®, I wanted to direct you to our page on CBS Philly’s Website. Myself and Joann Small have always been pleased to work and broadcast our radio show on the CBS media family and we hope you enjoy listening to us. Now CBS Philly has given us our own personality page, so we hope you’ll take time out of your schedule to take a look and find out more about The Crash Read More +

Phil Cannella: Check Out Transamerica’s 13th Annual Retirement Survey

By Phil Cannella In my efforts to bring you the best, most useful information about retirement, I came across this annual survey conducted by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.  This is a great survey that contains a treasure trove of information that can help anyone in or near retirement prepare for the future.  If you’re interested in reading the full survey, you can find it by clicking here.  I’m sure no matter who you are and what your retirement savings situation, you will find something Read More +

Twitter Causes Stock Market Crash

Photo Credit: Annette Shaff / Shutterstock.com by Phil Cannella If anyone out there is still not convinced that the stock market is too volatile for people in or near retirement, I give you this story: Tuesday afternoon, hackers took over the Twitter account of the Associated Press, an account that nearly one million followers count on to deliver the news in brief. The hackers then sent out a false tweet indicating that the White House had been attacked by bombers (it hadn’t) and that President Read More +

Follow Phil Cannella on Social Media

by Phil Cannella I maintain an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Pheed, so if you’re a fan of Phil Cannella, be sure to check out my Social Media Pages, which are updated every day with great new content. I like to post pictures from events, media coverage, videos from my Youtube channel. I also share news stories and other items that relate to retirees and retirement. I started in this business in the 70s, so it has been amazing to see how rapidly Read More +

New Retirement Blog at RetirementNews.net

by Phil Cannella I wanted to let everyone know about this great new blog at RetirementNews.net. By visiting the site, you can stay up to date on the latest news that affects retirees. Here’s a link to the latest post: RetirementNews.net – New Budget Plan Takes Aim at Retirees In the future, you will see lots more great posts that will clue you in to the topics that are near and dear to retirees. The blog will cover tax law changes, changes in programs like Read More +

The Crash Proof Retirement Show® Outrage of the Week

Today we have a preview of this weekend’s “Outrage of the Week” segment that will air during our Saturday show (11 AM to 1 PM on 1210 WPHT). If you’d like to hear the segment read on the air, tune in on Saturday, when you’ll hear the Outrage of the Week, as well as some great commentary from Phil Cannella, Joann Small and Bob Bumbera on The Crash Proof Retirement Show® Revolving Door Revelations Last week we talked about a report released by the Project Read More +

A Clip from “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane

by Phil Cannella My Crash Proof™ Production Crew at Retirement Media, Inc. put together this video for me the other day and I wanted to share it with you. As you may know, I was invited to appear on “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane, which aired March 17th and 20th on the Comcast Network. On the show, I got the chance to speak to legendary journalist Larry Kane, as well as expert panelists Ryan Sweet, Senior Economist at Moody’s and Dr. Bruce Rader from Read More +

Phil Cannella and Joann Small in Profile Magazine

by Phil Cannella One of the dedicated employees at Retirement Media, Inc. passed this link along to me today, and needless to say I was ecstatic to see that myself, Joann Small, and Crash Proof Retirement™ were being recognized in the media once again. This time, Profile Magazine decided to cover Crash Proof Retirement™, First Senior Financial Group, Retirement Media, Inc. as well as myself and Joann Small. The article starts by talking about my upbringing and the medical emergency that led to me founding Read More +

New POGO Report Highlights Revolving Door Bonuses

by Phil Cannella Our friend Michael Smallberg with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) is back again with another damning report of the Revolving Door between Washington regulators and Wall Street Financial Firms. It seems that not only is the Revolving Door still spinning, but that private firms are also offering their executives big bonuses for taking high-ranking government jobs, bonuses that would not be available to them if they took jobs at competing private sector firms. You may remember Mr. Smallberg from his appearance Read More +

Saturday on The Crash Proof Retirement Show®: Temple University’s Dr. Bruce Rader

by Phil Cannella This Saturday, I have a very special Crash Proof Retirement Show® for my loyal listeners, so make sure to tune in. My guest will be Dr. Bruce Rader, Assistant Professor of Finance from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. For those of you who have been following me, Dr. Rader was one of the other expert panelists invited to appear on Larry Kane’s “Voice of Reason” along with myself and Ryan Sweet, Senior Economist with Moody’s Analytics. We were all invited onto Read More +

New Survey Shows Retirement Confidence is Low

by Phil Cannella The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) released its yearly Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) on Tuesday this week, and the results were not exactly looking rosy. The survey found that retirement confidence took a dip this year, after rising slightly in 2012. It seems that retirees now are much less confident that they will have enough money in their savings to make it through retirement. The EBRI has been conducting the RCS since 1993, measuring confidence about retirement by surveying people in or Read More +

Phil Cannella on “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane Re-Airing on Wednesday

by Phil Cannella I wanted to let all of my listeners, clients and fans know that “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane will be re-airing this Wednesday, March 20th at 5:30 PM on the Comcast Network. That’s Channels 8 and 845 for Comcast subscribers; if you have a different provider, you should check your local listings. Once again, I was honored to be invited to speak to a journalist of Larry Kane’s caliber and also proud to be included in a panel with such respected Read More +

Phil Cannella to Appear on “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane

by Phil Cannella I was ecstatic last week when I found out I was invited to appear on “Voice of Reason” with Larry Kane. Truly, I was honored to be invited to speak with such a legendary journalist for a panel discussion about the current state of the economy. I wanted to let all my readers (and listeners of the Crash Proof Retirement Show®) know about my appearance so they can tune in and watch this Sunday, March 17th at 9:30PM and again on Wednesday, Read More +

Dow Jones Reaches Record High, But Is Your Money Safe?

by Phil Cannella Many news outlets are reporting this morning that the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached a record high (here’s the New York Times’ take on it).  Five years ago, the Dow Jones closed above 14,000, and today it has shattered that record.  But does that mean everything’s fine now, and that it’s safe to put your money at risk on the stock market again? I would say no. At times when the stock market is up, people tend to feel more confident investing Read More +

Will New SEC Chairman Get Tough on Financial Crimes?

by Phil Cannella Not long ago, I wrote about the appointment of Mary Jo White, the new chairman of the SEC.  At the time, I felt it would be good for the SEC to have a chairman at all, regardless of who it was, since the agency was left without a permanent leader for about a month after former Chairman Mary Schapiro resigned early this year.  I also expressed some trepidation, because of White’s background in the private sector as a lawyer working for Wall Read More +

JPMorgan CEO, “We Actually Benefit from Downturns”

You may remember JPMorgan as being one of the major players in the fiscal crisis of 2008.  It was big banks like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and the rest of Wall Street who engineered the subprime mortgage products that wreaked havoc on the housing market, the stock market, and the overall economy.  The CEOs of some of these banks would like to have you believe that they suffered through the recession just like everyone else.  Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, is a bit different Read More +

HSBC Study Shows Millions of Retirees Expect to Outlive Their Nest Eggs

by Phil Cannella I came across an interesting study today which I think is relevant to everyone in or near retirement.  The study, called The Future of Retirement: The Power of Planning (click here to read the report), was conducted by HSBC bank, and has been ongoing since 2005.  The report compiles statistics about retirees and retirement and so far has surveyed over 125,000 people all over the globe.  I wanted to share the report with you because it contains many statistics that reaffirms the things Read More +

A Transcript of Phil Cannella’s Interview with Michael Smallberg of POGO (Part 4)

Today I will be posting the final portion of my interview with Michael Smallberg of the Project on Government Oversight.  For those who haven’t been following along, Mr. Smallberg and I discussed the Revolving Door problem at the SEC, and how it has affected the agency’s ability to regulate effectively.   Phil Cannella: That’s great, I want to congratulate you, you’re saving money with the federal government and the Pentagon, in keeping with your mission.  What would be your mission statement? Michael Smallberg: Generally we Read More +

A Transcript of Phil Cannella’s Interview with Michael Smallberg of POGO (Part 3)

Today I’ve posted part 3 of the transcript of my interview with Michael Smallberg of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO).  POGO has released two reports over the past year or so regarding the Revolving Door problem at the SEC, where former SEC staffers take jobs in the private sector financial industry and use the knowledge they gained working at the SEC to help their new employers navigate around securities regulations.   Michael Smallberg: Its absolutely unfair that you have that kind of senior official Read More +

A Transcript of Phil Cannella’s Interview with Michael Smallberg of POGO (Part 2)

Exactly one week ago, The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) released its second report on the Revolving Door at the Securities and Exchange Commission.  POGO found that former SEC employees had testified on behalf of the financial industry hundreds of times leading up to (and after) the financial crisis of 2008.  I felt the release of this report was the perfect time to revisit the groundbreaking interview I conducted with Michael Smallberg, an investigator with POGO, during which we discussed the Revolving Door and its Read More +

A Transcript of Phil Cannella’s Interview with Michael Smallberg of POGO

If you read my blog post yesterday, you’ll remember that I spoke to Michael Smallberg of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) early in 2012 about the revolving door between the SEC and the private sector financial industry.  I wanted to give you a transcript of that interview in case you weren’t able to listen to it, or would rather read it in text form.  I’ll be posting the transcript in sections over the next few days to make it easier to read and digest. Read More +

Phil Cannella Interviews Michael Smallberg of POGO

With the release of a new report on Monday by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), it only makes sense to revisit Phil Cannella’s interview with Michael Smallberg of POGO.  Mr. Smallberg is an investigator at the organization, which seeks to advocate for stricter regulations preventing the Revolving Door Between the SEC and the private sector financial industry.  The second of two POGO reports was released this week and outlines specific instances where the revolving door may have influenced the outcome of SEC matters. When Read More +

More Revolving Door Horror Stories

In yesterday’s post, we talked about a new report by the Project on Government Oversight that reveals the true extent of the revolving door from Wall Street to the SEC and vice-versa.  Well as I’ve dug further into the report, I’ve picked out some interesting anecdotes to share with you that really demonstrate how bad this problem is, and how it has influenced the outcomes of many investigations into the criminal activities of Wall Street. Mary Schapiro’s Money Market Investigation gets Derailed The POGO report Read More +

Phil Cannella Exposes the Revolving Door

Phil Cannella has made it his life’s work to investigate flaws within the systems that impact the lives of the everyday consumer. You’ve probably heard me talk about the revolving door before.  That’s when employees of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) leave their jobs to take new ones in the private sector financial industry.  It seems fine until you realize that the SEC is supposed to be regulating that very industry, and yet its employees routinely drop out and take up (usually higher-paying) jobs Read More +

Phil Cannella on PhillyAdClub.com

As part of the 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon, Phil Cannella, Joann Small, and the Crash Proof Retirement™ Team once again made a big splash by being the largest single donors of the event.  Cannella and his team even managed to top their previous donations, made in 2010 and 2011, of $50,000 by donating a jaw-dropping $65,000 to benefit the kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Philly Ad Club picked up the Radiothon story and posted it on their website (click here Read More +

Phil Cannella Warns: Watch Out for Identity Theft

Phil Cannella recognizes the dangers of identity theft, and hopes to bring awareness of this issue to seniors. I read an interesting blog post today, and it reminded me of a problem that’s becoming all too common these days:  Tax Refund Identity Fraud (click here to read the blog post). This occurs when someone files a fraudulent tax return using your information, and then collects the resulting refund.  The problem with this scam, and the reason it’s so hard to detect, is because the person Read More +

Cadillac Jack Speaks about Phil Cannella’s Donation

Phil Cannella, Joann Small, and the Crash Proof Retirement Team made a generous donation to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).  The difference this year?  They made an even larger donation than they have made in past years. The donation was made as part of the WOGL 98.1 Loves Our Kids Radiothon, which provides donations for CHOP every year, helping the kids there get the care they so desperately need.  The 2012 Radiothon brought in a total of $658,272 for a worthy cause, and the Read More +

Phil Cannella Warns About Ratings Agencies

Phillip Cannella warns investors to be cautious of investment rating agencies. Just five short years after Wall Street and ratings agencies worked together to defraud American investors, the U.S. government is finally getting around to doing something about it.  The government announced it will be suing the parent company of ratings agency Standard and Poor’s for fraud, a charge they absolutely deserve. You see, in 2008, Wall Street firms were working hard developing subprime mortgage products like Collateralized Debt Obligations.  These subprime products packaged risky Read More +

Phil Cannella in the Delco Times

Much was written about Phil Cannella, Joann Small, and Crash Proof Retirement after their participation in the 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon that raised $658,272 for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Their generosity earned them a lot of attention from the local press, spawning several stories.  Follow the link below to see coverage of the event in the Delaware County Daily Times (Delco Times). Click here to see coverage of Phil Cannella and Joann Small in the Delco Times Cannella and Small have become Read More +

Phil Cannella on the Treasury Department

Phil Cannella Keeps a Watchful Eye on the Federal Agencies Governing the People he Stands to Defend. I came across this story today, and needless to say, I was not happy about what I found.  It seems that the U.S. Department of the Treasury, under the leadership of Tim Geithner, allowed executive pay raises and ridiculously large pay packages at several companies that got bailouts.  These companies included AIG, Ally Financial (previously known as GMAC), and our old pal General Motors. How could anyone justify Read More +

Phil Cannella at the 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon

Pictured above:  Phil Cannella and Bob Pantano This year’s 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon was a resounding success, thanks to the efforts of so many local personalities who lent their names to a great cause.  Members of WOGL’s morning show, “The Breakfast Club” were on hand to help out with the festivities, including hosts Ross Brittain and Valerie Knight.  Beloved radio personality Bob Pantano also helped out with the event, which benefits Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, by holding the event in conjunction with one Read More +

Phil Cannella Speaks on the New SEC Chair

Phil Cannella I’ve been saying for years how the SEC needs effective leadership to do the job that we as taxpayers pay them to do.  You may remember my groundbreaking interview with former SEC Inspector General H. David Kotz, in which he said that the SEC had management problems that made it difficult for them to regulate effectively. Of course, when he made that statement, he was referring to then SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, who stepped down as of December 14th, 2012.  Since then, the Read More +

Phil Cannella Speaks at One of the Largest Educational Events Ever

After taking a brief hiatus over the holiday season, Phil Cannella burst back onto the scene with his usual vigor and flair for the dramatic.  He spoke at an educational event at the William Penn Inn in Lower Gwynedd, PA on Tuesday January 22nd to one of the largest crowds in the history of First Senior Financial Group’s educational event series. The William Penn event attracted retirees  from all over Montgomery County and surrounding areas, who showed up to hear Phil Cannella deliver a talk Read More +

Fiscal Cliff Delays Tax Season

by Phil Cannella For anyone who was wondering when they can file their taxes this year, wonder no more.  Tax season has been postponed slightly, due the battle over the fiscal cliff early in 2013. Since the IRS needed to time update their tax laws, they will not be accepting returns until January 30th this year.  This applies to anyone filing a 1040 EZ form; others may have to wait longer.  So if you’re one of those diligent folks who gets right to work on Read More +

Crash Proof Retirement Team Makes Donation to CHOP

Never one to take his success for granted, Phil Cannella is always looking for ways to give back to the community.  That’s why he teamed up with Joann Small, CEO of First Senior Financial Group, and the Crash Proof Retirement Team to contribute to 98.1 WOGL’s Loves Our Kids Radiothon.  To date, Phil Cannella and Joann Small are the leading single donors to the event, contributing $65,000 in 2012. The $65,000 donation for 2012 brings the grand total to $165,000 for the Crash Proof Retirement Read More +

Phil Cannella: JPMorgan CEO Gets a Pay Cut

by Phil Cannella For once in the history of Wall Street firms, a CEO is being taken to task for creating huge losses that cost investors billions.  In his years as a Senior Advocate, Phil Cannella has seen investment firm CEOs tank their own companies, and get huge bonuses for doing it.  Now, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan will be taking a pay cut for failing to keep tabs on a trader who created $6  billion in losses. The rogue trader, known only as “the Read More +

Phil Cannella Participates in Charity Radiothon

Phil Cannella was once again a fixture at the 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon when First Senior Financial Group and Crash Proof Retirement Teamed up to donate $65,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).  On hand to receive the donation were CHOP employees and members of the CBS radio team, including WOGL FM’s Vice President and General Manager Jim Loftus. Phil Cannella and Joann Small are no strangers to CHOP events, as they have been the largest single donors to the charitable event Read More +

Phil Cannella: Taking Death Distributions from Inherited IRAs

We’re back again with more great tips from Phil Cannella on taking death distributions from Traditional IRAs. We talked last week about Required Minimum Distributions and how they can affect you if you have a Traditional IRA. We also talked a little bit about the Required Beginning Date (RBD), which is the date when you would be required to begin taking an RMD. The RBD falls on April 1st after the IRA owner reaches age 70½. That’s for an IRA that you own. But what Read More +

Regulators Finally Get Tough with Mortgage Lenders

Phil Cannella has been saying for years that the regulators aren’t regulating banks and financial firms, which is what allowed them to cause the mortgage bubble that crashed the U.S. economy in 2008.  Now, five years after the crisis began, regulators are finally putting requirements into place that will help stem the tide of faulty mortgages that brought the housing market to its knees.  These new restrictions, introduced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), require banks to determine if the people to whom they Read More +

Phil Cannella on 6ABC Action News

  In keeping with his tradition of philanthropy, Phil Cannella and Joann Small teamed up with the Crash Proof Retirement Team to make a generous donation to the Red Cross.  The money will go towards helping those who lost so much during Hurricane Sandy. Phil Cannella has always called the Greater Philadelphia area his home, which is why the damage done in New Jersey and Pennsylvania affected him in a very personal way.  That’s why he and Joann Small took it upon themselves to come Read More +

Phil Cannella: Taking Death Distributions from Inherited IRAs

  Phil Cannella:  Master IRA Advisor Taking Death Distributions from Inherited IRAs In his 38 years as a Master IRA Advisor, Phil Cannella has seen it all.  People use many different methods to plan for retirement, but today one of the more common ways to save is by contributing money to an IRA.  If you’re in or near retirement, your spouse probably has some money in an IRA.  Have you ever thought about what you would do if your spouse passed away and left you Read More +

Phil Cannella and Joann Small Present Check to Red Cross

  Phil Cannella presented a check for $12,500 to the Red Cross South Jersey Chapter to aid in the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  New Jersey was particularly hard hit by the storm, which left residents without power for long periods of time and caused many to lose their homes and businesses. The check presentation was made at a Crash Proof Retirement educational event held at Adelphia Restaurant in Deptford, New Jersey.  Phil Cannella speaks at these weekly events, educating people in or Read More +

Phil Cannella and Crash Proof Retirement Make Donation to CHOP

As part of his work with the 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon chartiable event, Phil Cannella was on hand with his radio show co-host Joann Small to present a check for $65,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on behalf of First Senior Financial Group, the company he founded, and of the Crash Proof Retirement Show.  This donation marks the biggest donation yet for Crash Proof Retirement, and continues their three-year tradition of being the largest single donor ever for the WOGL Radiothon. Read More +

Phil Cannela says Watch out for Fake Charities

To Phil Cannella, scams that rip you off in the name of charity are a special class of atrocity. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, over 1.5 million non-profit organizations exist in the United States and individual donors gave $211.77 billion in 2010.  Charitable donations are a great way to give to those in need, but Phil Cannella warns that not all charitable organizations are legitimate.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises donors not to donate to an inefficient organization, or even worse, Read More +

Phil Cannella Debt Reduction Scams

Phil Cannella senior advocate daily occurrence Complaints from consumers about debt-reduction services are a near-daily occurrence for senior advocate Phil Cannella, and it’s not hard to see why. After all, the ads are everywhere: “Be debt free in two years!” “Cut your debt by half!” Even “Get your debt down to zero!”It all sounds so easy, but Phil Cannella, originator of Crash Proof Retirement and the  Philadelphia area’s leading retiree advocate, says debt-reduction companies seldom deliver on those lofty promises.”This is an industry where deception and abuse Read More +

Phil Cannella Financial – Too Much Safety

Recently, noted retirement specialist Phil Cannella, founder of First Senior Financial Group and host of The Crash Proof Retirement Show™, spoke with a Philadelphia-area reporter on numerous topics that are of vital interest to retirees. In this series we’ll be presenting excerpts from those talks. The current passage is on “too much safety.” Q: You say there’s such a thing as “too much safety.” I think you’re being facetious, but what do you mean by that? Phil Cannella: You’re right, I’m being partly facetious, because Read More +