The issue is no longer one of waiting to see what the government is going to do; the real issue is what are we as investors going to do?

When I say the investment paradigm has changed, I’m referring to a combination of factors. There are no more solid, safe investments paying any kind of decent yield that most retirees could possibly live on comfortably. Re-read that if you have to. Investors are being forced to take on more risk for yield. Some are doing it usingan income strategy, some are not.

CD rates are not just uselessly low, they’re practically insulting. Bonds were once considered some of the safest investments one could make. But now they pay next to nothing and come with all sorts of risk: think Greece, Ireland, or even Detroit as the most recent example.   

….read the 5 point test you now need to apply each stock, bond, ETF, mutual fund HERE