My Comments: If you are concerned about how fracking is an environmental threat, this might interest you. Much of our collective angst is driven by the runup to next November’s presidential election. All the while, however, there are forces at work beyond our control that will greatly influence how our lives play out over the …
Continue reading Oil Wars; Saudi Arabia May Have Screwed The Pooch
My Comments: This is important if your financial future depends to some degree on retirement accounts that include investments in the stock and bond markets. If you think the turmoil is going to end soon, you should perhaps think again. Bob Bryan March 11, 2016 Since the beginning of the post-crisis bull-market run (2009), the …
Continue reading The Biggest Force Powering The Stock Market Is Starting To Disappear
My Comments: On its face, this looks like just another political swipe at the remaining presidential hopefuls on the right. However, as an aspiring economist and financial planner, I appreciate the role played by government in the financial sector and know how critical it is. These comments point to some dubious thinking on the part …
Continue reading The Monetary Madness of Trump, Cruz and Rubio
I’ve long had an interest in place names and how they came to be. I was reminded of this several weeks ago when driving across Texas and saw a sign on a bridge that read “Woman Hollering Creek”. I imagined a surveyor and map maker coming across yet another creek at the end of the …
My Comments: 20 years ago, I had no problems with the North American Free Trade Agreement. Today, 20 years later, I have no basic problems with the premise which allows goods and services to be translated freely across North America. But there are obvious unintended consequences, which are described in this article. By Susan Grigsby, …
My Comments: The word "interest" defines the price someone is willing to pay to use your money. In the world of economics, if the price is zero, and knowing price is a function of supply and demand, there is either no demand or the supply far exceeds the demand. Think oil prices these days. Interest …
My Comments: As an immigrant and naturalized US citizen, and having lived in foreign countries during my lifetime, I’m endlessly interested is world affairs. Many of the so called ‘political elites’ these days seem to be unaware that the world today is quite different from what it was as little as 25 years ago. I, …
My Comments: No, I am not an accountant and I cannot tell you how to file your tax return. I can, however, put ideas in front of you that you may not know about. Remember, none of us have an obligation to pay more in taxes each year that is absolutely necessary. It’s just that …
Continue reading These Little-Known Tax Deductions Can Save You Thousands
My Comments: A conversation with a client this morning revealed that she is getting annoying letters and calls from a Homeowner Association affiliated with a timeshare property she used to own in another state. It’s not her debt and she has sufficient documentation to support her claim that the property was sold to someone else. …
Continue reading When Collectors Call, Demand Proof of Your Debt
My Comments: Social Security has for many years been a critical financial component in the lives of almost every citizen of the US who is aged 62 or older. I know it is for me and my wife. Changes are going to happen to help maintain it’s viability as the population demographics change and society …
Continue reading Grab This Social Security Benefit While You Still Can
Helping Define Your Financial Future 