Much of the financial services industry connects to consumers through what we used to think of as the Brokerage Companies. Think Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, etc. Many of them are gone, absorbed by other companies that somehow managed to survive. Another part of the industry is comprised of insurance companies, and you know …
Continue reading Thought for the Week: Are Annuities Right for You?
My Comments: Yeah, I know. It's Thursday and the day I post something about economics. There have been a lot of 'thursdays' lately. For those of you who look to me to give you good investment advice, or are looking for someone to give you better advice than you are getting now, a lot of …
My Comments: A major contrast that exists between the Republican ideal and the Democrat ideal is how to deal with debt. Many on the right will argue that there is a parallel between the debt of households, which often leads to bankruptcy, and the debt of the nation, which by there definition, will lead to …
My Comment: As a reader of this blog, you’ve come across ideas from Tom Barnett that I recycle from time to time. If you do nothing else today, I encourage you to read some of his thoughts that I re-post here. Fascinating stuff! Regardless of our political leanings, all of us are a little scared …
My Comments: All of us are uncertain and anxious about the upcoming elections and how the outcome will impact our lives. The following article and the one I have scheduled for tomorrow suggest that life will go on, no matter what. And that life is going to be pretty good for most of us, no …
My Comments: OK, I didn't know we had a water advantage. I was aware we had an advantage in natural gas that is probably going to make us energy independent within the next decade. I am aware that as a middle class emerges around the world, that the flow of food in coming years is …
Continue reading Smart Argument on Handling America’s Water Advantage
My Comments: OK, if you can’t stand reading about economics, then skip this blog post. On the other hand, if you have concerns about the economy and whether your vote in the upcoming election will have any influence on the amount of money you have to spend ten years from now, then you might want …
Continue reading Studying a Paradox: When Higher Tax Rates HELPED the Economy
My Comments: This article comes from the Financial Times. This is a UK publication that probably can be described as more left of center than right. Not only do they have good ideas, it's often helpful to get the perspective from people who do not live and breathe in this country. While it's normal to …
My Comments: You've read my posts before where I push to help parents and their students find the money to pay for college. Far and away the best source is money that belongs to someone else. No, you don't steal it, but you do set yourself up in such a way that colleges and universities …
I am remiss for not posting these every week. Some you like to time the market and this report from J.P.Morgan is perhaps the best summary to help your decision making:
Helping Define Your Financial Future 