To Lobby, or Not To Lobby, That is the Question

My Comments: I admit to perverting the title to this article (Lobbyists Pervert Politics And Earn Their Infamy) which appeared in the Financial Times recently. But it points to a problem that may have no solution, at least until the clowns who inhabit our Congress feel enough pain to find a solution. But it most …

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‘It’s the Weather…!’

My Comments: The cacaphony of negative comments by Republicans about the Obama administrations efforts re the economy used to be deafening. Now, not so much. As an economist, I’m sensitive to the fact that there are too many variables at play to attribute success or failure to an individual in the White House or to …

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THOUGHT FOR WEEK – April 15, 2015

My Comments: As usual, talking about long-term care with clients, friends and family members is often a difficult conversation. As a financial planner for whom the need for personal long-term care is an increasing possibility, I’m sensitive to articles I run across that offer choices. Here is one of them. I know this looks and …

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Dear Future Me: Please Listen!

My Comments: There's a pharase about not letting the closing door hit you on the ass as you leave the room. It's also a metaphor for life. April 6, 2015 By Bob Seawright Bob Dylan hit on a universal truth when he sang about his son and the attraction of remaining young. May your hands …

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America Will Lose Patience With European Appeasement

My Comments: It is much easier to imagine a future as an extension of the past as seen in our minds than to visualize a future with totally new and different dynamics. This is where I have a problem with leaders like Israel’s Netanyahu, with the likes of Rand Paul and others on the right. …

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Long-term Care Costs Fall Heavily On Women

My Comments: This was written nearly 5 years ago but the message since then has only gotten louder. As more of us get older, and we stay alive, where the money comes from to keep us alive is increasingly in question. We joke about it often, but unless we are willing to let people starve …

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The Monetary Illusion

Global Nominal GDP Growth, as Measured in Dollars, Is Projected to Decline My Comments: It has been argued that Wall Street is corrupt and greedy and doing its best to create further income inequality in this country and across the globe. And that as a result, we should hold Wall Street accountable, send people to …

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California Senate Panel Endorses Bill Allowing Terminally Ill To Commit Suicide

My Comments: Modern medicine has resulted in a dramatic extension of life expectancy, but that does not necessarily mean quality of life improvements. I suspect we only see and hear about those over 90 who still manage to work out daily and interact clearly with those around them. I suspect I may not be one …

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The Unraveling Is Gathering Speed

My Comments: Yesterday, I posted an article that suggested what you might expect over the next six years if you are a generic investor. You have money positioned here and there across the globe in traditional investments. Today I post an article that posits further evidence that we have structural problems that need resolution. The …

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If Trees Don’t Grow To The Sky: The Next 6 Years

My Comments: You’ve read my earlier comments about whether the world we now live in is a different world. The details have changed, but the fundamentals have not. The following article will cause you to think twice if have not made plans for your money to be protected going forward. Charlie Bilello, Pension Partners, Mar. …

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