The Danger From Low-Skilled Immigrants: Not Having Them

My Comments: To Make America Great Again, the presumably well intentioned mantra for those leading the GOP these days, someone has to overcome ignorance of economics and start paying attention to reality. A positive corporate bottom line is the driving force for a healthy US economy. To reach that goal, we need people willing to …

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Retiring Early? Here’s How to Delay Taking Social Security Anyway

My Comments: I’ve you’ve not yet signed up to receive your monthly Social Security benefit, this is worth a read. I encourage everyone to try and wait until Full Retirement Age (FRA). The outcomes are likely to be much better. If you claim Social Security early, your checks will be permanently reduced. Consider looking for …

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Income Inequality and Local Politics

My Comments: As an economist, I’ve talked consistently about the threat to society posed by income inequality. My rantings make zero difference at the national level, where if this issue is not addressed, there will be rioting in the streets. A friend and I talked this morning about the apparent collapse of societal norms he …

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Do Social Security Payroll Taxes Need to Increase?

My Comments: If you have not already signed up for Social Security, chances are good you will draw the short straw. If you are now getting monthly benefits, chances are you have a longer straw. Me, I have no idea. What we do know is that sooner or later the crisis will become immediate and …

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Investment Returns Will Shrink

My Comments: Putting money to work for the future is something we all try to do. Our expectations vary all over the map. If you use the past to predict the future, you’re probably going to be disappointed. This is very relevant if we have money sitting somewhere that we plan to use tomorrow to …

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Russian Oligarchs May Have Used Donald Trump To Launder Money

My Comments: Every two years, I’m required to complete an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) overview and exam. At the local level, it's mostly about drug money and efforts to turn illegal money into legal money with insurance and investment products. The AML effort has the effect of reminding us about behaviors, questions, circumstances, patterns, etc. that …

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Retirement Expenses You May Not Expect

My Comments: Aaahh, bliss! Nothing to do but relax and watch the years roll by. You and I both know that’s not likely to happen. For one thing, it’s too easy to get bored and stressed out with not enough to do. Okay, some of us love retirement, but I’m not one of them. Being …

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2017 Social Security Trustees Report

My Comments: A critical question on the minds of everyone is “Will Social Security be there for me or my spouse?” It doesn’t matter where you are in life, short of being on life support. Unfortunately, there is not yet the political will to impose a solution. That’s because the crisis is not yet within …

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Wall Street is sending huge warning signs for stocks

My Comments: Sooner or later, the penny will drop. Joe Ciolli \ Jul 30, 2017 To a growing chorus of strategists and investors across Wall Street, the stock market looks like it's headed for a rude awakening. Their mounting pessimism comes at a time when US equities are looking healthy, at least on the surface. …

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How Hitler Conquered Germany

My Comments: I find the parallels uncomfortable. There's also the truism that includes the words "... are doomed to repeat the past". The new White House Communications Director, is, by definition, expressing the ideas of his employer. His message, to me, is very similar to those expressed by his counterparts in Germany in 1937, despite …

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