Monday = Investing Money: I’d like to think that my posts help someone, anyone? Professionally I’ve lived in the financial world for over 40 years and it pains me to say I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen next. What’s telling is that others, far more competent than I, don’t have a clue either. …
Tag: money management
Trump Can’t Reverse the Decline of White Christian America
My Comments: Remember the context. Racial tension has been a hallmark of our society since the beginning. Think pilgrims vs indigenous peoples in the 1620’s. Think black vs white in the 1860’s. Right now the tension is elevated, and coupled with Trump’s inability or unwillingness to quash the tension, overreaction is going to surface. Reaction, …
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Protect Yourself Against Cognitive Decline
My Comments: Readers of my posts know I usually talk about money or some aspect of it. My challenge over the years has been to assess the financial literacy of whomever I’m talking with. And that challenge increases with age; both mine and that of my friends and clients. This article might start a useful …
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 …
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 …
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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ACTION OR NO ACTION?
My Comments: Friends of mine are scared. I’m less so. I want President Trump to be a successful President; our future as a respected state on the global stage is important to me. But I am less confident today than I was last January. Not because of the Russia issue, but because of his apparent …
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