A strong economy that doesn’t feel strong
Legendary political strategist Lee Atwater famously observed that "perception is reality." In other words, how someone feels about a situation often matters more than what the facts actually are. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, nearly four in five Americans believe the U.S. economy is in fair or [...]
Doomed to repeat?
Last week, my wife, Karen, and I were in Massachusetts providing an American History trip to our seventh grandchild. We were gratified to learn that she knew more about the country’s beginning than almost all of the previous six travelers to New England with us. We begin with a tour [...]
The new timing of inheritance
The great wealth transfer that economists have been discussing for decades is poised to soon become a reality. In fact, by 2048, approximately $100 trillion is projected to leave the hands of the baby boom generation and pass to the next generation. However, because life expectancy is continuing to increase, [...]
ABLE accounts
As a financial advisor, I do all I can to stay current on the ever-changing rules and regulations related to the world of finance. I take pride in my understanding of these matters, but when a client recently asked me about changes to a particular type of savings account, I [...]
Love, Loneliness, and Lies
According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans over the age of 65 who live alone say they feel lonely or isolated. Unfortunately, there is an entire industry of criminals who are using that loneliness as a way to scam them out of [...]
AI’s Ghost Demand Problem
Data centers are getting a lot of attention right now. Nationally, President Trump stirred up a bit if controversy recently when he said all US communities should be welcoming these data centers for the revenue and economic development they bring with them. Locally, voters in Independence just voted overwhelmingly to [...]
The $40 Trillion dollar question
Last month, the United States crossed another remarkable financial milestone when the national debt exceeded $40 trillion for the first time. With no signs of it slowing down, today I thought it would be useful to take a closer look at what it might it might mean for us moving [...]
Is Social Media this generation’s Big Tobacco?
This past week, a landmark settlement worth up to $17 billion was reached in a federal lawsuit filed against Meta, the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit came in response to leaked internal research conducted by Facebook that drew enormous attention to what the company itself knew [...]
Chili’s is back, baby
As someone who loves rooting for the underdog, I have really enjoyed watching Chili’s experience a remarkable resurgence in recent years. The restaurant rose to prominence in the 1990s alongside chains like Applebee’s and TGI Fridays. Its baby-back ribs, sizzling fajitas, quirky décor, and catchy advertising became part of the [...]
You’re a shareholder and nobody is asking you
I really wish I didn’t feel the need to write another article about the drama surrounding the future location of Royals stadium. I looked back through my notes and realized I first wrote about this topic nearly four years ago. But because the issue remains far from resolved, and because [...]