For those not paying attention, credit card companies are currently engaged in an aggressive “perks war,” offering massive sign-up bonuses to attract new customers and increasingly generous rewards for those using their cards. I was literally able to subsidize a significant portion of our summer travel expenses this year simply [...]
A phone rings. The familiar voice on the other end identifies themself as your grandson. He says he’s in trouble and needs money immediately. The only problem is it isn’t him. It’s a computer program using artificial intelligence. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), AI-enabled fraud has [...]
When I was a kid, time always seemed to move at a snail’s pace, except in the weeks before Christmas when it did not seem to move at all. The older I get, however, the more I realize the future arrives faster than I think it will. In psychology and [...]
I have two young boys, and if there is one phrase I get more tired of hearing than any other, it’s “I’ll do it later.” Part of why I dislike this phrase is that it sounds like a reasonable justification for delaying a task that isn’t urgent, when in reality [...]
We have just entered a brand-new year. It’s a time often associated with fresh starts and new beginnings. One area I recommend people clean up at this time is neglected or unused recurring autopay expenses, often referred to as “zombie subscriptions.” They earn this nickname because, much like zombies, they [...]
We may be standing at the beginning of the biggest biotechnology shift any of us have ever seen. The pace of change coming over the next few years could surprise all of us. Thanks to our growing ability to map the human genome, edit genes, create personalized treatments using mRNA, [...]
I know it probably goes without saying, but most of the stuff we buy today costs way too much. It wasn’t that long ago that inflation was nearly non-existent. For the decade prior to Covid, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by an average of just 1.8% a year. Since [...]
On January 5th of this year, with bipartisan congressional support, President Biden signed into law the Social Security Fairness Act. Some workers (including certain state or local government employees, and teachers) are now entitled to higher Social Security payments. This means a retired Missouri public school teacher who never paid [...]
Well, it’s that time again. School is back in session and parents are reminded that college tuition bills are looming. When families start thinking about saving for a child or grandchild’s education, two options often come up: the Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) and the 529 Plan. At first glance [...]
When many people think about working with an investment advisor, they picture something similar to a mechanic. You bring in your portfolio when it “needs a tune-up,” they make a few adjustments, and you drive away until the next issue pops up. In reality, your financial advisor should be more [...]
