Investors Beware
The phrase 'Pig in a Poke' was coined in Britain as a means of saying that a buyer should be careful to see and know what they are buying. The French word for bag or sack is poque. That has been changed in our language to poke. A dishonest seller [...]
A Bold New Tax Era Inside the Big Beautiful Bill
After months of heated debate and partisan gridlock, President Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4th, making it the most sweeping policy achievement of his second term to date. This landmark legislation includes major changes to the U.S. tax code. Today, I want to break down [...]
In defense of billionaires
I’ll admit it; I love politics. I enjoy the open debate between people with diverse points of view, the strategic art of persuasion, and yes, even the soap opera that elections often become. Of particular interest to me recently has been the meteoric rise of Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old socialist [...]
Understanding the latest changes to Jackson County property taxes
Last fall, I wrote extensively about Missouri Senate Bill 190, which effectively freezes property taxes for many senior Missouri residents. I also led several workshops and personally assisted many of you in getting approved for this valuable benefit here in Jackson County. However, things became more complicated recently when Jackson [...]
When caring costs too much – Making the right decision about LTC
A while back, my parents and I had a conversation about long-term care (LTC) insurance. Talking about the possibility of one or both of them needing this kind of care wasn’t fun for any of us, but that made it no less important. It’s one of those decisions many people [...]
Billionaires at war and why it matters to your pocketbook
Many experts said it was only a matter of time before the bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk would go south. This past week, we all got a front-row seat as their partnership blew up like a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb, leaving devastation in its wake. You might wonder: what [...]
A glimpse into our digital fragility
Over Memorial Day weekend, my phone unfortunately found its way to the bottom of a lake. In the days that followed, as I scrambled to acquire a suitable replacement, I had a sobering realization: I’ve become far more dependent on that little device in my pocket than I ever imagined [...]
Big Beautiful retirement might soon become a little easier
This past Thursday, the United States House of Representatives narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” (Yes, that’s its actual name.) This sweeping piece of legislation covers a broad range of policy areas, including tax reforms, spending adjustments, and major program overhauls. Key provisions include making the 2017 tax [...]
System of Disaster Relief
From tornados in spring to hurricanes in late summer, we are accustomed to weather caused disasters in these United States. Environmental disasters have obviously occurred for millennia, but our societal responses have improved a great deal in recent years. My perspective comes from 20 years of personal involvement which began [...]
Facing the Facts: Student Loan debt needs real reform
This past week, the Trump Administration announced it would resume collections on defaulted student loan debt. In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon declared, “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies.” Starting May 5, the Treasury Department began the process of [...]