The Road Ahead: The Economic Impact of Self-Driving Cars
As a child, shows like The Jetsons and movies like Back to the Future II sparked my imagination about what the future might hold. Live video calls, virtual reality, and machines powered by artificial intelligence once seemed like science fiction. Yet today, they’ve become remarkably common. Now, another dream is [...]
Life in a Bear Market
Today I want to provide perspective I hope will help those of you frightened to death about the financial future. For me, perspective is found by looking at circumstances from a 35,000’ elevation viewpoint. The precise details of what ifs are scary, but general principles much more positive. I am [...]
A spending budget without income is no budget at all
Budgeting is more than spreadsheets and numbers; it’s the art of aligning your goals with your financial reality. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping many individuals and organizations create budgets that don’t just look good on paper, but actually work in practice. What I’ve learned is this: [...]
Tariffied
Last week, President Trump did what he does best—he created a storm. He now has under his belt two of the fastest market swoons most of us have ever seen. Unlike the COVID-induced crash, this one was self-inflicted—and in my opinion could have been avoided. While there are rational reasons [...]
Investments Rising
Recently I wrote about the difference between two major groups of stocks in the US stock market. The total of technology companies—1,055 by one measure—have dropped by a composite of 10.4 percent year to date through Monday afternoon. That is the worst sector thus far. On the other hand, the [...]
More competition is needed to bring housing prices down, not less
I have written extensively on the subject of housing prices over the past few years. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most pressing issues threatening the economic success of the American people, particularly younger Americans. Perhaps that is why a recent poll revealed that 91% of adult Gen Zers [...]
Is the US Debt as Dangerous as Some Believe?
Believe it or not, I was not a typical kid. Case in point: as an 11-year-old boy, I became obsessed with the 1992 election, and Ross Perot was my guy. I vividly remember watching him hold up his charts as he warned of the dangers of our national debt. In [...]
When the Storms Come
I am writing on Tuesday afternoon from Uganda in Central Eastern Africa, learning and hopefully helping in the work of His Voice Global. You can view their efforts at www.hisvoiceglobal.org. Today we learned about supporting local and refugee college students and helping them find worthwhile employment or to become entrepreneurs. [...]
Tax advantages to ROTH accounts can be substantial
There’s no denying it. We are in the midst tax season once again. That time of year when we’re all reminded of how much of our hard-earned money is going to those who govern us. If you’re anything like me, it’s also the time when you start thinking about ways [...]
What is being done now in NC
A couple weeks ago, I traveled with 9 other volunteers from Greater Kansas City to Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina, to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Although it has been over 4 months since the area of Western NC and Eastern Tennessee was hit with what could be [...]