A system failure is at the root of our chaos
This past week has been a rather dark one for our nation. Watching as our capital was stormed by radical extremists who didn’t agree with the results of our election was something I never believed I would personally witness. Since that day, I have been equally disturbed by the attacks [...]
Obamacare might make retiring earlier possible
If there is one thing we learned from 2020 it’s that having adequate health insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. A close friend of mine who was in otherwise good health found himself hospitalized for several months this fall with Covid. Without health insurance this type of hospital [...]
Optimism lies at the core of success
Most people would seem to be eagerly anticipating the end of 2020. Many of us have lost beloved family members or friends to the Virus. Perhaps a billion or more have had their financial health severely damaged or ruined. Experts called for the initial economic shutdown in late winter in [...]
My Hope for the Season
The holidays are my very favorite time of year. From the moment I wake up Thanksgiving morning and start preparing that afternoon’s feast, to the stroke of midnight on Dec 31st when we welcome a new year, the entire season is filled with excitement, tradition and fun. Like everything else [...]
Many may be caught off guard by unexpected taxes in 2021
How would you feel if two weeks before the end of the year you still didn’t know how much of your personal income would be taxable, or what rate you would be expected to pay? That is the challenge thousands of businesses are facing as we speak. On March 27th [...]
Markets always have the last word.
If you needed any further proof about the difficulty in predicting stock market results, you should have it now. Before election day in 2016, you were told that electing Donald Trump would kill the stock market. This year, you were told that just the threat of a Democratic $4Trillion tax [...]
For Brick & Mortars, Black Friday Was Especially Dark.
Anyone who knows me knows I love a deal. For that reason, “Black Friday” is one of my favorite days of the year. For over twenty years I have been out before dawn the day after Thanksgiving, shivering in the cold waiting to be one of thousands of people flooding [...]
Giving thanks, even in difficult times
As I try to collect my usual optimistic thoughts for this particular column I have written for over 20 years, I am having difficulty. I am still extremely thankful to God for His infinite blessings and I could provide more specifics than any of us would want to read. My [...]
Get to know your 401(k)
What would you say if I told you that most Americans have no understanding of how the most valuable thing they own works? Hopefully you would say you do. But, according to a 2019 study by Value Penguin the majority of you reading this would have to admit you don’t. [...]
What Element Puts the Spark in Growth?
The good news for Mr. Market is the lack of any earthshaking mandate coming from the election last week. He loves legislative inertia or gridlock, the popular term. Why? If it is more difficult to sweep through major policy changes, then it is easier to determine the natural financial winners [...]