There is a three-headed investment bandit lurking in the weeds looking to steal your wealth. Savvy investors must deal with them – all at the same time. First up is the safety bandit. If you invest in stocks and bonds, they can default or go down in value, robbing wealth from your nest egg. Second is the income bandit. Retirees […]
» Read moreNorthwestern University sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s a beautiful campus, particularly when the leaves are turning golden. I left work and drove to night school to begin the fall semester. I thought to myself, ‘I want to be an accountant, why is a marketing course required?’ Marketing 101, here I come. Professor Howard was an executive in […]
» Read moreI was frustrated. I need solid, safe income. The bank bailouts will eventually cause high inflation. Interest rates were not keeping up. Investors, desperate for income, had few choices and the stock market was setting records. How do you invest, earn safe income while protecting your capital and buying power all at the same time? I asked that question in […]
» Read moreThe world was different before the invention of effective birth control. I had three children at age 22. My wife and I were primarily raised by our grandparents – we were scared. What did we know about parenting? Dr. Benjamin Spock’s best-selling book, “Baby and Child Care” touted, “mothers know more than you think you do”. What about fathers? You […]
» Read moreIn 1935, Parker Brothers introduced the game “Monopoly”. Wikipedia tells us: (my emphasis) “Monopoly is a board game…. Players roll…dice to move around the game board, buying and trading properties, and developing them with houses and hotels. Players collect rent from their opponents, with the goal being to drive them into bankruptcy. Money can also be gained or lost through […]
» Read moreHow do baby boomers protect their life savings from the ravages of inflation? Our recent interview with Chuck Butler got the attention of many readers. We reviewed how gold and foreign currencies performed during the high inflation Carter years. During a five-year period beginning 1/1/77, we experienced almost 60% inflation. That destroyed a lot of wealth held by seniors and […]
» Read moreGood friend Ronnie (fictitious name) has owned a popular bar near a prestigious university for decades. He has me convinced the colleges are doing a great job of preparing the executives of tomorrow. As I sipped on my iced tea, I noticed young folks in line at his cash machines waiting to withdraw cash. I asked, “why two machines?” He […]
» Read moreRichard Maybury grabbed my attention: “Think about it. There are really only two choices. Either you will own you, or someone else will.” I’ve subscribed to Richard’s “U.S & World Early Warning Report” for years. I re-read the section about capitalism and socialism. Here are some tidbits: (my highlights) “Laissez-faire (less-aa-fair) is from the French laissez nous faire – leave […]
» Read morePoliticians of all flavors continually remind us social security is in danger of going bankrupt. Now our esteemed leaders want to fix it by increasing benefits. What could possibly go wrong? Newsmax Finance reports on a recent interview with former fed head (Big Al) Alan Greenspan: (my emphasis) “Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns that cuts may be needed […]
» Read morePundit Bill Bonner’s article about our growing government debt grabbed my attention. “…. When it comes to government debt, the borrower never pays; the feds have no money. The lenders – big banks, investment funds, well-heeled insiders – don’t want to pay. Generally, they collude with the feds to make sure the real cost is put on innocent third parties […]
» Read more