When Erma Bombeck found she had a fatal disease she wrote a column, “If I had my life to live over” which became quite popular. Being an ice cream lover, I always preferred Nadine Stair’s version. The old saying “hindsight is 20/20” – is not reality. We factor in the potential for risks, most of which never come true. If I […]
» Read moreParenting never ends. My granddaughter bought her first car and asked me about insurance. She had two quotes: one with a $100 deductible and a second for $500 deductible. She was leaning toward the $100 deductible because “it was only $10 more per month”. So why not take that option? I explained the higher premium policy buys an additional $400 in […]
» Read moreIt was my first business trip to Dallas. I rented a car and drove to a downtown hotel. As I exited the expressway into the city, I started shaking, sweating profusely and was frightened. I mentioned it to the clerk who provided an immediate diagnosis. He explained I drove the exact route John Kennedy did when he was shot. When Kennedy […]
» Read moreIn June the Federal Reserve announced no rate increase. In typical Fed doublespeak they dropped several hints. The original rope-a-dope man, Muhammad Ali, is probably rolling his eyes in bewilderment. Remember the Fed said they would hike rates when unemployment got below 6.2%. Oops! Too soon, and they waffled refusing to commit to further benchmarks. Last summer the Fed hinted the economy […]
» Read moreRight after Independence Day my wife Jo and I embarked on a long drive from Phoenix, AZ to Evansville, IN. When it’s her turn to drive, I lean back, adjust my neck pillow, put on my headphones (noise cancellation is a beautiful thing), check my email, and generally shut my eyes and get lost in thoughts and daydreams. Our nation had just […]
» Read moreMy friend Allan is not prone to rant, but he was on a roll. “I’m serious, I’m no longer trying to get rich, I’m just trying to keep from getting poor!” His tone of voice was heart attack serious; he was not smiling. Allan’s face was beet red. “Don’t talk to me about magic numbers, hell we blew 20% past it […]
» Read moreIt was a hot summer day as I was piloting my Piper Comanche from Chicago to Indianapolis. My confidence was brimming with my freshly printed instrument rating stored safely in my pocket. The hot air created some turbulence so I headed toward 12,000 feet, higher than I had ever flown before. I was euphoric, I could see all the way […]
» Read moreInvestors, now is the time for caution… Today’s forecast: yield-starved investors forced into the market by seemingly permanent low interest rates will continue to be collateral damage. For some, that collateral damage may involve more than the loss of income opportunities… many could be wiped out completely. At a recent investment conference, I asked the participants in our discussion group: “If there […]
» Read moreMy youngest son, who is now in his 50s, asked me what it felt like when all the children left the nest. I thought for a moment and said: For my entire adult life I’d driven a boat down a clearly marked, narrow channel. I had to stay between the markers in order to provide for my family. Then, when you […]
» Read more