One of the first groups I joined in AZ was a ROMEO Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out). Much like my ROMEO friends in Illinois, these guys were real-world hard working businessmen, thoroughly indoctrinated in the school of hard knocks with advanced degrees in common sense. Fostering economic recovery? Since the 2008 market crash our government, led by woefully misguided […]
» Read moreAll five of us were huddled in the bathroom. Rain was pouring down in sheets, the noise was deafening. It sounded like a freight train. We sat on the floor and held our three small children close to us. Our small pre-fab home offered us little protection. We were terrified! An hour later we went outside and found the neighbor’s […]
» Read moreI hung up the phone and shook my head. I have a good friend (I’ll call him Joe) who talks with me about his retirement fears. He’s in his peak earning and expense years with children getting ready for college. He’s diligent about making his 401 (k) contributions although he is not contributing the maximum. As always, I suggest he […]
» Read moreMy boarding pass said seat 1-B, nice upgrade on a long flight. I did a double take as I saw who was sitting in seat 1-A. It was Jack Kemp, former NFL player, Housing Director and soon to be Republican nominee for Vice-President of the United States. I asked, “What the hell are you doing on a commercial flight?” He […]
» Read moreDid you know it’s possible to experience exhilaration and stark terror simultaneously? Jo and I were in our Jeep Wrangler in Custer State Park. It’s home to a huge (1300 strong) herd of bison. After a 1-1/2 day search we gunned the jeep down a gravel road toward a dust cloud. There were just a few vehicles parked on the […]
» Read moreSeniors and savers regularly lament the Federal Reserve’s Zero Interest Rate Policy when it comes to paying interest on their savings. At current rates a saver who has amassed $100,000 earns enough interest to buy a burger for lunch every day at your nearest fast food joint – as long as you skip the fries. While lenders are punished, borrowers […]
» Read moreWhat happens when a retiree can’t pay his bills? The tragic photo of the Greek pensioner in the Express Tribune still haunts me. What a horrible feeling it must be to work hard your entire life, save your money, play by the rules, and then have your retirement hopes and dreams pulled right out from under you. Could Americans end […]
» Read moreAs I type, the news media is breathlessly awaiting the result of the Iowa caucus. It begins the ritual of citizens believing they are electing the most powerful person on the planet. Each candidate does the same dance. Like Paul Revere they shout that danger lurks ahead. Like Mighty Mouse, just in the nick of time, they are the best […]
» Read moreFederal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen reminds me of Colonel Jessup being interrogated in the movie, “Code Red”. Kaffee: “I want the truth!” Col. Jessep: “You can’t handle the truth!” If the Fed wanted us to know the truth they are capable of a clear explanation in plain English. Instead they talk in “Fed-speak” and then tell us what they want […]
» Read moreAs a young lad, my off school summer months were spent on my grandparent’s dairy farm. The education I received about life each summer was probably more valuable than sitting in a classroom. Television had not been invented, and there were no neighbor kids to play with. My grandparents were my entertainers and educators 24/7. They did their job well. I was […]
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