I published this article five years ago. Sadly, things seem to be getting worse. The message is even more important today. Those who think and act independently will always survive. Today is a real downer. We just finished a wonderful week with our youngest grandchildren. They’re now gone and the house is quiet. That’s not what is causing my mood, […]
» Read moreThe Senior Citizens League reports, “Social Security COLA (Cost of living adjustment) For Next Year Could Be 6.2%.” Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst tells us: “With one third of the data needed to calculate the COLA already in, it increasingly appears that the COLA for 2022 will be the highest paid since 1983 when it was 7.4%.” This […]
» Read moreJared Dillian’s “The 10th Man” article, “Coming Apart” grabbed my attention: “ZeroHedge is fond of saying: ‘On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.’ Let me add Dillian’s corollary to that: On a long enough timeline, everyone gets to be right. Who has consistently been wrong? The Austrian gold bugs always predict doom. They will […]
» Read moreFriend Courtenay W. sent a cool email using a small business analogy to help explain today’s economic mess. I modified it, hoping to make things clear. Bob’s Big Wheel Bar is in Motor Home City, surrounded by several motorhome manufacturers. For decades, factory workers frequented Bob’s Big Wheel Bar, many cashing and spending their paychecks on Fridays. The 2008 bank […]
» Read more“Today Congress is constantly besieged by minority groups seeking benefits from the public treasury. Often these groups control enough votes in many Congressional districts to change the outcome of elections. And so, Congressmen find it difficult to persuade themselves not to give in to pressure groups. With no bad immediate consequence, it becomes expedient to accede to a spending demand. […]
» Read moreLas Vegas – the gambling capital of the world. Nevada heavily regulates the casinos; requiring a certain percentage paid back to the gamblers. They pour billions into their posh establishments, enticing customers into their casinos and make huge profits – legally. If the public felt the casinos are rigged, they would lose customers, jobs, and billions in tax revenue. “‘There’s […]
» Read moreWhen I finished writing “Whistling Past The Graveyard”, I was furious. The Federal Reserve prints money at will. Theoretically, congress oversees the Fed – the Fed oversees the banking system, and they have our best interest at heart. While both feign good intentions, in practice they are lining their pockets at the expense of Main Street America. Fed Chairman Powell […]
» Read moreWhy can’t I sleep? For the last few nights, I have rolled, tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning. Two years ago, I was going through very challenging treatments for tongue cancer. At one point I asked my wife Jo why she was closing the door to her office. She said, “So that you don’t see me […]
» Read moreFed Chairman Jerome Powell’s recent remarks really infuriated me. He is “Whistling Past The Graveyard”, again trying to deceive the public. Wolf Richter shares some of his recent remarks: “Inflation has come in above expectations over the past few months.” “The expectation is that high inflation readings will start to abate.” “We don’t in any way dismiss the chance that […]
» Read moreWhen it comes to guarantees, don’t assume anything! A guarantee is a promise or assurance. While a written contractual guarantee strengthens your legal position, it’s only as solid as the person, government, company, insurer and court system standing behind it. In our article “How Good Is Your Comfortable Retirement Guarantee?”, I assumed some investments were guaranteed, safe and worry-free; I […]
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