Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! – Walter Scott When I taught in night school my professor insisted I attend a full-day conference on “Effective Teaching Methods”. The speaker list was full of well accredited academics. The morning consisted of 3-4 speakers outlining their intellectual theories. They rambled on, under the illusion the […]
» Read moreConsumers love rewards programs, whether it’s cash back, free miles or a free dessert at their local eatery. They’re generally a tit-for-tat, you do business with them and they reward you for doing so. Our article, “Does Government Debt Really Matter?” generated interesting responses. Subscriber Bob O. lamented how our government is borrowing billions and wasting it. He sent a […]
» Read moreI hope everyone enjoyed the 4th of July. My webmaster sent me a link to a cool website that offers some history about the declaration of independence as well as the full text. As I read it, I realized the message from our founding fathers is more profound than anything I planned on writing. I encourage everyone to read the […]
» Read moreDuring the season, the waters in the Florida Keys are decorated with various colored buoys attached to lobster traps. The symbols are akin to branding cattle. Don’t even think about rustling lobster from someone else’s trap! You could end up in the middle of the ocean with a sinking boat full of bullet holes. Lobster fishing is different. Maine Lobster […]
» Read moreThe Cambridge University computer crashed when famous physicist, Steven Hawking published his doctoral thesis. He says, “Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them, just as I did as a young Ph.D. student in Cambridge, inspired by the work of Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein.” “Each generation goes further than the generation […]
» Read moreThe conversation started when daughter Holly asked, “Are you really going to drive for over six hours to meet a guy for lunch?” “Yep!” I said. My wife Jo chimed in, “Dennis is good friends with Chuck Butler who retired from EverBank and writes the Daily Pfennig. They will probably spend 1 1/2 hours solving all the problems of the […]
» Read moreI recently interviewed Jeff Clark about using gold as an inflation hedge. Jeff asked why I never write about gold stocks. I own several – time to fess up! Why don’t I write about gold stocks? I don’t recommend stocks, I know my limitations. You can make a lot of money with gold stocks, but you better know what you […]
» Read moreWhen we last checked, since 2009 the top banks had been fined a total of $204 billion. Bloomberg now reports, “Wells Fargo’s $1 Billion Pact Gives US Power to Fire Managers”: “The settlement covers issues in Wells Fargo’s auto-lending and mortgage units. The bank revealed last year that it had forced unwanted insurance on customers who took out car loans….” […]
» Read moreThe Florida Keys are a special part of the world. Longtime residents, referred to as conchs (pronounced conks) have a unique and different culture – a much simpler, laid-back, and relaxed lifestyle. The Keys are a series of islands connected by one road, US-1. The drive from the Florida mainland to Key West is a beautiful, memorable one, across 42 […]
» Read moreLegendary congressional veteran Claude Pepper was a spokesman for the elderly. One of his often-copied quotes applies today: “A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, at my age, I don’t even buy green bananas.” Today his comments apply not only to stocks but also bonds and Certificates of Deposit […]
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