With a stroke of luck, those five words became very profitable over the years. Shortly after I married Jo, her father passed away and I became responsible for managing her mother’s (who I affectionately called Grandma) money. Grandpa was a very successful farmer and they had done well. The bulk of Grandma’s wealth was in Certificates of Deposit (CDs) at […]
» Read moreI hope everyone enjoys their 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. The message from our founding fathers ingrained in the Declaration of Independence is more profound than anything I planned on writing. I encourage everyone to read the […]
» Read moreOur recent article, In Government We Trust??, struck a nerve with many readers. Subscriber Dan H. shared a graph, stating, “This is the only graph you need”. This isn’t just the US. Urs Vrijhof-Droese recently provided his international perspective: “Realistically, we are moving back to where everyone was responsible for their well-being throughout their life, including retirement. I would not […]
» Read moreAs a youngster, I’d go with my grandmother to the grocery store pulling my little red wagon. We’d load up the groceries and tow them home. With each trip she became more furious about food prices; “Prices are outrageous! We used to have to haul $25 in groceries in the wagon; now you can carry them home!” I chuckled when […]
» Read moreInflation is increasing prices and a fall in the purchasing value of money. Banks and governments make inflation sound complicated as it serves their interest. It’s a hidden tax. Government-created inflation weakens the value of the currency, our money buys less. Anyone shopping goods, services, airline tickets, an automobile, clothing, and particularly medical care is seeing significant price increases. While […]
» Read moreWith a big grin, former colleague Doug Casey told me, “Sure, you can trust the government!” I raised my eyebrows. He continued. “In the event of a crisis, you can not only trust the government to NOT do the right thing but also to do the exact wrong thing.” Remember the Karma law of Humility; “You can’t change something if […]
» Read moreTrillions for bank bailouts, secret loans, exorbitant inflation, negative interest rates; middle class struggles while the rich get richer…. How did we get into this mess? Frontline on PBS outlines, “The Long Demise of Glass-Steagall.” (Emphasis mine) “1933 Following the Great Crash of 1929,…politicians, see market speculation…by banks during the 1920s as a cause of the crash. In 1933, Senator […]
» Read moreI’m writing this on my 83rd birthday. My life has changed since my 2019 cancer diagnosis. In a nutshell, cancer appears in my body, the doctors zap it, I’m good to go, another spot pops up and we do it again. Each time it reappears, it’s a reminder I’m one step closer to judgment day. Without cancer, the same would […]
» Read moreMy early youth was spent in the inner city of Chicago, a sorry place today. Little boys, talking dirty, thought they were macho, but you’d get your mouth washed out with soap if you uttered those words around girls or your parents. Times have changed. Rolls off the tongue defines the old saying, Money Talks, while Bullshit Walks: “Sample Sentence: If […]
» Read moreMy invitations to be the commencement speaker from the prestigious academic shrines must have been lost in cyberspace; so, I will share my thoughts for the graduates from my personal podium. Congratulations to the class of 2023. Today is the day to celebrate your academic success, leave your educational cocoon, grow your wings and move toward adulthood. Commencement addresses are […]
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