During 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 Federal Reserve’s Zero Interest Rate experiment saved the banks and destroyed the retirement plans of many generations. Now they want to “normalize” things. Their solutions are ill timed and risky! When things collapse, President Trump will become a combination of Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter – blamed for the catastrophe. Democrats will be cheering, “Pin the tale on the […]
» Read moreDear Mr. President-Elect, I have followed the media’s daily melodrama of your activities. You’ve had discussions with politicians, business leaders, movie stars and other members of the establishment. I write a weekly newsletter directed toward baby boomers and retirees who are struggling. When the government instituted their Zero Interest Rate Policy, several trillion dollars in interest that would have been […]
» Read moreMr. Buffett is giving seniors and savers bad advice. “Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” – Warren Buffett. The Buffet theory acknowledges risk is mitigated by sector gains offsetting sector losses; however the opposite is also true – sector losses offset sector gains and reduces returns. His is willing to […]
» Read moreDear Mr. Bernanke, I read your article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “How the Fed Saved the Economy”, with the byline “Full employment without inflation is in sight. The central bank did its’ job. What about everyone else?” It was written to promote your new book, “The Courage to Act: A memoir of a Crisis and it’s Aftermath.” Mr. […]
» Read moreIn 2008, almost overnight, Americans were told the economic system was on the verge of collapse and needed a one-time bailout. Congress quickly passed the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Interest rates dropped to historic lows. This was to jump-start the economy and interest rates would quickly return to normal. Eight years, and several bailouts later, we still have historically […]
» 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 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 more