My dad spent his working career as a salesman for several notable companies in the grocery industry. 25 years ago company management decided their sales force was costing them too much and over several years cut it in half. My dad survived several rounds of layoffs but eventually his boss came to him with [...]
On December 29 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, funding Federal Government operations through September of 2023. Of the 4000 plus pages of the bill, 130 pages dealt with the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. SECURE 2.0 is an enhancement of the original SECURE Act of 2019 that dramatically changed retirement and [...]
I’m a sucker for musicals. In “Fiddler on the Roof” Tevye laments his three daughter’s choosing their own marriage partner verses a traditional marriage arranged by the parents. In discussing this new world with his wife, he asks Golde “Do you love me?” Her response is classic “DO I WHAT?” He asks again and she [...]
My poor wife. Twice a year I am the source of great frustration, what to get me for my birthday and Christmas. I don’t “need” anything and I’m not the most communicative guy when it comes to “wants.” She doesn’t need to spend money on me. But she wants to do something special, and with [...]
As I left home this morning, I peered through the fog at the pond in our backyard. Our friend, the Great Blue Heron, was looking for breakfast. My wife and I have been awed by his patient gracefulness coupled with unexpected speed and agility as he pursues his next meal. But this won’t last. The [...]
The impressive glossy brochure on sturdy cardstock arrives in the mail. You’ve been invited to spend three nights at a luscious resort for a modest price. You’re intrigued. Booking a similar vacation yourself would cost a pretty penny. You call the toll-free number, pick your dates, and begin to daydream about this blissful upcoming vacation. [...]
Are you counting down the days, or is retirement still a nebulous concept of some far off Neverland, or are you somewhere in between. Wherever you are in your process, retirement demands answers to a host of questions. The better your answers, the more enjoyable your retirement years will be. Why are you retiring? [...]
The ongoing Covid pandemic has reshaped our world unlike any other illness since the 1918 flu epidemic. While the human toll is most tragic, the pandemic has also affected our financial lives in a variety of ways. One of the most notable is the Stock Market. As the pandemic grew, medical professionals and government officials [...]
The letter took me by surprise. I was the treasurer for our volunteer fire department. We had a checking account for day to day activities and a savings account for future use. I had let the savings account sit untouched for several years and received a letter from the bank that the account was about [...]
