Why was the SECURE Act needed?

The 2019 calendar year closed out with lawmakers congratulating themselves on coming to an agreement on a bill unironically titled the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. Yay! The changes made by this new act are all adjustments to previous versions of similar laws. The government-approved retirement vehicles (401(k)s, IRAs, Roth IRAs, […]

Qualified plans are not the only option

If you aren’t a member of your local Costco warehouse, you may not be familiar with the monthly advertising magazine (Costco Connection) that features a few articles to break up the ad space. Each issue contains a Q&A column with Suze Orman who gives advice on selected financial questions. Though this piece doesn’t typically crack […]

Stop the Madness

“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein It’s possible this quote is trotted out too often, but I love this timeless piece of wisdom for two reasons. First, it reminds everyone that how we approach a problem has a major impact on how it is […]

Forget the 401(k)

Several months ago the Wall Street Journal published a piece arguing that we need to create a new form of retirement plan. I love this idea for many reasons, though I disagree with the specific solutions provided in this piece. Below are the features the Journal promotes to improve the current system along with my […]

Health and Wealth

While listening to an interview with Dr. Andrew Weil (www.drweil.com) today I was reminded, yet again, of the similarities between physical and financial health.  To start with, staying both physically and financially healthy is based on very simple principles.  Eat natural foods, spend less than you earn, exercise daily, save money for the future, drink […]

Unforced Errors

I was fortunate to grow up in an area with a mother who loved playing tennis.  She taught me to play and helped me understand the nuances of the game.  The goal is to get the ball over the net and land it within the playing area on the other side.  Pretty simple.  Of course […]

Passing of a Daredevil

Bonnie Nelson passed away on December 15, 2018, after a well-fought battle with cancer.  She was 87 years old.  Or, as Robert D. Smith likes to state it, she lived exactly 31,880 days.  The piece below was written for our company newsletter prior to the cancer’s final push, and shows how Bonnie chose to live […]

Measuring Generosity?

If you’re looking for a podcast to explore, I highly recommend Freakonomics Radio hosted by Stephen Dubner.  If you’re familiar with the book by the same title, the podcast follows the same line of discovery.  Are all of our economic/life assumptions wrong?  What is happening beneath the surface that may be changing the outcome we […]

Gratitude

It’s Thanksgiving Day and there is much to be grateful for.  I’m personally grateful to you, dear reader, for taking a few minutes to read this post.  Maybe someday in the near future you readers will have a baby or three and catapult this blog viewership into the double digits.  Glorious times ahead. Today is […]

It just doesn’t matter

I feel like I’m getting older because I’m getting nostalgic.  I remember a time when political campaigns were limited to the several months leading up to the election.  And when a difference of political opinion did not automatically mean someone was evil/racist/heartless.  Sadly, that’s where we are today and there does not appear to be […]