“Tariffs are one of the oldest trade policy instruments, with their use dating back to at least the 18th century. Historically, the main objective of a tariff was to raise revenue (my emphasis). In fact, before ratifying the 16th Amendment in 1913 and formally creating the income tax, the U.S. government raised most of its revenue (taxes) from tariffs. Even so, […]
The Happiness Equation, as it relates to investing, is an interrelationship between your perceptions and expectations of investing and events. How do you manage happiness when you can’t manage the markets or the events that influence the markets? The inserted article below explains. The happiness equation from Better Financial Education Note: Your […]
When it comes to debt, there are many different kinds. There is mortgage debt (primary mortgages, second mortgages, lines of credit, etc.), vacation home or secondary residences, credit cards, education loans (both owed by students, or by parents and/or grandparents), vehicle debt, and other miscellaneous debts (e.g., loans against pensions or life insurance). I’ve written […]
You may hear, when markets get “volatile,” that there are more sellers than buyers. Can that even happen? What does that phrase even mean? BTW, you hear it too in any market, including the real estate market. The article below, “A Question of Equilibrium,” explains the basics of how buyers and sellers always agree […]
Children we love grow up. Many parents with concerns about a struggling adult child are apprehensive about discussing such a sensitive topic. But broaching this subject can lead to a number of benefits for the family and for the adult child. Adult children who are struggling with addiction, irresponsibility with money, or messy marital issues […]
Looming government pension issues at the State and Local levels impact not only current government employees, but retirees and taxpayers alike. Many have seen the National Debt Clock. However, this is only U.S. Treasury debt – which doesn’t include agency debt, unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare, State and Local debt, some student education […]
I held onto this to post now, a few years later, to drive home the point of how some thoughts are timeless. 16 Insights That Will Change The Way You Think About Money is just such an example. The bold emphasis is mine to highlight what the article is about … … ways to think about […]
With stock indices continuing to set new highs, does this mean negative returns for stocks are on the horizon? If prices increasing over time was a troubling development, what would be the point of investing at all? You would think investors would realize there is no potential for future gain, and not invest. So why do […]
There’s no shame not understanding your medical bills. They’re filled with medical gobbledygook to the normal person. This is especially frightening when they get large. You certainly don’t want unpaid bills being sent to a collection agency where your credit score will be hurt. Many bills may have common errors and hospital bills tend to […]
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) seem to be all the rage. What are the pros and cons to use these to pay for health related expenses? Should you put them in your basket of financial tools? HSAs are not for everybody. They are only for people who have a “high deductible health plan” (HDHP). When you’re […]
