The package that Congress passed on December 21, 2020 – seems like only 50 years ago – is not technically a stimulus bill. It is an appropriations omnibus to fund the government for the coming year and, tucked between allocating money for public housing and making it a federal crime to give racehorses steroids (seriously, […]
It can be presumed at this point that on January 20, 2021, Joe Biden will be in office. Elections, no matter how well-executed and no matter how flawed, come to a conclusion at some point. The winner gets to pick the people who will execute the agenda. It is these appointments that, more than anything […]
You’ve no doubt heard inspiring stories about people who ran huge companies and amassed great wealth during their working years but are remembered today for how much of it they gave away. From Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates, it has been a common theme. Maybe you’re not in a position to have a concert hall […]
Donald Trump won the White House by the narrowest of margins, and it looks like he lost it the same way. Meantime, the Republicans apparently kept control of the Senate and even eroded the Democrats’ majority in the House of Representatives. Election market response Wall Street apparently got everything it most wanted. The most important thing on Wall Street’s wish list is that it is over. No […]
Every year, parents paying for their children’s college education ask, “Is this really worth the money?” And every year, the answer becomes less of a full-throated “Yes! Absolutely! A college education is worth every penny, and then some!” By the end of the last academic year, the answer was more likely to be “Yeah. Maybe.” […]
Believe it or not, there has been an upside to 2020. Less than willingly, we were given the opportunity to re-assess what matters most. What we did with our sudden windfall of spare time has revealed much of who we are as individuals – and as a society. A return to nesting After the initial […]
What happens when there is a weak dollar? It means our trading partners can buy more of our products, so it’ll improve our balance of trade. Sure, it leads to some measure of inflation because imports will be more expensive, but that will encourage us to buy more American products. What’s so bad about that? […]
We have talked about investing in commodities. “So, what’s your plan for your post-Great Expansion nest egg?” we asked, referring to the decade-long period of economic growth, which has since succumbed to the virus. “What if the stock market turns bearish, the yield curve continues to penalize long-term savings and the Federal Reserve continues to […]
This article was supposed to be a reminder that, during tough times, it’s generally better to hold large-cap stocks than small-cap stocks. We’ll get into the theory in a moment but, like everything else that once made sense, the coronavirus pandemic has completely contorted that dictum beyond recognition. There is no appreciable, risk-adjusted difference at […]
You’re likely well aware that United recently announced an early retirement offer called the Pilot Voluntary Separation Leave (P-VSL), but you may be struggling to determine if participating is the right decision for you and your family. The P-VSL may be an attractive offer for pilots considering an early-out, but there are many factors and […]