Few financial products create more confusion than annuities. These are basically an investment issued by an insurance company and tied to an insurance policy. In some manner, the issuing insurance company takes a risk based on the anticipated lifespan of the person whose life the annuity is tied to (the annuitant). For taking that risk…
I love the Disney musical “Newsies.” The movie originally didn’t do too well, but in recent years the world has embraced it with the very popular live Broadway versions. The story centers on a group of mostly orphaned newsboys who hawk daily papers on the streets of New York. The more experienced “Newsies” teach the younger…
Launa and I love to take walks along a particular California beach. Ten years ago the hillside adjoining the beach was developed into a premier ocean front neighborhood. Laid out in tiers, the area is a classroom on the value of location in real estate. The lots right on the beach start at $15 million.…
This week I am still thinking about the hills I climb and descend on my regular bicycle rides. On my road bike every part is designed to be as light as possible to reduce drag and increase efficiency. One of the heavier items on a bike are the gears. Mine has 16 gears, yet at…
One of my regular bike rides include a pretty good-sized hill. Initially I had to psyche myself up for that hill, preparing mentally in case I needed to de-couple my shoe cleats quickly and walk to the top. It can get ugly if you are on a steep hill and your forward motion stops with…
In my youth I loved backpacking with my uncle and his Boy Scout troop in the mountains of Eastern Utah. I have many fond memories of beautiful vistas, campfire stories and lots of fish. Over the years I transitioned from being a young scout to a seasoned adult backpacker. With the transition, my backpacking experience…
I once served on a board that was tasked with helping to grow a business. The members each had special talents they brought to the table and together we hoped we could share our strengths and find success. As time went on it was interesting seeing the different perspectives of each individual and how they…
I just love a good thunderstorm. Last week we sat on our balcony and watched in awe as one moved across the valley, complete with pounding rain, high winds, lightning and hail. A few days later Launa and I found ourselves boarding a commercial flight from Dallas as storm clouds gathered overhead. The airline told…
I read an interesting description of procrastination. It said procrastination is the result of the human inability to accurately predict how we’ll feel tomorrow. For example, when I get up in the morning I know I need to exercise but I don’t always feel like it so occasionally I put it off until later. I…