As the saying goes, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” The sad reality is that most of the people I have dealt with who have lost money in fraudulent investment schemes have not been fools at all. They have been intelligent investors who are honorable in their business dealings. In most cases their…
Our daughter Natali plans great vacations, so when she invited us on a future photo safari, we were thrilled at the chance. We have always wanted to see Africa and being able to do so with a travelling expert made it all the more exciting. After checking all the cool travel sites, I decided to review…
Every week my dad organized a family chess tournament among the kids, offering one dollar to the winner and an additional dollar if that winner could go on to beat him. I never lost one of those tournaments which made them increasingly fun for me but decreasingly fun for the other siblings. Eventually he added…
In a recent column Andrew Sorkin commented, “We have a financial literacy epidemic in America.” His was referring in part to some foolish fiscal Ideas being floated by elected officials. Many of these ideas are coming from the younger members of congress, those of the so-called millennial generation. Millenials are often ridiculed by other generations for…
In training, flight instructors often give challenges far beyond what you are likely to experience in a real flight by artificially simulating multiple system failures at the same time. On one challenging maneuver I missed an action to which my instructor replied, “Make sure you never forget to hit that switch in this situation.” Exhausted,…
I remember the very first time I held a five dollar bill of my own. I earned it by working 10 hours over two Saturdays at my Dad’s shop. When I got the job, I dreamed of the candy I would buy when payday came. But as I sat on my bed that day looking…
Many years ago I was affiliated with an investment firm that was bought out by an insurance company. We were promised the deal would improve service and product availability. As an added bonus the new company provided health insurance coverage to its reps. Initially it was a good relationship, with them leaving me alone to run…
In 1975 an unsuccessful man by the name of Gary Dahl was hanging out with friends at their favorite bar. They happened to be discussing their family pets and how much trouble they were. The more they drank the louder they laughed until Gary, without any forethought, blurted out that he had the best pet…
There once was a farmer who wanted to raise a turkey so he built a pen with a nice bed of straw, fresh water daily and plenty of food. He put a baby turkey in the pen and each day checked on the bird, changed its water, and filled its food bowl. The turkey loved…
Saint George, Utah, is often listed as one of the top retirement cities in the country. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, surrounded by National and State parks with breathtaking scenery. The beauty is magnified by the temperate climate with mild winters. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the city enjoys…