I was reading a financial report on a new type of app that provides instant loans to consumers so they can buy products online. Unlike traditional borrowing, this new financing comes without any interest charges, so the borrowers feel like they are getting a pretty good deal. The fees are charged to the retailers who…
DetailsIf you own a home, have you considered selling it at today’s high prices, renting for a while, then buying back in after the next real estate crash? I will admit to having those same thoughts myself at times. I am aware of several who followed through on the idea and now are painfully waiting…
DetailsWhen I learned to fly, I had six mechanical gauges in my plane that gave the basic information needed to keep the plane right-side up and flying straight. In flight I navigated using radio signals emitted from ground-based systems across the country. I also had maps that identified landmarks allowing me to see out the…
DetailsI live in the desert which means forecasting the weather is fairly easy. With an average of only eight inches of rain per year, you can pretty much plan on most days being clear and sunny. At the same time, as one who has personally had a prior home destroyed by a flash flood, I…
DetailsDuring the past election cycle one candidate often used the phrase, “This is America. There is nothing we cannot do if we do it together.” It made a great soundbite, but it was absolutely not true. The idea was not new. Parents use this line with their kids all the time. “If you believe in…
DetailsDue to the NBA playoffs, I have been reflecting on what it takes to be a championship team. Each team has its superstars who provide a great show, and likewise each has its challenges that become more evident as the competition gets tougher. But I have learned from professional sports that in the end, the…
DetailsExtremely low interest rates have sent investors in search of creative ways to generate income. A client recently was approached by a salesman offering life settlements, sometimes known as viaticals. The client wanted our opinion on the products, which is where an investor buys life insurance policies from the elderly or from people who have…
DetailsWhen I was a kid, life hurt. We didn’t have all the safety equipment, rules and regulations to keep us from skinning our knees. When we got hurt doing something dumb our parents would usually say, “Well I hope you learned your lesson.” I rode a bike once with faulty brakes, and I knew it.…
DetailsMeme stocks are all the rage today. For those in the older generation, a meme is a picture used to signify a cultural thought or movement. Memes have always existed, but they have gained popularity with social media that allows a single image to quickly carry a message throughout the world. Meme stocks are companies…
DetailsGrowing up I earned money sweeping floors at my dad’s manufacturing plant. One day I was wandering around the plant fascinated by the huge milling machines. As I stood by one, I grabbed an odd-looking tool and, imagining I was blasting off in a spaceship, touched it against a control panel. The blinding flash, loud…
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