Launa and I were in Dallas looking for a great barbeque restaurant on a busy Friday night. We drove to one that had been highly recommended and found the waiting room crowded with hungry guests. We noticed however, a beautiful barbeque place right across the street that only had a few customers in it. Not…
DetailsThe late Jim Griswald was an early designer at Piper Aircraft and a legend in modern American aviation. Jim was obsessed with safety but also reportedly told his crew on almost a daily basis, “We can never build a fool-proof airplane, because fools are so resourceful.” As one who regularly reads the aviation accident reports…
DetailsI will share a story that has been repeated countless times in my life. A couple whose home had gone up significantly in price commented that they had enormous wealth tied up in their homes’ equity “doing nothing” for them. They were considering borrowing against their home and investing the money at potentially higher rates…
DetailsLast weeks’ column generated some great questions regarding annuities. I will try to answer some of the most common here.*Q – Why do you dislike annuities? A – I don’t dislike annuities. They have their place in the right situation. I dislike when annuity salespeople sell them inappropriately. Q – In simple terms, what is…
DetailsAmerica is suffering through a major labor crisis. I’ve never seen a time like this. Not only are help wanted signs everywhere, but businesses are also proactively asking their customers if they know anyone at all who would like a job. Already many businesses are operating on reduced hours and reduced services due to a…
DetailsWhen I was a young entrepreneur, everything seemed simple. I paid 5 cents for candy bars and sold them for 10 cents. The math was easy. As you get older, financial numbers get bigger and more complicated. Rates of return become affected by interest rates, taxes and inflation. A persons’ portfolio may have $50,000 more…
DetailsMost investors know they shouldn’t try to time the market. Stock markets react to events in ways that are often impossible to predict. The current volatility is a great example. Since the Russian war began, we have had huge swings both up and down on Wall Street, even though the news each day has been…
DetailsHuman emotions can be good or bad depending on how we respond to them. A very useful emotion is fear. Though unpleasant, fear causes us to be extra cautious and to consider our options for escape if necessary. Fear helps us survive but only if balanced by good judgement. I was in a bank when…
DetailsThe Russian invasion of Ukraine and its possible spread to other areas is obviously the hot topic this week. As a financial advisor it’s difficult to discuss the potential effects on investors at a time when millions of innocent people are being threatened with having their lives, livelihoods and freedoms destroyed. There are many things…
DetailsOne of the biggest challenges new pilots face is keeping an airplane straight and level. Airplanes react more slowly than automobiles, creating a tendency for trainees to overcorrect. The resulting oscillation would make anyone in the back seats queasy, where motion is exaggerated. Which, by the way, is why first class is always in the…
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