I usually try to write articles that enable readers to make better financial decisions. Today’s article about wedding costs is going to be the exception. The value of this post is simply to give you something to gossip about with your friends. After all, what is life without a bit of gossip? Prince Harry and …View Article
Category: That’s Interesting
That’s Interesting
What Will You Remember from This Year?
Do you remember the first concert you attended? I do. The Tubes in 1983. I also remember just about every other concert. It’s interesting the things we remember and which ones we forget. If you read my weekly column, you know I am a big proponent of spending money on experiences instead of “stuff.” Yet …View Article
Trump, Tariffs, and Trade Wars
A few weeks ago, I was talking to one of my lawyer friends. He told me there are two types of lawyers: Those who try to find a reasonable and practical solution to a given dispute, and Those who employ a “scorched earth” negotiation philosophy. I think the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports announced …View Article
Is the Economy Doing Too Well?
Is there such a thing as too much good economic news? That sounds counterintuitive. After all, don’t we want low unemployment, high corporate earnings, and strong real estate and stock markets? Of course we do. However, when it comes to the economy, too much success leads to inflation. Inflation is bad (an oversimplification, but let’s …View Article
New Year’s Resolutions: 3 Tips
Each year, Fidelity Investments conducts a Financial New Year’s Resolutions survey. The most interesting finding this year is that the percentage of people making financial resolutions is at an all-time low. Only 27% of respondents planned to make a financial resolution, down significantly from 43% just four years ago. It appears that people are feeling …View Article
Economic Predictions: Don’t Believe Them
It is just human nature. We want someone to tell us what’s going to happen in the coming year. And we want that person to say it with conviction. The surer someone is of his or her forecast, the more interesting and believable it becomes. There is no better way for a financial advisor (like …View Article
Thanksgiving 2017: A Lot to Be Thankful for
Each year at Thanksgiving, my family has a tradition whereby we pass the “talking stick.” The person holding the talking stick shares at least one thing he or she is thankful for. I am sure most people will mention fellow family members, health, and the feast that lays before them. I just wanted to add …View Article
UBER: A Case Study in Supply and Demand
You are missing out if you have not tried Uber or Lyft. They are the easiest, most convenient, and least expensive way to get a ride. In case you missed it, check out this article on Uber that we wrote last year. I will refer only to Uber throughout the rest of this article …View Article
Robots: Coming to Retirement Homes Near You
Last week, I asked a friend who lives in Silicon Valley and works at Google: “What is the hottest area in technology right now?” Without hesitation he said, “Machine learning/robots.” I thought he migh say cloud computing. Nevertheless, many people have mixed feelings about robots. The common concern is that machines are going to take jobs …View Article
Self-Driving Cars: Coming Sooner Than You Think
The idea of a self-driving cars is just about as old as cars themselves. However, advances in radar, laser light, GPS, odometry, and computer vision are going to make self-driving cars a reality sooner than most people think. Currently, the versions of automated cars permitted on public roads are not fully autonomous. They all require a human driver at …View Article