Last week, Florida became the latest state to mandate a financial literacy course as a requirement for graduation from a public high school. It’s part of a trend that has more than 50 personal-finance education bills under consideration in 26 states, according to Next Gen Personal Finance, a non-profit organization that tracks the legislation. There …
Inflation is never a feel-good story. Nothing feels good about items getting more expensive, no matter how inconsequential price hikes were for decades prior to 2022. Gas prices have long been the biggest factor determining whether consumers were confident and happy or nervous and displeased. Elections turn on inflation numbers. “It’s the economy, stupid,” was …
Years ago, I stayed in a hotel on the Las Vegas strip where a message flashing on the big screen out front said “98% wild slots.” The sign was telling the public that the hotel’s slot machines paid out 98 percent of the money they took in, reducing the “house edge” to 2 percent. By …
I was asked this week for the best investing tip I could come up with for these wild times. My answer had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, rising prices at the gas pump, the likelihood of interest rate increases or the stock market being off more than 10 percent and in correction …
Investors are struggling to put their finger on what has changed about the stock market of late. Yes, there’s war, the highest inflation we’ve seen in 40 years, the persistent promise/threat that interest rates are rising and more. Those economic and geopolitical events have driven the market down by more than 10 percent this year, …
The most common advice investors have gotten thus far in 2022 seems to be: “This is a good time to rebalance your portfolio.” It started right around New Year’s Day, because plenty of people simply hold fast to the idea that the start of a new year is the perfect time to rejigger a portfolio …
The talking head on my local morning news show was gabbing about how “Inflation is everywhere right now. It’s unavoidable.” He and his co-hosts complained about prices for steak and gasoline, the reduced size of standard packages of bacon that are hiding price increases, and more. It was standard chatter about inflation these days, it …
“Stick with the plan” is investment advice, financial strategy and part of the actual plan. That doesn’t make it easy or comfortable. With volatility up and the market down over 5 percent in January, and with higher inflation, rising interest rates, a global supply-chain crisis, international unrest, worldwide politics and more swirling around us, the …
While the stock market was off on a wild ride this past Monday, I took a break from the work day to check out one of my favorite sports websites. There, I found an “off-topic discussion” headlined “Is it time to go risk-off?” That simple headline – and the entire lengthy brouhaha that followed it …
Freo, my golden retriever, turned 13 recently. That’s old for his breed. As he has aged, our relationship has changed. These days, it’s me waking him up every morning excited for the new day; on walks, it’s him letting me go off leash and wander while he keeps a close eye on me and awaits …
