Articles of Interest / Blog Posts
The Social Security Choice
If you have at least 10 years of work history, then reaching Social Security age comes with some choices – begin drawing on your Social Security benefit or wait? Should you begin to take those benefits as soon as you reach 62 years? One could invest the income received. Or, should you wait until full […]
World’s Population in Decline
Americans are having fewer babies, and they are not alone. The World Bank, which keeps birth statistics for every country, shows a decline pretty much across the entire world — some more drastic than others. The worldwide fertility rate is around 2.4 children per woman, roughly half the 1950 level (4.7). The […]
New Technology for Chronic Pain
The CDC reported, in 2019, that just over 20% of adults had chronic pain. This can include neuropathic pain (caused by damaged nerves), nociceptive pain (caused by pain receptors which are activated in an injury but never turn back off), somatic pain (related to joint injury or arthritic conditions, sometimes to muscle pain), or […]
Medical Revolution
The future of medicine is happening now, even if it will not land in our medicine cabinets for another 5 to 10 years. Virtual doctor appointments are becoming common place, mental health services are available via text, birth control can be ordered online through a portal – no visit needed. The focus will […]
Pandemic Boosts Gaming
The pandemic has done much to change our lives, and one positive change is our desire to seek out positive interactions with one another. More people are playing board games, cards, and puzzle games together – either staying in and playing at home or playing in an online environment. These online competitive games […]
Lending to Friends and Family
The first thing which may come to mind when lending money to friends or family may be thoughts around impact on your relationship, because this is just a personal matter, right? Well, the Internal Revenue Service may feel differently.
There are some things which you should keep in mind, and some things you […]
Dwindling Dividends
There is no shortage of online articles promising great success for retirees who buy into stocks and live off the dividends. However, there is often little, or no, historical information provided.
Consider this – in 1873, a basket of large-cap stocks (like the S&P 500) paid a dividend yield of 7.5%. Receiving $7.5 […]
FAFSA Changes Benefit Grandparent 529s
FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the main form used by universities and colleges that determines a student’s eligibility to receive financial aid. To simplify, there is a formula that assesses the income and assets of both parents and students. This formula is used to calculate […]
Social Security And Inflation
Since 1975, the Social Security Administration has adjusted benefit payments to account for inflation. The goal is to have what recipients receive to keep pace with inflation. For the past decade, these inflation adjustments have been modest, as you can see in the chart. In 2009, 2010 and 2015, there was no […]
U.S. Economy By State
It is common knowledge that the U.S. economy is the largest in the world. But, we may not realize the magnitude of the size difference. A recent graphic published by the GZero organization gives a pretty good hint.
Look at the map and notice that North Dakota — one of the smallest states […]
