The bears are running through the financial media, with the 5% drop in the S&P 500 over the last week. I saw a headline on Friday that one of JP Morgan’s top analysts was predicting a 20% stock market sell-off. Another Wall Street ‘expert’ – John Hussman – believes that we could see a 70% market crash, led by sky-high tech stocks. The issues are … Continue reading Bears Starting To Run?
No story or insights to tell this Friday morning. I just have this simple post (from Reddit) that sums up the real secret of success … that there is no secret! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! Image Credit: Pixabay Continue reading Secret of Success?
Living in Minnesota, I love the annual ‘Theater of Seasons’. We are really treated to some epic changes throughout the year, with the temperature hitting 100 degrees F in the summer and -25 degrees in the wintertime. We are home to 10,000 lakes & the headwaters of the Mississippi, but they are all frozen like a rock for at least 3 months of the year. … Continue reading Winter Is Over Already?
Last Saturday night I did something really silly – I attended the coldest NHL hockey game in league history. Our Minnesota Wild played outside at the Minnesota Twins ballpark on New Year’s Day and it was -8F at the puck drop. With wind chill, the temperature felt like a mind-numbing -24F. You might think I just got unlucky with the bad weather the day of … Continue reading Quirky Cold Night
I complained a lot about the economy in 2021. I didn’t like the trillions in debt-driven government spending and the ensuing inflation. Still, I acknowledged that the markets continued to rise – as the ‘Trump Bump’ became the ‘Biden Bump’. Yesterday, I tallied up how we finished the year with our portfolio. Our retirement savings were up an impressive +15%. Our gains were led by … Continue reading New Year’s Assessment
It was exactly 2 years ago yesterday that I had my ‘Widowmaker’ heart attack, playing tennis at my home club (above). I played there yesterday and am very appreciative of the full recovery I have been able to make. It was the 42nd match of the year for me. I play with a couple friends and two of my brothers. my total matches for the … Continue reading Closing Out The 2021 Season
Prices are going up. Consumer price inflation ballooned to 6.8% in November as massive increases in government debt and supply-chain issues over the last year were reflected. The Fed & Biden believe they can get back to a 2% annual average target, but clearly that’s going to take some doing. Retirement plans are especially susceptible to rising prices as fixed investments, pensions, bonds, and social … Continue reading What’s The Impact Of Inflation On Your Retirement?
We’re going to a Christmas open house & holiday gift exchange this afternoon. My wife’s friend hosts it almost every year. Holiday music, friends, games, and fun conversation in a beautifully decorated home makes for a wonderful afternoon. I always love holiday luncheons, even when they were just ‘scheduled festivity’ at the office. The big, secular MegaCorp Holiday Luncheon was OK, but many of the … Continue reading Holiday Parties – Then & Now
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about time, energy, and money. When you’re young you have time & energy, but no money. You trade your time for money when you are an adult. In the end, you are left with time & money, but no energy to enjoy it when you are older. It’s truly the Devil’s Dilemma. Early retirement fights those trade offs. While … Continue reading Time. Energy. Money.
I waited a long time to get a look at my MegaCorp retiree health insurance benefits and they just arrived. It’s open enrollment time right now and I just booked my new insurance plan. As background, I worked at one MegaCorp for 24 years and a second for just 3. I’m an official retiree of the first one, where I went from temporary Administrative Assistant … Continue reading MegaCorp Retiree Health Coverage
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