October 31, 2019
When it comes to politicians making promises and pitching far fetched ideas nowadays, the sky is the limit. The current crop of Democrats campaigning for their party’s presidential nomination have lifted the “sky is the limit” to “space is the limit.” The sales pitches stretch from free tuition and education debt forgiveness to buying votes […]
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Tags: campaign, cavuto, democrats, foxnews, health care, healthcare, joe manchin, medicare, medicare for all, mp4, Politics, president, presidential, primary
March 6, 2013
As the self-appoint nation’s problem solver [that’s worth a chuckle], I’ve been thinking about our underfunded Medicare and soon to be underfunded Social Security programs. For those needing a little primer, I will start by regurgitating some background information on these two taxpayer supported entitlements. Both Social Security and Medicare are supported by working citizens […]
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Tags: heath care, medicare, opinion, retirement, social security
March 4, 2012
We’ve all heard the “kicking the can down the road” metaphor as it relates to those we elect to govern the country and manage our tax contributions (or mismanage as the case may be). I’ve been trying to educate myself on one component my parents and my wife’s parent rely on – Medicare. I suspect […]
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Tags: congress, medicare, politcs
April 9, 2011
The financial markets continue to hold their own, which considering the continued of negative news we’ve hearing is amazing. Gold and especially silver (at a 31 year high) have become safe haven investments for some investors concerned that the economy will stumble and inflation (or likely ‘stagflation’) will be what we’ll see in the second […]
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January 23, 2024
It’s called the third rail of politics, and in those areas of spending where politicians with the best of intentions dare to talk, nothing gets done. Only a few have suggested finding a solution to our ballooning debt and yearly deficits … or two of the primary drivers: Social Security and Medicare. These programs continue […]
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Tags: medicare, national debt, npr, politicians, social security, spending
October 21, 2023
This whiny post is going to ring hollow for those going through serious problems … or even noticing that I was recentlydifficult time adjusting to shifting gears. Brenda and I now have more unstructured time, particularly since Brenda’s surgeries and rehab (although I do still try to do work each day). The earlier than expected […]
Filed under: Automotive, Financial, Idioms, Misc, Personal by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: economy, gripe, insurance, planning, rant, retirement
May 27, 2023
Once again, politicians are taking our US SPENDING and BORROWING problem right to the wire. Everyone knows that eventually politicians will just raise the debt ceiling and borrow more. The Republicans want spending cuts and the Democrats want a “clean increase” so as to be able to pay promised liabilities (previous spending) and we all […]
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Tags: debt ceiling, economy, government, medicare, social security, spending, tax foundation, taxes
July 10, 2022
While I personally have not worked the numbers, a May 2022 Barron’s Advisor column on retirement offered an enlightening look on “where” to live; it can be eye-opening! Low income taxes aren’t everything. Many retirees who live in states with high taxes are eager to move to states with no income taxes, says Rhian Horgan, […]
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Tags: advisor, barrons, healthcare, investing, retirement, taxes
March 23, 2022
From a John Steele Gordon lecture at Hillsdale College … “money is just another commodity, no different from petroleum, pork bellies, or pig iron. So money, like all commodities, can rise and fall in price, depending on supply and demand. But because money is, by definition, the one commodity that is universally accepted in exchange […]
Filed under: Education, Financial, Quotes by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: college, economist, economy, hillsdale, inflation, john steele gordon, milton friedman, money, quote
December 15, 2021
As Christmas cards arrive and the 15th of December hits, it is time to start winding down my business year and thinking about 2022 (BTW, we mailed our cards this week). One thing I have noticed this year is that more cards are from people who are now retired or are retiring. Hm … does […]
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Tags: chamber of commerce, christmas, cola, cpi, cppnet, health insurance, high-deductible, hsa, inflation, medicare, medishare, ppi, retirement, social security
March 16, 2021
Support for socialism has been on the rise in America as I have previously noted and according to trend we have seen and the acceptable rhetoric/terms politicians have been willing to adopt this past decade. Liberals, who now prefer the “progressive” label, have decidedly shifted from resisting the status quo, traditional “right and wrong” norms, […]
Filed under: Education, History, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: capitalism, commentary, conservatives, debate, democracy, democrats, Education, freedom, hillsdale, liberalism, opinion, Politics, progressives, Republicans, socialism
June 24, 2020
By now we all have heard and know about the TRILLIONS we have borrowed and continue to borrow as a nation in deep debt, but few are willing to make any changes to the status quo before this house of cards comes tumbling down. What we don’t really thing about quite as much are the […]
Filed under: Financial, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: debt, debt clock, gdp, government, liabilities, spending, unfunded
May 27, 2020
Acknowledge scammers and you become a “live mark.” There’s no way around it, living with smarphones and computers makes life easier and more difficult at the same time. Scammers are busy targeting all of us and seem particularly interested in taking advantage of senior citizens and those often least experience with technology. A perfect example […]
Filed under: Advice, Cellphone, Computer, Health, Technology by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: ani gif, anigif, crime, deterrent, do not call, ftc, its a trap, medicare, medigap, message, scams, spam, text
March 7, 2020
I’ve purposely put off posting anything to MyDesultoryBlog as the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (#COVID19) began. Partially since it is challenging to separate the unfounded fears and panic from the real threat since the reporting varies based on news sources (Information from China is particularly questionable but western media sources aren’t all […]
Filed under: Business, Financial, Health, Medical, News, Weather by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: 401k, be prepared, boy scouts, bsa, cdc, coronavirus, covid19, disease, flu, Health, idiom, idioms, infection, influenza, investing, ira, mortality, opinion, pandemic, precautions, retirement, savings, seasonality, trading, virus, who
January 11, 2020
Forgive me for being a bit redundant in worrying (again) about the hot tech stocks like Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), Facebook (FB), Amazon (AMZN), Tesla (TSLA) and Netflix (NFLX) among others as the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirts with 29,000 in mid-January 2020 (even a broken clock is right twice a day! ― Marie von […]
Filed under: Financial, Technology by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: aapl, apple, barrons, djia, election, etf, finance, investing, mutual fund, retirement, savings, stocks, trade, wall street
August 11, 2019
As the cost of education, health care, cars, etc. goes up, it should be no surprise our financing habits change in order to pay for priorities like higher education … or luxuries like newer and more reliable cars. Paying for semi-essentials is significantly more expensive than in the past and we now extend paying for […]
Filed under: Education, Financial, Health, Human Interest, News, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: cards, credit, economy, Education, families, graph, graphic, homes, housing, middle class, mortgages, school, sociology, wsj
November 4, 2018
Americans are finally working again and the U.S. is once again the place for businesses to expand, hire, give raises and grow. For all the questionable rhetoric from the far right and left extremes … and yes, from President Trumps’ "tweets" and biased media reporting … the actual governing under his administration and a GOP […]
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Tags: congress, economy, election, mid-term, polics, polls, promises, trump
June 14, 2018
Americans are struggling once again with carrots, sticks and tariffs event though throughout our history we have always been advocates for "free trade" … believing that in the end open trade wins. Unfortunately it isn’t always that simple when it is your job, your house and your life on the line. It is understandable that […]
Filed under: Blogs, Books, Financial, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: ayd rand, bernie sanders, capitalism, conservative, economics, eric posner, glen weyl, libertarian, milton friedman, monopolies, socialism, tariffs, walter williams
June 9, 2018
A conversation this week about "when to retire" after I mention attending my brother’s early retirement lunch lead to the question "how much do you need to have saved to retire?" Of course we ALL know the answer to that … "it depends." Yup, very helpful #sarcasm … yet so true, considering the differences in […]
Filed under: Advice, Financial by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: finance, investing, lifestyle, pension, planning, retirement, savings
May 11, 2018
Retirement is continuing to change and "has changed a lot in recent years, and may be far different from what you expect," says Tom Sightings, author of You Only Retire Once. The biggest difference is that you will most likely be responsible for overseeing (or hiring out) much of your own finances and health care […]
Filed under: Books, Financial, Tidbits by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: aging, book, finance, planning, retirement, savings, tom sightings, usnews
April 10, 2018
While reading a bit this past week about retirement savings and planning, it really hit home when realizing just how lifespans have changed in the past 100+ years. Did you know: •In 1900, the average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 100,000 Americans lived to age 85. •By 2010, the number of people over 85 […]
Filed under: Financial by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: finance, investing, money, planning, retirement, savings, wealth
February 8, 2018
So much for the "good news" that tax cuts will eventually providing revenue by helping the economy grow. The "hope" is that over time the economy growing will put more people to work (it is) and that the snowball would eventually grow paychecks (it is) AND that we could begin to reduce our country’s yearly […]
Filed under: Financial, News by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: chart, debt, deficit, djia, government, investing, markets, stocks, wall street
February 5, 2018
Well, well, well … perhaps this is the correction many watching the financial markets have been looking for as a 4.6% drop on the DOW in a day is a rather large one. It was another day of selling on Wall Street helped by computerized programmed trading and likely the relatively new ETF broad based […]
Filed under: Financial by RichC | 1 Comment »
Tags: etf, Financial, nasdaq, s&p 500 index, stock market, wall street
January 13, 2018
Google Maps view of the space D-8 that will be Encore‘s new dock After hauling Encore last year for some much needed out-of-water bottom work, I’m hoping to relaunch and have her back in the water in February for the improving weather this upcoming spring. But with such few trips and infrequent sailing, I’m torn […]
Filed under: Personal, Sailing, Travel by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: dock, encore, florida, harbortown, marina, planning, sailboat
October 7, 2017
A friend of mine is receiving his first social security check this month and so I’ve been doing some reading on the subject (it is a long way off yet for me … just in case readers had me already over-the-hill!) One of the biggest concerns for those nearing retirement and doing calculations is that […]
Filed under: Financial, Health, Movies, Politics, Video by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: fica, funding, generations, retirement, social security, soylent green, taxes
October 7, 2016
What is the goal? More and better paying jobs, profits for companies and growing tax revenues to fund government services, entitlements and improved ability to pay down our nation’s debt. How do we accomplish this? There are two ways government helps to create jobs in the US. The current Democrats remain focused on #1, while […]
Filed under: Business, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: clinton, democrat, economy, election, jobs, Politics, republican, trump
January 30, 2016
I had an interesting text exchange with my son Taylor who is smack dab in the middle of finding his political “sense.” Thankfully he is far more rational, a questioner, independent thinker and a lover of history to be snookered into “herding” blindly with the crowd who are “Feeling the Bern.” He has been closely […]
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August 21, 2015
We often hear the “firing on all cylinders” comment when talking about fiscal execution in managing companies … well the U.S. and World economy is not currently firing on many cylinders. Countries in Asia have been taking their lead from the 2008 model enacted by the US Fed which devalues currency in relation to other […]
Filed under: Financial by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: economy, investing, markets
June 25, 2015
Most Americans, not covered under government healthcare programs, have been feeling the higher cost of healthcare since Obamacare as traditional policies give way to high deductible plans which cost them more than their previously “more” inclusive lower deductible plans – so much for “keeping your healthcare plan.” Commonsense dictates that restructuring so those who actually […]
Filed under: Health, News by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: exchanges, obamacare, STOTUS, subsidies, tax, wsj
May 31, 2015
If you’ve been watching the “easy money” policies from central banks around the world (following the U.S. Fed’s lead), you may being wondering just how much money can be infused by government without suffering an economic calamity? So far, those investors “borrowing” at low interest rates in order to participate heavily in the stock market […]
Filed under: Financial, History by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: bear, bull, charts, crash, djia, graph, investing, markets
December 20, 2013
I listened to the president answer questions in today’s long news conference and it was interesting to hear reporters finally drill down on the Obama administrations’ blunders and shortcomings. For the past five years most network reporters in the Whitehouse press corps have been pretty gentle with questions and all but a few seemed to […]
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Tags: healthcare, heritage, obama, obamacare, press, promises
November 21, 2013
Partisanship and opinions aside a moment, I took a serious look at the Affordable Care Act and exchange pricing just to see what it might cost IF one was to retire early and purchase heath care on the exchanges. As a resident of Ohio (or Florida), which both have federally run exchanges, the monthly outlay […]
Filed under: Financial, Health, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: aca, exchanges, healthcare, obamacare
March 14, 2013
Shocking! [sarcasm] Hospitals need more taxpayer dollars to add residency spots in order to train the additional number of doctors the U.S. needs for Obamacare. So … more taxes or more borrowing? Socialized medicine *(lite -current plan – or full bore – where we are headed)* is not going to be cheap or offer a […]
Filed under: Education, Health, Misc by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: medicine, wsj
February 27, 2013
I find it difficult to listen to “the sky is falling” coming from special interest groups with the politicians looking out for them … or for that matter President Obama “crying wolf” once again. If it is so difficult to trim a few percent federal budget (something that was suppose to be done several years […]
Filed under: Books, Faith, Financial, Politics by RichC | 1 Comment »
Tags: carson, cuts, government, obama, sequestration, spending
December 11, 2012
Those of us watching the “dance” in Washington DC over the looming taxes and possible spending cuts closing in on every American can make one’s head spin. What we all know is that our government spends too much and seems unable to even come close to balancing their budget or coming up with a plan […]
Filed under: Financial, Politics by RichC | 1 Comment »
Tags: Business, economy, fiscal cliff, government, taxes
December 10, 2012
While following the Kabuki Theatre between President Obama and congress in Washington DC focused on increasing the top tax rate, cutting government spending and dealing with what has become known as the “fiscal cliff,” it was interesting to hear what European’s think of our latest governing hurdle. The BBC offered up a video interview with […]
Filed under: Audio, Financial, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: bbc, christine lagarde, economy, fiscal cliff
October 3, 2012
Most of America is waiting to hear from President Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney tonight for the first Presidential Debate. The president must defend his 4 years of leadership and stop offering excuses or pointing at Republicans; he needs to either convince the majority that his policies are working or that the changes that […]
Filed under: Financial, Politics, Video-TV by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: economoy, social security
July 17, 2012
Said tongue in cheek, just to be clear … Without big government, individuals and their businesses couldn’t build anything, according to President Obama. I suspect if he had his way we’d even have more government funded federal programs and bureaucratic agencies to oversee innovative and productivity. (Wake up America … take a look at how […]
Filed under: Politics, Space by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: agencies, department, government, obama, united states
February 22, 2012
The tax season is upon us and many take this opportunity to take account of our retirement strategy (at least those who are thinking ahead). Years ago … in the days of the company pension, confidence in Social Security and Medicare and the assumption that one would retire at 65 after a lifetime career with […]
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Tags: dividends, investing, retirement, savings, taxes
December 15, 2011
Well I was going to wait until closer to the Republican primary in Ohio (3/6/2012) to decide which candidate was best to run against the president, but after seeing recent polling, the candidate is obvious. When polls pitting Newt Gingrich against the sitting President Obama, the numbers indicate the President may have an easy re-election, […]
Filed under: Politics, Poll by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: gingrich, government, mitt romney, obama, Poll, president
December 10, 2011
What treatments do doctors seek when they get sick? That’s the basis of an article my daughter read to me this week while we were heading out to dinner … it is sobering. Ken Murray’s article in Zócalo Public Square is something I found thought provoking when considering just how far “we” want doctors and […]
Filed under: Health by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: doctor, healthcare, hospital
October 18, 2011
Washington had its best year ever in fiscal 2011. Maybe it’s a sign of the tumultuous times, but the federal government recently wrapped up its biggest spending year, and its second biggest annual budget deficit, and almost nobody noticed. Is it rude to mention this? The Congressional Budget Office recently finished tallying the revenue and […]
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August 28, 2011
I’ve been thinking about the big entitlement (negatively charged word?) issue when it comes to how the U.S. structured our senior citizen’s healthcare and retirement living expenses. Having never really fully understood the cost … and inching closer towards that eventual day … I do recognize while looking at my own health and insurance costs […]
Filed under: Archive, Financial, Health, Politics by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: healthcare, medicaid, medicare, retirement, social security
July 19, 2011
Press Conference President Obama 07/19/2011 A surprise jolt of bipartisan support emerged Tuesday for a $3.7 trillion deficit-reduction plan that had been in development for months, though it was thought to be dead just several weeks ago. Roughly half of the Senate’s 100 members sat through an hour-long briefing on the plan, which was designed […]
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June 21, 2011
It’s not often the AOL/HuffPo finds fault with Obamacare … but it looks like this costly oversight even has liberal universal healthcare lovers questioning the new law: President Barack Obama’s health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered […]
Filed under: Politics by RichC | 1 Comment »
Tags: obamacare
June 3, 2011
At age 85, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan talked candidly with the CNBC hosts this morning about the looming “debt ceiling” debate and more importantly our country’s lack of unity in addressing our deficit spending. Interestingly he is currently supporting some increases in taxes as a compromise realizing that in a divided government one […]
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Tags: cbnc, ceiling, debt, deficit, govenment, greenspan
June 2, 2011
The Republican heavyweight contender (at least in raising campaign funds) has announced his candidacy for presidency today at an event in New Hampshire. It was an expected move from a somewhat calculating and predictable politician/businessman – perhaps something the country needs? Former Governor Mitt Romney, a hardened campaigner, made the announcement at the Bittersweet Farm […]
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Tags: campaign, economy, elections, mitt, president, romney
April 13, 2011
Since the President delivered his budget in a speech during mid-day, I didn’t get the chance to listen to President Obama unveil his ‘updated’ budget … after the one he submitted two months ago. I had thought he might get serious about taking a bipartisan leadership position in deficit reduction and realized that most Americans […]
Filed under: Financial, Politics, Video-TV by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: biden, budget, obama, speech
April 5, 2011
It looks to me as if grappling with how to pay for health care is going to be the biggest hurdle when dealing with our deficit spending in the future (as if it isn’t bad enough now). It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about current private insurance plans, Obama’s national health care law, Medicaid for […]
Filed under: Financial, Health, Politics, Video-TV by RichC | 5 Comments »
Tags: budget, governement, paul ryan, Washington DC
March 27, 2011
It does seem a little early, but it is nearing the time we’ll find out who is a viable and electable 2012 Republican candidate for President. As I look at the current field of previous GOP presidential candidates, a couple of them seem to be getting their names out early. One well known political hopeful […]
Filed under: Politics, Video-TV by RichC | No Comments »
Tags: campaign, newt gingrich, Politics, president
February 16, 2011
Now that President Obama has delivered his 2012 budget, many conclude (even the President’s own Fiscal Commission), that there is a lack of leadership coming from the Whitehouse in dealing with America’s compounding debt. Obviously the problem isn’t going to go away without some control over how much money the US government spends and borrows, […]
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Tags: budget, congress, fiscal commission, obama, ryan
March 22, 2010
As the the Democrat’s health care bill passes under less than optimum circumstances, tempers and emotions flare in both congress and between citizens of our nation. My representative, the Honorable John Boehner, lead the Republican minority in a valiant fight, in this case speaking for the majority of people across our nation (video below). Unfortunately […]
Filed under: Archive, News, Politics, Video-TV by RichC | 2 Comments »
Tags: archive, boehner, congress, government, health care
January 14, 2010
Although I rarely forward emails since I dislike the spam filling up my box, I do once in a while get the urge to share. Here’s a snippet worthy of thought as the our elected representatives continue in a direction to take over reform health care. Will they break their streak and run it efficiently […]
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Tags: health care, healthcare, Politics
December 24, 2009
The year 2009 is closing with our federal government’s Christmas present making big changes in America’s healthcare system. Today, the senate passed legislation moving a massive 2000+ page healthcare bill one step closer to law and will in essence give significant control of over one-sixth of our nation’s economy to bureaucrats. Although supposedly promising needed […]
Filed under: Financial, News, Politics by RichC | 1 Comment »
Tags: health care, healthcare, Politics
October 29, 2009
For those citizens trying to follow the political goings on in Washington DC, it is irritating to trying to figure out just what is being debated and discussed by those we elect to “do the people’s business.” The current health care debate and varies bills being proposed in the House and Senate are prime example […]
Filed under: Politics by RichC | 2 Comments »
Tags: congress, obama, Politics, president, washington
September 11, 2009
Our country has seen some tough times — times that have united and times that divided our nation and its people. In recalling old history lessons, its seems there’s usually an event or a trigger which brings about one or the other. Today, on the eighth anniversary of 9/11 … our nation is once again […]
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Tags: 9/11, health care, obama, patriot day
August 13, 2009
As U.S. Congressional representatives sweat over whether to have townhall meetings in their states to talk healthcare during the August recess, I sweat over how to plan financial security for my family’s future, of which health insurance is a part. Years ago it seemed logical to just keep plunking away a few dollars into a […]
Filed under: Financial, Health, News, Politics by RichC | 2 Comments »
Tags: finances, healthcare, investing, markets, retirement