The New Groundhog Day

I saw this on LinkedIn:

ROFLMAO.

Disclosure:  I did not receive any compensation from LinkedIn or Groundhog Day for writing this post.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial, policy nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Vibe Investing is Working Great

Measures such as price/earnings, dividend payout,  and other technical factors don't seem to matter as much as before for stock market values.   Vibes seem to be the new controlling factor. 

IMHO, there seems to be multiple vibe vectors that affect movements in stock prices:

• Bull vs. Bear
• Positive vs. Negative
• In the Market vs. On the Sidelines
• Optimistic vs. Pessimistic
• Reasonable Risk vs. Unsafe Risk
• Trump Pump vs. Trump Dump

When the vibes move more to the left, the stock price tends to rise.  The more to the left, the faster it rises.  When vibes move to right, the stock price tends to fall.

My assessment of vibes is that they are solidly in the left.   My vibes are slightly more to center, and I have gone full retard on equities since I'm hedging with bonds and bond funds.  However, I'm still hodling what I have.

Who needs to study and evaluate the technical data.  Lately, vibe investing works all the time, about 60% of the time.😎  LOL.

For more on Strategy and Plans, check back every Monday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock investment, nor investing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Time Compression with Age

When I was a child, the days and years felt long.  I had all the time in the world to do what I needed to do. Even in college and early working years, I felt I had time to get everything done I wanted to get done.

Then I had children, and time seemed to pass faster.  It just seems like yesterday they were in diapers, toddlers and in preschool.  I had all the time in the world for them to grow up.   Now they are in college and junior high school.    I sometimes wonder where all the time went.

We were also extremely stretched for time getting them to activities up through high school.  We seemed busy all the time with the kids schedules.  Barely enough time to do our important items.

Nowadays, time seems to fly by each day before I get half or less of my to do list done for the day. Things that use to take me a couple hours to do when I was younger now take me a day.  As my FIL once told me, I'm not getting slower, time is getting faster.

IMHO, the peak time to maximize time for doing things in 40s to early 50s.   After that is a significant decline.  Of course, YMMV.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial  nor time management advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Online International Order Tariff Issues

"Uncertainty is the only thing that is certain." - new reality for international orders.

People are getting surprise charges since the de minimis exemption for import duties on orders under $800 has expired.  The recipient is responsible for charges since they are the "importer."

New Tariff Rules Bring "Maximum Chaos" as Surprise Charges Hit Consumers

A friend of mine recently ordered a part for his bike from Canada for $10.   There was $20 shipping charge.  When he received the part, he was charged another $37 for duties and customs, which he was informed of after the part was delivered.

Another friend's son order a U.S. made used part owned by a Swiss Company and the part has been sent.  However, the part MIA in the delivery system, with no organization able to find its location.

Finally, my spouse ordered a small item from Japan.  After receiving the item, UPS billed her $2 for customs and duties, which was not unreasonable.  However, we don't know the impact of recent tariffs on future orders.

It's likely we will need to prepared for tariff related surcharges for a while.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor purchasing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Regret for Delaying Social Security to 70

"Tomorrow is not guaranteed." ~ old adage

Common thinking is to wait until 70 if one can afford it and is healthy in order to receive a higher Social Security payment.  Mathematically, that seems to be good advice.  However, life happens.

Below is a link to an article in which the person regrets waiting until 70 and his reasons.

I'm Retired And Regret Claiming Social Security At 70 - Here's Why

Here's a summary of the article:

• Hidden Tax Trap. That higher income pushes him into brackets where more of his Social Security gets taxed, and his Medicare premiums get hit with surcharges. He's essentially penalized for following conventional wisdom about waiting until 70.
  
  
• Health Gets Worse. He spent years in my late sixties staying healthy, exercising, and planning for a long retirement. Then at 72, he was diagnosed with a serious condition that limits my mobility and energy. Those extra years between 67 and 70 when he could have truly enjoyed his benefits are gone forever.
  
  
• Breakeven math is just theoretical.  The break-even point for waiting until 70 compared to benefits claimed at age 67 is approximately age 82. But that calculation assumes everything stays constant – your health, Medicare costs, tax brackets, and Social Security's future stability.  Life happens.
  
  
• Missed Experiences. While he was dutifully waiting until 70, his neighbor who claimed at 62 was traveling the world. She's now 67 and has already received five years of checks that someone waiting until 70 hasn't gotten, allowing her to travel and enjoy life.
  
  
• Social Security May Cut Benefits. He delayed for maximum benefits that might not even be guaranteed when potential cuts come in 2033 or 34.
  
  
• Could Have Done Well Investing. With a 4 percent real return, a person has to live to 89, instead of 78, for it to be beneficial to delay benefits from age 67 to 70, yet 77 percent of 67-year-old males and 65 percent of 67-year-old females die before 89.
  
  
• Spousal Benefits Delayed.  His spouse could have been receiving 50% of my full retirement age benefit for three additional years, but instead got nothing while he chased those delayed retirement credits. That's money they'll never get back.
  
  
• Worried More About Market Fluctuations.  During those three years he delayed Social Security, he had to rely more heavily on my 401(k) and other investments for living expenses.
  
  
• Extra Cash Would Have Been Useful.  Between ages 67 and 70, he faced unexpected expenses: home repairs, medical bills, and helping his adult children through financial challenges.
  
  
• Having Money Sooner Is Better.  Looking back, he realize he treated Social Security like a pure investment decision when it should have been a lifestyle choice. If he could do it over again, he'd claim at full retirement age and use those three extra years of benefits to truly enjoy the beginning of his retirement while he was still healthy enough to make the most of it.

I agree with many of his points since I took Social Security early at 64 and avoided experiencing many of reasons for his regret. 

For more on  Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, Social Security, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Curse of Easy Credit

Managing personal finances used to be simple, before the days of multiple credit cards and easy loans.  We earned money.  We paid mostly in cash, except for home and car loans.   We saved in banks.  If we couldn't afford it with cash, we didn't buy it.  Easy peasy to have good personal finance results.

Fast forward to today.   Don't have enough money to buy something.  There a lots of credit options. 

• Need money for everyday items or smaller purchases.  Max out multiple credit cards.  Buy now, pay later.    Split payments up.  Rent to own.   The temptation is that all these options are at NO cost if one pays them off on time.   People rarely pay on time which results in paying high interest rates.
  
  
• Need money for expensive items.   Can't afford to go to college.  There's money from student loans.  Car loans now go out to seven years and are often upside down on the day it's purchased.  These loans are great until one has to start paying them back.
  
  
• Need money sooner.  Get advances on one's paycheck, but at a cost.  Get a money advance on one's credit card.
  
  
• Want to gamble.  No need travel or have cash.  Go online with one's credit card.  One can go thousands of dollars into debt.

I made my daughter an authorized user on a credit card, but still had her pay her part of the bill.  She commented how much easier and quicker it was to spend money using a credit card. Managing personal finances requires good skill and discipline.  Today, there are too many temptations and opportunities to veer off a successful path.  

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every  Thursday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, credit card, nor debt advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Protecting Personally Identifiable Information

There a lots of attempts to steal people personally identifiable information (PII) and use it.   I have not subscribed to any protection services, even when it's provided for no charge due to a data breach. I feel that taking good precautions will be enough protection.  Here's what I do to protect information.

• Shred any papers that may have PII.  Bank statements, brokerage statement, pre qualification letters  with QR codes, 1099s, copies of tax returns,  W-2s and cancelled checks.
• Don't share SSN at doctor's or dentist's offices.   It is not required and you can choose to leave it blank.   In fact, you can decline sharing SSN for many applications.
• Do not send PII over e-mail.  It is not secure.
• Only use secure electronic systems to send personally identifiable information to appropriate organizations.
• Cut up expired credit cars and membership cards.
• Do not give information over the phone to unknown callers that claim to be bank, credit card, IRS, Social Security or Medicare representatives.  Call back a confirmed number, from internet or mail, to verify unknown callers.
• Check credit card statements and bank statements for unknown activities.
• Periodically, check information at credit bureaus.

Finally, I usually am on the side of being cautious rather than assume the situation is safe.  Better to not give out or shred the information than have it obtained by unscrupulous people.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance , check back every Wednesday  for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Financial Decision Fatigue

There are lots of financial or financial related decisions to make in retirement and as one gets older.  Here are some of the items bullet pointed without discussion.

• Distribution of retirement funds:  Lump sum, annuity, NUA, rollover
• Age to start Social Security:  62 min, 67 FRA, 79 max
• Medicare options: Supplement, Advantage
• Tax Planning:  RMD, Roth Conversion, Gifts 
• Estate Planning: Trusts, Wills, POAs
• Insurance-Long Term Care, Life, Car, Homeowner, Umbrella
• Investment Strategies: Growth, Income, 

NUA-Net Unrealized Appreciation

FRA-Full Retirement Age

RMD-Required Minimum Distribution

POA-Power of Attorney

I always expected getting older would make thing easier.  NOT!

For more on Reaping the Rewards , check back every Friday  for a new segment.

This is not financial or aging advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Shredding Personally Identifiable Information

When I was younger I threw all my statements and prequalified financial offers (credit cards, banks, insurance, etc.) in the weekly trash.  Never had an issue with identity theft.

Nowadays, I think it is prudent to shred anything that can be used to "steal" one's identity.  This includes:

• Financial Statements:  Bank, Brokerage, Credit Card, W-2, 1099, Mortgage, Student Loan and more
• Prequalified anything:   Credit Card, Insurance, Membership that have QR codes
• Old tax return data:  I shred after 7 years.
• Expired Credit or Debit Cards
• Paper Bills:  Medical, Utility

Shredding takes me about an hour for a month's amount paperwork.  

In some cases, asking for e-documents is a secure route to take, which is how my bank bill payment system operates.  I choose electronic for some bank and brokerage statement, but I still choose paper for those that I want for tax records.

I probably shred more than I need to do.  However, better safer than sorry.  

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor security advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

My Retirement "Career" and Purpose

After retiring, I tried several new jobs to determine if a second last hurrah career was a possibility.  I tried the following:  Tutoring, Teaching, Tax Preparation, Park Employee, Census Bureau Employee for part time work and Executive Director of a non-profit, which turned out to be full time work.

These jobs were a good transition from working to retirement.  They made the transition smoother since I still have some of the work routine and camaraderie with co-workers.  None of these jobs turned out to be work I wanted to do full time and long term. 

I quit doing part time jobs in 2015.  I decided I wasn't going to find that second hurrah job.  Instead, I started focusing more time on determining my retirement purpose and delivering on that.

In summary, here's what I have decided are my three focus retirement purposes:

• Managing our household personal finances.  
  
  I have mostly been and still am a DIYer for personal finances.   I am managing our investments, covering our spending, and consulting with a financial advisor occasionally on a couple areas such as when to take social security and how long our funds will last.
  
  Historically, I have typically invested in individual stocks and index ETFs since both have low or no management fees.  I am transitioning to have just 2-3 ETFs and Treasuries/CDs to simplify our investment holdings while maintaining returns.
  
  No one cares more about my finances and investments that I do.  I manage our investments.  I do our taxes.  I make sure we have sufficient funds for our living expenses.  I transfer funds when we need more.  I'm not ready to let go of doing this, yet.
  
  
• Raise our kids to be self sufficient adults.   
  
  Although retired, we still have one child in college and one in junior high school.  Our goal it to enable them to graduate from college debt free and, if needed, cover the cost of graduate school. In addition, we are also tutoring them in the basics of personal finance. I want them have stable finances and be good contributors to society in the future.
  
  An approach I'm taking is to focus on their strengths and interests to help them develop into great adults.  However, I'm also sometimes involving them in my strengths and interests areas in case that works for them also.
  
  
• Keep our current house by doing modernizing upgrades and planned maintenance.
  
  We've decided this will be our forever home, rather than buy a newer home and move or go to a senior residential community.  We also don't want to own a vacation home.
  
  Over the past few years, we've been renovating the inside of our home.  First, we upgraded the counter tops and appliances in our kitchen.  Next we refinished our wood floor on the first floor.  We considered replacing windows and doors, but decided to repair the windows and doors instead
  
  We are replacing some furniture, such as the outdated armoire TV cabinet with a more modern stand.  And we are working on decluttering by donating books, clothing and other items no longer used. Next is a project of replace carpeted stairs to the finished basement with wood stairs.  At some point, we will renovate our bathrooms, but that is for the future.  
  
  My spouse loves gardening and she is continuously upgrading the outdoor space.  Moving would mean starting from scratch again.
  
  Overall, we feel this is a better option than buying another house, modifying to our tastes and then moving.

These three part time focuses will easily combine to be full time "career" in retirement going forward. Definitely, we'll need periodic vacations from all this "work."

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, home renovation, parenting nor retirement advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Lurking Tax Burdens for Retirees

When I started working, it was commonly accepted that income taxes would lower in retirement. I was looking forward to lower taxes when I retired.  However, it didn't quite work out that way.

  

Here are some "new" or increases in taxes retirees can expect:

• Social Security Taxes.   Up to 85% of social security payments can be taxed above certain total income.   The threshold income  number hasn't been adjusted for inflation since it was implemented in the 1980s.  IMHO, there should be no tax on Social Security payments for all recipients.  First, the Federal government doesn't acknowledge that 100% of FICA payments made by an individual has already been taxed.  Thus, the Federal government is taxing the same income twice.  Seems this should have been corrected many years ago, but the Federal government allows this inequity for seniors to continue.
• IRMMA (income-related monthly adjustment amount) payments.   This is the additional payment one is required to make for Medicare part B premiums based on income.   My response is, "Since when are any insurance premium payments based on one's income?"    Do I pay homeowner/renter insurance based on income?  Do I pay car insurance based on income?   No I pay based on benefits and risk assessment.   Thus, IMHO,  IRMMA is another stealth tax on Retired Seniors. 
• RMD (Required Minimum Distributions from Retirement Accounts) taxes.   OK, Federal government expects individuals to save for retirement.  After the individual saves, the Federal government tells them they must withdraw a certain amount a year and pay taxes, even if the retiree does not need the funds.   
• Real Estate Taxes.   As home prices increase, so do local real estate taxes.  Typically, one should expect increasing and higher real estate taxes over time.

I didn't realize that tax planning would actually become more important in retirement.  However, it appears good tax planning can minimize how much a retiree owes.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor tax planning advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Reaping the Rewards in Retirement

We spend decades working and accumulating money for our retirement.   After retiring, we start spending the funds.  How should this be done?

Spoiler alert:   There is no "right" answer.

Here's what may be available:

• Employer retirement plans.    For a few, profit sharing accounts contributed by the employer.  For some, private company pensions.  For many others, retirement accounts such as 401K, 403B and 457. These are now available for withdrawal or to rollover. There may also be an option to convert retirement funds to an annuity or to convert a pension to a lump sum.  Which option to do?
  
  
• Tax advantaged savings plans.  IRAs (both Traditional and Roth), annuities and whole life insurance.  Should these be used before or after taxable savings?
  
  
• Taxable savings accounts.  Investment accounts that hold stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs.  Should these be used before or after tax advantaged savings?
  
  
• Social Security and/or Public Sector Pensions. These are monthly payments to retirees.  While private pensions are usually fixed,   Social Security and public sector pensions have annual COLA adjustments.  The big question is when to start?
  
  
• Health insurance.  Some may have employer sponsored retiree health insurance. Medicare is available to retirees 65 and older.  Otherwise, ACA insurance.  All require premiums be paid by the retiree.  Should one take original Medicare and supplement or sign up for Medicare advantage?

If it looks complicated to navigate, it's because it is.  There is no straight forward answer.  The decisions should be based on each person's own situation.  The only recommendation I have is to talk to different knowledgeable people, who do not gain financially from a decision you make, and weigh the different options.   

For more on  Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, saving, nor retirement decision advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Are Bonds Predicting a Recession?

"It's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Yogi Berra

Last week, all my bonds and bond mutual funds increased in value.  I thought that was strange since the 30 year bond increased to almost a 5% yield , which means bond prices are falling, when the courts ruled against the tariffs.  However, later that week, the jobs numbers were poor, causing investors to worry about a possible recession, and in turn flocked to the safety of U.S. bonds. 

Do I know which direction the stock market is heading?  LOL, no! I'm just speculating based on the data that is available to me.   In reality, if I knew what is going to happen, I wouldn't be blogging about it.  I would just quietly YOLO and make millions.

Personally, with U.S. Debt at all time highs and rising, with Student Loan, Auto and Mortgage defaults increasing, and Credit Card debt at an all time high, I don't feel the economy and the stock market can continue doing well. So, I will take a path of being cautiously risk averse.  I'm slightly reducing our equity and bond investments and putting funds in short term money markets. Yes, I may miss out on significant gains if the market continues to only go up.    At the same time, I won't feel as much pain if the market declines significantly.

GLTA, which ever way you believe the economy and stock market are headed.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Sale and Coupon Fatigue

For most of my life, I was a coupon and sale seeker.  Before I would purchase an item, I would wait for it to go on sale or have a coupon, even for small purchases.  Many times, I would organize my purchases around sales and coupons.   However, this caused more planning and complexity, which I managed easily when I was younger.

Even after retirement, I was still a coupon and sale seeker for most items.  As I'm getting older, the planning and complexity is becoming more difficult and I am choosing to simplify.   Now I just buy my smaller items whenever I need them.  If they happen to be on sale, great I might buy a few extra.  

I will use my sale and coupon efforts for larger purchases, for example appliances and automobile, where the effort yield large savings, and are done infrequently.   

Doing this should create more simplicity for my retirement lifestyle.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2025 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Higher Stock Market Volatility Is Back

Big daily swings in the stock market have become the norm over the past few weeks.  It all started when the Fed shared the possibility of cutting back on QE, which gave traders concern that the bull market was ending.   As a result, the investor confidence is down and the stock market advance has stalled with a 5% intraday correction in the Dow.

For the rest of the summer, I expect that daily 100+ point changes in the Dow will be common.  For me, the volatility is a buying opportunity, enabling me to make some small purchases in our ETF investment strategy when the market is down.  It is emotionally tough to buy into the market during the 100+ point declines.  By keeping the amounts small, I will hedge slightly against the possibility of a major near term stock market decline.

For more on New Realities, check back Sundays for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2013 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Market Correction Coming - Maybe!

If the Asian markets are a good indicator, Monday will start off as a down day for U.S. markets. I expect that the markets will experience at least an intraday 5% correction during this week. Perhaps, the correction may go as high as 10%.

However, if there is enough bad news, investors may be relieved since the Fed will wait longer before beginning to tape QE, which would be good news.  In that case, a correction won't happen.

For more on New Realities, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2013 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

No More Adoption Tax Credit

One of the casualties of the fiscal cliff deal that affects us is the elimination of the Adoption Tax Credit,  In 2012, the maximum credit was $12,650 and the credit was not refundable.  In 2005, we took advantage of the Adoption Tax Credit.  We expected to get the Adoption Tax Credit again, except the second adoption has taken six years and still counting.   We also knew that the Adoption Tax Credit was likely to expire sometime.  

At this point, we are continuing with the adoption, since the tax credit was not a factor in our decision.  However, if the credit is reinstated, we'll gladly take advantage of it.

Correction:  As Mark Smith points out in a comment below, the Adoption Tax Credit is extended permanently as a non-refundable tax credit of $12,970 for taxpayers below the phaseout AGI income of $194,580 to $234,580.  Although non-refundable, the unused credit can be carried forward for 6 years.

For more on New Realities, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial or adoption advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2013 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Government's Definition of Spending Cuts

For financial amusement, I've been following the drama on the fiscal cliff and sequestration negotiations.  I have learned amazingly that the governments definition of spending cuts is very different that my definition for individuals.  To me, a personal spending cut is making a conscious decision on what to give up to reduce costs.  For example, I may choose to buy less or to buy a less expensive brand of a product.  In most cases, I need to give up something: amount, quality, or value.

However, I have learned that the government has several more options for "spending cuts:"

1. Pay the provider less for the same product.  The proposed 2% cut in Medicare is to simply have health care providers accept 2% for the exact same services and products.  The providers only choice is to participate or be excluded from Medicare.    Gee, I wish I could tell my grocery store or gas station to accept 2% less and have them participate.  Unfortunately, they will choose not to do business with me anymore.
2. Future promised cuts that usually don't materialize.   A typical government tactic is to claim a savings credit today for spending cuts in the future, even they don't materialize, which they usually don't.  For me, that would mean I could claim a spending cut of $25,000 in 2012 if I delay purchasing a car from 2014 to 2015.
3. Postponing benefits.  Another government spending cut is to delay benefits for entitlements, such as Social Security.  So raising the age for full retirement is considered a spending cut for the government.  I guess this works because starting later means less payments over the programs lifetime, but I don't see how it should be claimed as a current savings.  For example, if I take a major vacation every five years starting at 55 and decide to delay the start until 60, I will take one less major vacation over my lifetime.  But I shouldn't claim a spending cut in the year I decide to delay.

This year I probably saved a few hundred dollars in spending cuts.  However, if I used the government definition, I would claimed tens of thousands in spending cuts since I didn't buy a new car, delayed taking major vacation, and assumed all my providers would accept 2% less for the same products and services.

For more on  New Realities, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial or frugal living advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2012 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Going to See a Cardiologist - Again

When I retired five years ago, my exit health check picked up an irregular heart beat on an EKG.  So I went to a cardiologist who did a stress test cardio CT scan of my heart.  The conclusion was no heart disease  and probable cause was too much coffee, which I had been drinking about 7 cups a day.

A decade prior to the visit, I had experience some chest pain when running in 30 degree temperatures.  My doctor had told me that it was likely bronchial spasms from breathing cold air through my mouth.  Since I didn't have chest pains any other time, I accepted his explanation.

In the past few months, I have been experiencing some chest discomfort when lightly exerting myself in cooler weather, e.g playing tennis, or cutting the grass.  There was as not much pain as in the running experience, but neither was the weather as cold.  The discomfort was generally associated with physical exertion in forty degree temperatures, but didn't happen every time. 

Last night, I experienced discomfort again after spending less than a minute in 20 degree temperatures running in and out of my garage.  This caused me enough concern to start checking, through the Internet and with friends, for a cardiologist to set up an appointment.  My biggest concern came from a conversation with a neighbor who just had bypass surgery.  He had no signs of heart problems except for a occasional heavy feeling in his chest.   When he finally went in to get it checked, it turned out he had significant blockage and had surgery immediately.

So first thing tomorrow, I'm going to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.  Hopefully, I'll find out there is no major problem since I have made progress in improving my health since my last heart evaluation.

For more on  New Realities, check back every  Sunday for a new segment.


This is not financial or health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2012 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Stocks to Get Cheaper

Despite the Kumbaya moment following the White House summit with Congressional leaders, I am becoming less confident that a the fiscal cliff and sequestration will be resolved prior to the end of 2012.  This weekend the softened stances of the President, Senate leaders, and House leaders has stiffened up again.  The lines in the sand have been drawn again: higher tax rates on the rich by the President, no cuts to Social Security and Medicare by the Senate, and keeping tax cuts for everybody, including the rich, by the House.   In addition, the President has doubled his target for increased tax revenue to $1.6 trillion while delaying any discussion on spending cuts until 2013. 

I don't see much opportunity for compromise and lots of opportunity for brinkmanship, which will bring the stock market down, perhaps even worse than the 2011 19% market decline. 

For more on New Realities, check back every Sunday for a new segment.


This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2012 Achievement Catalyst, LLC