Warren Buffett (Photo by Bennett Raglin/WireImage) 2017 Bennett Raglin “It’s 12:35 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska, and I’m having lunch with Warren Buffett.” That’s the first line in my new book, The Lemonade Life. We ate at Piccolo’s, which is one of Buffett’s favorite restaurants and where he and Bill Gates also have dined together. Buffett
Retirement
KRAKOW, POLAND – 2018/09/19: In this photo illustration, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) logo … [+] is seen displayed on an Android mobile phone. (Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images In the late 1960s and early 1970s, when I was a teenager, police were often called “pigs” and
Gardens in Singapore Duy Nguyen/Unsplash With concerns increasing about US leadership on climate, immigration, and trade, and about Europe, slowed by its own economic and social pressures, my recent Asian travels fortified my sense that 21st century leadership will come from the East. The region is a work in process and much remains to be
You’d like to learn how to invest $1,000. Is this possible? After all, don’t many financial advisors have investing minimums? What if you’re new to investing? Where do you start? Yes, there are places you can invest $1,000. And, some of them are pretty nifty, as well. But, it’s not enough to know some places
After decades of calls to fix Social Security by reducing benefits, Social Security expansion’s time has come. The idea has certainly been on a roll. Eight years ago increasing Social Security benefits was a fringe position; four years ago only outsider candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders advocated for it. Today, expanding Social Security is the
Getty Is the double taxation of dual residents fair? The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to consider two cases brought by Connecticut taxpayers who sold their businesses and had to pay taxes on the sale gains in both Connecticut and New York. That leaves in place a double-taxation scheme that tax experts thought the Supreme
As a REIT analyst, it’s part of my job to screen for the highest-quality REITs and the widest margin of safety. That’s no easy task, because these days most of the highest quality names are trading at expensive valuation levels. Take Realty Income (O) for example, the dominant net lease REIT that has an A-rated
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin There are only two certainties in life – death and taxes Stephen Chen There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want. Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes Happy Halloween Did you know that only 20% of people are worried about dying vs. 58% of
Income investors have been crushed this year. Bond yields are down and stocks pay less and less “dividend per dollar” with each rally. But there’s still one little-known corner of the investing world we can look to for safe yields up to 11.8%. Business development companies (BDC) provide debt and equity financing for small and
null Getty “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” So goes the familiar adage that usually starts every company planning session you’ve ever attended. Face it. This is a planning session. The good news, however, is that it’s not about some bland organization. It’s about something you’ll find much
Getty If you or a member of your family have experienced elder abuse in a highly flawed guardianship system, you should be aware that you’re not an isolated case or a helpless victim. Elder abuse by opportunistic court guardians is one of those issues in American society that has reached critical mass in recent years,
If you own closed-end funds (CEFs), I have great news: equity CEFs are doing exactly what we want them to: crushing the market while handing us 7%+ dividends, (And if you’re not yet in CEFs, or want to bulk up your CEF holdings, sit tight: I’ll name a fund you can buy shortly. It has
LONDON,ENGLAND – JUNE 6: In this studio shot illustration a NHS uniform close up, with stethoscope … [+] on June 6,2019 in London,England. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images) Getty Images Here’s a headline one doesn’t see every day: “Pensions crisis blamed for trust’s worst-ever breast cancer waits.” That’s from the UK journal HSJ and, yes,
The over 49,000 United Auto Workers members have been on strike from General Motors for about a month may be close to a deal. All parties paid dearly for the strike because the stakes are so high. GM has lost up to $1.5 billion in profits according to the Anderson Economic Group, a Lansing public policy
View of Peoria’s river front Getty Last week Thursday, the Illinois Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force released its report recommending the consolidation of the investment funds for the 650-odd local police and fire pension plans, but declining to propose consolidation of the administration of these plans, merely suggesting that this might be a topic for
By Jessica Thiefels, Next Avenue Contributor Nina Bandoni, founder of the Sharing a Journey blog Nina Bandoni Retirement is the perfect time for things like travel and exploring old passions. It can also be a great time to start a business. That was the case for Paul A. Dillon, of the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. area. He
Expanding Social Security is wise policy. Voting to expand Social Security is winning politics. Indeed, generations of Democrats won election after election by running on Social Security, a program that improves the financial security of working families across America. For decades after Social Security’s enactment, Congress improved and expanded the program, always increasing revenue to
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin The broker wars continue, as big firms scramble to attract the next generation of young investors. ASSOCIATED PRESS Topline: After eliminating trading commissions earlier this month—which set off a rush among other brokers to do the same, Charles Schwab plans to offer clients the opportunity to
Sen. Bernie Sanders outlines a plan too eliminate $81 billion in past-due medical debt. Getty Eight million Americans file for bankruptcy annually due to medical expenses. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants to put an end to it. The idea, outlined by his campaign, centers around having the federal government “negotiate and pay off past-due medical
By Stacey Freeman, Next Avenue Contributor Getty Thanks to technology, we can buy groceries online. We can search online for a job, a pet, even a spouse. And if for whatever reason that spouse doesn’t work out, we can go through the divorce process online, too. But when you’re divorcing, can a website, or a