Two critical factors that impact your investment returns are compounding and taxes. Understanding how these elements work together can help you make informed decisions and maximize your investment’s potential. Compounding allows your investments to grow at an accelerated pace because you earn investment returns on both your initial principle and the accumulated accretions from previous […]
In 1981, Professor Dorothy A. Miller published an article titled “The Sandwich Generation: Adult Children of the Aging.” Her prescient insights 4+ decades later describe intergenerational dynamics faced by many families to this day. Let’s explore five broad questions related to the “sandwich generation” term popularized by Professor Miller: What is it? How did it […]
Tuition at Cornell University for 2025 is $66K. Other top schools such as Duke, Penn, Northwestern, Stanford, or Georgetown, charge similarly. Along with additional expenses for room, board, and supplies, a 4-year degree from a leading, private institution approaches $400K. The median household income is $80K in the United States. While scholarships are available, funding […]
“One man, one vote” is the slogan – but is that always the reality? In 1783, at the end of the Revolutionary War, voting was limited to property-holding, white men, 21 or over. So reasonable reductions based on those restrictions could be: 50% due to gender 25%+ due to race (African Americans and Native Americans) […]
In our overview of generations and demographics, we presented a summary table that we are now taking a deeper dive. The Greatest Generation (GI Generation): Born 1901–1927 The final third of the 19th century include: post-Civil War reconstruction economic transition from an agrarian to industrial society germ theory knowledge modernizing medicine The United States embracing […]
The Great Depression had high unemployment, famine, and poverty. An estimated one-third of Americans were destitute, including three out of four senior citizens. As a result, the Social Security Act passed in 1935, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) passed in 1938. The FLSA attempted to improve the environment for workers laboring for low […]
Whenever a friend tells me they are headed to Foxwood or Atlantic City for the weekend, I jokingly tell them: “Be sure to double your money“. Going to the casino for entertainment is fine but gambling as a financial plan is flawed. You are more likely to lose your money at the casino than to […]
In 1989, one in three American families owned stocks or mutual funds. Within a few decades, stock market participation crossed the 50% threshold of families. That democratization of stock ownership has both pros and cons. Most evaluations emphasize the positive. We are going to point out certain dynamics in four stark terms to balance the […]