I was up in NY for a long weekend with my parents and other relatives, and came back to VA today. On the way back I stopped at a coin shop we had passed several times, and got a chance to look inside. The owner was buying a collection of coins from someone, so I … Read more
One of my relatives would give away a lot of money — and give away a lot of her labor without pay. This isn’t a bad thing by itself, but one of the motivations she had was that she was afraid of being put into a higher tax bracket. It wasn’t the only reason, but … Read more
Liz Pulliam Weston wrote a nice article recently describing nine money priorities. She lists them from top priority on down: Pay your bills Save $500 Start saving for retirement Pay off “toxic” debt Bolster your emergency fund Check out long-term disability insurance Enhance your retirement savings Start saving for college Save for spectacular expenses I … Read more
Usually, a promotion at work is a good thing — more money and more prestige — but it’s not always welcome. It could infringe on family time with extra hours, or take a toll on health and well-being with added stress. Or, it could place people in hard ethical situations. What should you do if … Read more
Each week at church we have “children’s church” for kids up through fifth grade. This gives the kids a church experience that’s a little bit more suited for their age so that the grownups can concentrate on the message without constantly telling their young kids to be quiet. And just like the parents’ church, the … Read more
I was introduced to this video after reading about it on Gary North‘s site. It’s a short documentary on what a village in Zimbabwe is doing as its currency thrashes in hyperinflation. Merchants have stopped accepting the Zimbabwe dollars and will accept only gold. If you view only about 20 seconds into the video, you’ll … Read more
Nothing like a few hundred billion dollars in handouts from Uncle Sam to get people’s confidence up about asking for money themselves. The Treasury announced $5 billion in loans for beaten-down auto parts makers. This cash comes from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). General Motors and Chrysler have opted to contribute support to this … Read more
Last week on the way to church I was listening to a radio broadcast. I have no clue who the speaker was, nor do I even remember which station or show it was. The part that I heard was a discussion of the welfare state, immigration, and personal financial responsibility. The points about immigration, illegal … Read more