Transparency is a highly valued attribute that is routinely promised—and frequently undelivered. In fact, it often seems that the more loudly transparency is touted, the more opaqueness is practiced. Perhaps Shakespeare’s famous line from Hamlet, “The lady doth...
The style of a recent email I received from a client made me laugh—even though the subject matter wasn’t funny. “Hi Rick! We received a letter from Discover denying an application for their credit card due to our credit history. We did not apply for their card. I told...
Last week’s column concluded that, while long-term care insurance is unaffordable for most Americans, everyone needs a long-term health care plan. Knowing how long you may live is one of the first variables to consider in putting together such a plan. A number of...
If you want to stop a conversation cold, just ask a group of friends, “Do you ever worry that you might outlive your retirement income?” The response is likely to be nervous laughter. It doesn’t occur to most people to seriously consider this possibility. The greatest...
The simple and easy online payment apps like Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay may be in for a complex transformation if the IRS has its way. Congress recently appropriated money in the American Rescue Plan to increase staffing and resources for the IRS....
Financial New Year’s resolutions are a common phenomenon this time of year—especially for anyone who overdid the holiday spending and who knows the new year is going to bring a new batch of credit card bills. Probably one of the most common financial resolutions is:...
