How to Argue These days, it seems like everybody is arguing about everything, and with perhaps a bit more… energy than in years past. And it turns out that most of us are going about our arguments all wrong. Author Daniel Pink has pointed out that most of the arguments going on today involve two […]
Much Ado About… You may have heard about the “Trump Tariffs;” that is, the proposed 25% surtax on all steel imports coming into the U.S. from foreign manufacturers, and a similar 10% surtax on aluminum. The markets certainly noticed; they fell dramatically after the announcement, as investors feared that the move would spark a global […]
Tech Advances to Watch What are the most important technological advances from the past year? Every year, MIT Technology Review provides its answers to the question, with an eye toward the innovations that will have the greatest impact on consumers. This year’s list includes 3D metal printing; that is, printing metal parts quickly and cheaply, […]
The Future of Retail Chances are you know there is a sea change going on in the retail industry. But you may not realize how far and how fast the online tide is rising. Singularity University founder Peter Diamandis invites you to recall the powerful retail networks created by Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy’s. Since […]
Uneven Erosion You’re routinely told that inflation is your worst long-term enemy to your financial health. Inflation gradually, slowly reduces the value of your retirement dollars, which is why, if your money sits in your mattress, it will buy less when you take it out than it did when you put it in. But inflation […]
IRMAA’s Rise Higher income retirees cannot be faulted for thinking that Washington has a hand in their pocket. In 2018, the Medicare Access And CHIP Reauthorization Act lowered the threshold on which Medicare recipients pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) to their Medicare Part B premiums. Previous to this year, the highest premium kicked […]
Sunny Weather Forecast Economists and traders pay a lot of attention to something that probably doesn’t keep you up at night: the FOMC Minutes, or, in English, the summary of the discussion among decision-makers on the Federal Reserve Board, known as the Federal Open Market Committee. What do they discuss? The health of the U.S. […]
How To Get More Sleep Chances are, you don’t get enough sleep at night. According to Matthew Walker, of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab, most of us get about four to six hours of actual sleep, which is not the seven to nine hours we need. What to do? Walker says that […]
Medicare’s Future Several items that everybody seems to be overlooking in the recent budget deal signed by President Trump are potentially-significant changes to how Medicare is administered. First on the list is the elimination of Medicare’s independent payment advisory board, authorized under the Affordable Care Act to serve as a check on higher […]
Global Optimism Most people tend to be optimistic about the future, and 2018 is apparently no exception. An online survey conducted by the Ipsos organization in 28 different countries found that 76% of global citizens think 2018 will be a better year than 2017. Overall, Latin Americans are the most optimistic this year and Europeans […]
