Debt Ceiling- Enough is Enough

Amidst the irresponsible media blitz of US debt default talk is a handful of constructive, truthful information. Delving into only a portion of this available information reveals what is really going on and what could be happening if the two octogenarians in charge would finally end their two-year-long overage of spending (it is obvious who the octogenarians are, and one is late in her 8th decade if not 80 yet).

One tool that could be used immediately to address the continued paydown of US Treasury principal and interest is that of “rolling over” maturing US Treasury obligations by issuing new debt to pay off old debt. According to legal sources who have advised recent administrations of both major political parties, this type of debt paydown could even lower the amount of outstanding government debt subject to the “statutory limits” that would constitute exceeding the debt limit. This plan was established by the US Treasury back in 2011 when the last major showdown on the debt limit occurred.

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More on PCL…and WRW!

Good morning and TGIF,

A couple of weeks back the topic was PCL, or Post-Career Lifestyle. I received more comments than usual from people of all ages – and a number of cool ideas on how to look at the “nonretirement” concept of saving today in order to do what you love tomorrow. “Doing what you love” in a post-career lifestyle can include continuing to work for pay, slowing down and enjoying a “side gig” or truly retiring and ending working altogether.

Another excellent factoid revealed was that women and men tend to look at retirement and post-career lifestyle differently. Women also have a lot more to say about their attitude toward saving (whether for PCL or retirement) and managing the savings habits of their families. This translates into a concept best described by the acronym, WRW*, or Women Rule the World.

Now before the men reading this say, “Wait a minute!” a couple of notes of clarification.

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Caring For Aging Parents 2.0

In a previous edition of TGIF 2 minutes I reviewed the topic of “Caring for Aging Parents.”  The subject remains a big, big topic of conversation with friends and clients. PLUS, as people experience caring for a parent they suddenly say: How much do I need to be concerned about planning for MY OWN Long-Term Care down the line?! 

Aging Parent 2.0Definitely a smart question and hence the “2.0”. The costs of Long-Term Care are staggering, and the emotions can be too. Let’s take a brief look at recent news on costs. Continue reading “Caring For Aging Parents 2.0”

Quadrant #4 of Saving: Protecting Your Savings

This recent series has been all about Saving Money.  Just as with any task, saving money can be broken down into stages.  In this case I outlined “4 Quadrants of Saving” to illustrate how each quadrant (or stage) builds on the previous one, and how the task can be made more achievable.  

protecting money

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