How to be A Better Husband With No Effort
My father shared with me one of the secrets for getting your wife to believe you are a better husband. My friends and I have tried this technique and it really works. There is no effort...
View ArticleNII Holdings Warns of Bankruptcy
My last employer, NII Holdings, just announced its earnings and warned it could go bankrupt. The details are in this Bloomberg article.The company went through a difficult transition from the old...
View ArticleControlling Expenses in Retirement (or while not working)
Someone asked me the other day how we work the family finances now that I am not working aka retired aka looking for second career? We are using the same system that we used when I worked, except...
View ArticleHow Much Do You Pay Per Year for Your Car?
One of the advantages of being retired or semi-retired is that you may not need a second car anymore for commuting to work. This can be one of the primary savings when you retire. But how much can...
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Is Buying A House a Good Investment?
I read a lot about a house being a "good investment", but is that really true? A house is not really a true investment, since you live in it. Try living in a mutual fund, you could get really wet and...
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Why is a Polish Person Wearing A Kilt?
Highland Games Kilts and Boots - FlickrDuring our recent vacatin in Scotland, we happened on a restaurant in the Highlands with a nice young man in a Kilt working as the Maitre D. When we asked for a...
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Saving Money Running a Home File Server
PC Power SupplyI converted an old HP desktop PC into a home file server using the NAS4FREE free software a while ago. The server works well and I have made some modifications to it over time. The...
View ArticleProtective Put Strategy Status
Recall that I was going to use a "Protective Put" option strategy in the rebalancing of my portfolio. The reason was that I had excess small cap stocks (ETF) in my portfolio and I did not want to sell...
View ArticleRising Interest Rates
+++%+++Lots of news these days about interest rates going up in the USA but today I saw concrete evidence. Ally Bank raised the interest rate on my savings account from 0.87% to 0.9%. It is not much,...
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Employment is Picking Up in the USA
In spite of my lack of success in picking up lucrative consulting work (I cherish this fantasy), the employment situation seems to be picking up.The unemployment rate has dropped to 6.1% from its high...
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Uber In Northern Virginia
On our last trip to Canada, we used Uber to get to and from the Airport in Washington. Normally we use the taxi service affiliated with the airport called "Washington Flyer". We live in a suburban...
View ArticleWhat is a Big Factor in Early Retirement?
One of the interesting things about retiring early or getting a second career, is that when you create your plan, you immediately see what is most important. In a previous blog post, I highlighted...
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Why Worry about the Latest Credit Card Security Breach?
In the last 9 months, my credit card information on my most used card was stolen three times and my credentials to log into websites were stolen likely three times as well. Like a good sheep, I...
View ArticleThe County Job Fair
I recently attended a job fair sponsored by our county to see if there were any good part time opportunities for semi-retired people like me. It was fine but not really much help.Load cargo at the...
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Growing Old.....Badly...On Schedule
Once you pass the magic age of 50, stuff starts going wrong with your body according to what seems like a pre-planned schedule. Going to the Doctor about some problem usually ends with an explanation...
View ArticleCanada vs USA for Canadian Retirees
Is it better to be a Canadian in the USA or go back to Canada when you retire? I get asked this question regularly by Canadian friends who live both sides of the border.There is no simple or universal...
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Money Saving Ideas for This Week
Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/aFDkRtWhat are some good ideas for saving money this week?Check your car tire pressure. With the colder weather they are likely under inflated and your mileage is being...
View ArticleNow that the Market is Down, How is the Protective Put Strategy Working?
Recall that I was going to use a "Protective Put" option strategy in the rebalancing of my portfolio back in the Summer. The reason was that I had excess small cap stocks (ETF) in my portfolio and I...
View ArticleMoney Saving Ideas for the Week
A few tips for saving money this week.If you have credit cards with a yearly fee (airline miles cards) that you do not use often, phone the credit card company and ask to cancel them. They will...
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Staying Upbeat with Ebola, ISIS, Stock Market Correction
One of the downsides of not working is that you have lots of time to follow the news on TV, print, Internet, and paper. One of the prime objectives of American media is to scare the living daylights...
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