Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded. –Yogi Berra I first noticed it a couple weeks ago. Then, tonight, I really noticed it: eastbound traffic on Lake Street was backed up at least a mile to the west, stretching all the way from the northeast corner of Lake Calhoun (where there’s a notable construction pinch — see below)...Read More
“An Rose Interest Rate Goose Egg By Any Other Name” Maybe it’s just the bank where I have my savings account, but it seems like there is a new policy afoot to add a bunch of decimal places to the numbers on my monthly statement. So, instead of earning $3.72 in interest in September, my bank now...Read More
Floundering 529 Plans Rhode Island said its 529 plan will scale back some investors’ exposure to stocks when market turbulence picks up. —College-Saving Plans Shift to Keep Parent From Becoming Dropouts”; The Wall Street Journal (10/11/2011) Even with one of the last great tax breaks out there — zero taxes on any capital gains —...Read More
Practicing Good Legal Hygiene Unfortunately, I’m not “paperless” — and probably never will be. For taking notes on the fly — while on the phone, at someone’s Dining Room table, etc. — there’s nothing like the simplicity and portability of pen (or pencil) and paper. They never crash, suffer from poor reception, get corrupted or have to...Read More
Cash Crop (Hopefully) Did you know that Realtors have “farms?” Not for raising corn, soy beans or livestock. Rather, a Realtor farm is all about cultivating . . . future clients. Realtor Marketing Drawn from the Realtor’s “sphere of influence” (another industry buzz term), a farm often times is a geographic area — a couple block area around...Read More