Unabridged and Cliff’s Notes People who know my background and views frequently ask me what I recommend to someone who wants to learn more about “the current (financial) unpleasantness.” Besides this blog, that is. 🙂 My response: “how much time do you have?” From most-to-least time-consuming, here are my recommendations. A weekend: Michael Lewis’ fabulous...Read More
Quid Pro Quo: Higher Rate for Inflation Indexing With Mitt (“Carried Interest”) Romney ascendant — and the U.S. deficit bulging — capital gains’ current, historically low tax rate (15% for long-term gains) is coming under intensifying scrutiny. Should capital gains be taxed higher — and more like earned income? Probably. But they almost certainly should be indexed...Read More
New Old Year’s Resolutions My cheeky 9 year-old, who’s been on a sugar binge basically since Halloween, has promised to swear off sweets “for the rest of the year.” Starting at 10 p.m. tomorrow night. Nice one, Gabriel . . .Read More
The OTHER Problem with Sky-High Gold Prices No, Donald Trump doesn’t have that many ex-wives (yet). What I actually had in mind was the distorting effect high gold prices have on economic activity. That’s in addition to the economic cost associated with skittish, defensive investors shifting a fraction of their liquid assets from “fiat money” (paper) to...Read More
Quick, who uses a dictionary more? a) smart people; b) people who . . . aren’t so smart. Notice that that’s a different question than, “who should use a dictionary more . . . ?” Given how ridiculously easy it is to look up a word online, there’s no reason every serious reader today doesn’t bookmark...Read More
Pro Rating Government Fees, or “Rounding Up Down” If you started a one year newspaper subscription on, say, March 7, the one year anniversary would be . . . March 7, right? And if you joined Sam’s Club on October 14, your one year anniversary would be — yup — October 14. (Bear with me, these aren’t...Read More
