Transparent Compensation vs . . . Not “An astounding 75 percent of consumers believe, incorrectly, that all financial advisers already have to act in their best interest.” –“Is Your Financial Adviser Making Money Off Your Bad Investments?”; The NYT (Sept. 29, 2015). Want one more reason why millions of Mom-and-Pop investors are opting for low-cost index...Read More
Property Taxes, Too (At Least in Minnesota) In addition to the more recognizable hallmarks of Fall, Minnesotans — at least ones who have cars parked outside — will doubtless recognize that last sign (literally) as well. The explanation: the cool overnight temps cause the air in the tires to contract, tripping the warning light. Higher...Read More
The Direct Approach No landlord — especially in Minnesota — wants to deal with a vacancy when it’s 10° degrees outside (or -20° below). How do you prevent that? At least one property manager I know explicitly writes that into their rental lease. If the rental begins any time other than December, January, or February, the...Read More
Twin Cities Rush Hour Drivers: “%#!&!#$!” How bad is rush hour (or any hour) traffic in the vicinity of Highway 100 road construction in St. Louis Park these days? Bad enough to evoke the existential play, “No Exit” — and to seriously steam me and doubtless thousands of other Twin Cities drivers. 0-for-5 Trying to...Read More
Until last week, I was under the impression that when trees grew too close to a power line, the homeowner needed to call the utility company to have the line dropped, so that a private tree contractor could safely remove the tree(s). True — as long as the power line is between the home and...Read More
What do you call a beverage you grab to drink in the car, on the way to an appointment? “Route beer.” Makes sense to me . . . P.S.: That would be my 10 year-old daughter’s term (and preferred spelling in a post-it note, instructing me to bring a snack and drink with when I...Read More
