With the holiday lights and decorations packed neatly (or not) in storage for next season, the party hats and noisemakers swept up with the celebration confetti, and life getting back into its regular rhythm, it’s a good time to reflecting on the past year and important to look at a planning checklist for the next Read more
That College Try: Don’t Delay in Applying for Aid
For prospective college students and their parents, it’s time to knuckle down and apply themselves, literally, by filling out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA for the 2024-25 award year will be available by December 31, 2023 (delayed from the more usual October 1 release date.). Every high school senior should fill Read more
Our Legislators Try to Avoid Shutdown by Taking the CR, Then Making Two Steps to Stay Off the Omnibus
Though Congress appeared headed for another government shutdown soap opera when the then-current continuing resolution (CR) expired on Nov. 17, we have avoided a closure. The proposal from Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) for a “clean” (no cuts, no amendments) two-part CR passed through Congress on a bipartisan basis and was signed into law by Read more
Landing Craft: How Bumpy Will It Be to Ease Inflation?
In recent conversations about the effort to ease inflation, you may have heard about the various landings—from a “soft landing” to a “hard landing” to “no landing” at all. Whichever way we land, we will likely feel some jostling in the economy. What does all of this talk of landings mean? When the Federal Reserve, Read more
Time For Medicare Open Enrollment: How It Works
Annual open enrollment for Medicare runs from October 15 through December 7. This is the time Medicare health and drug plans can make changes. It’s also, of course, a chance for you to make changes, as well. The open enrollment period is only for those who are already enrolled in Medicare. The standard monthly premium Read more
Great Greenbacks: Why the U.S. Dollar Dominates Reserve Currency
A reserve currency is held by a nation’s central banks in significant quantities and widely used to conduct international trade and financial proceedings, thus eliminating the costs of settling transactions involving different currencies. Any reserve currency must be easily convertible and have a stable value. The factors that determine the usage of a country’s currency Read more