There has been no place to hide so far in 2022. In the first three quarters of 2022, the stock market (as measured by Morningstar®) was down almost 25 percent. If you had $200,000 in the market, it was down to $150,000 on September 30, 2022. During the same period, your bond portfolio slipped by 14.57 percent. Even inflation protected bonds – seemingly a good fit for 2022 - were down 13.61 percent!

One misunderstanding about the law is that certain discussions require secrecy. That is, in fact, completely wrong. Under the law, budgets, discussions, and actions require openness. Under certain circumstances, a board may close the public door, but only for specific discussions or actions.

Tom Pendergast left St. Joseph 130 years ago. Forget the awful history and update the culture; it’s a governance issue. It is not the voters who have a problem.

I absolutely prefer friendly people. In my work, neighborhood, family, and acquaintances, I like people who are warm, polite, and respectful. In fact, I’ve gratefully reached a stage in my life where I can ignore or reject many difficult people.

Debt can become a burden for people struggling to get by. Yet, for other folks, it often provides a way to enhance their situation.

Comfort is important in retirement and portfolios should be tuned to your targeted risk level. Yet, too little risk can be as damaging as too much. With longer lives, broader perspective, and better understanding, many old ideas require new attention.

If the idea is absurd and the presenter insincere, you can almost bet they are trying to manipulate you. Same with investment opportunities or schemes … I know what normal expectations are, and if the opportunity reaches beyond normal, well, then, I'm being manipulated.