Dying With Class and Leaking Oil

If everything goes as planned and you have a chance to do something like this at the end of life--WOW--what a way to go.  We have witnessed many families beautiful endings with loved ones.  If you choose to click on the video link below then you can see one families story.

Upside Down Oil Wells

Every now and then you see a simple picture that fills in a lot of blanks.  The link below is a graphic representation of how North Dakota would look if the oil wells ACTUALLY drilled in the state were above ground instead of below.  

Makes me wonder what the plan is when the wells are fully depleted. Otherwise it is quite an impressive visual of what is below the ground.


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/11/24/upshot/nd-oil-well-illustration.html

Interest--ing Global Bond Yields

• In the first transactions of this kind, BoJ purchased Japanese government bonds (JGBs) from banks at a negative interest rate.

• Earlier Thursday, the yield on Germany's two-year bond actually went negative, touching -0.004%. In other words, investors are effectively paying the German government to hold their money.

• The yield on the 5 year TIP (US treasury inflation protected security) on 10-22-14 was -.04%.

• At its September 30th meeting, the Reserve Bank of India left the repo rate on hold at 8 percent, waiting for more evidence that inflation rate is slowing. 

Three of the top 5 economies in world have recently had bonds with negative yields.  This is more like the days of old when people were charged DEMURRAGE fees for storing their excess crops--which would equate to savings and investments today.  It was also at this time when some of the most fantastic European buildings were built and which continue to create value to the local communities hundreds of years later.

I wonder what these long term projects would look like in today's quarter-to-quarter markets?

 

Risk Management Takedown

When I was growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma championship wrestling was quite a source of entertainment.  Gorgeous George, pictured at right, was one of my favorites along with characters like Haystack Calhoun of course;-)  What does this have to do with Risk Management you ask?  Well some things never change like wrestling AND insurance companies ability to turn a risk management issue into a product to sell to the public.

Better Than "FEE ONLY"

"As I live and breathe."  an exclamation my grandmother was known for when frustrated by something that seemed petty or ridiculous.  Well that is where I am with the BRANDING known as "FEE ONLY" in the financial planning world.  The organization in the picture above started based upon a single purpose to register people whose only source of compensation for financial planning services was fees.  Their ranks have swollen (tongue-in-cheek) to a whopping 
2,400 members but it is amazing the impact they have had on the media.

Do Whatcha Can

While standing in the parking lot on a beautiful spring morning, looking at the new car (1 year old that is) this mid eighties retired nurse wanted to show-off--she offered up an unexpected pearl.  Laughing out loud while listening to her new satellite radio comedy station she said people would think she was crazy.  I said--"Well at least you can drive to the looney bin in style.  It's still in Norman right?" 
And that is where the story started…

Corporate Profits Don't Equal Jobs

I just saw this graph from a regular publication I receive and thought it was very interesting and might explain why so many people aren't as excited about the stock market and economy as the financial cable tv guys seem to be.