A Tale of 3 Annuity Policyowners

In today's low interest rate environment along with escalating reserve requirements for insurance companies I wonder how insurance companies who offer guarantees will make a profit.  Insurance companies have limitations on how they invest AND at the same time insurance companies were in the middle of the problems in 2008.  There is an

Luck

I was driving to work yesterday and heard that nobody won the giant powerball lottery.  This got me to thinking about how lotteries are the quintessential example of taking from the many to enrich the few. In Oklahoma the lottery was tried several times to get legalized but failed until it got renamed as the "Education" lottery.  So far the actual vs. projected results of the education lottery have been dismal AND our

Drill Baby Drill???

Here is a post I made to an ENERGY discussion group of which I am a member--

I have been wondering about the sale of mineral assets to foreign sovereign companies.  Here is the story I have made up--

                Step 1--large foreign companies are willing to pay "too much" for assets in the ground because their currency is stronger and they have a much longer time horizon.  Ultimately

they can also direct where those assets will be deployed.  Sellers are desperate for cash due to current low nat gas prices and love the BIG dollars that are saving their bacon now. 

The best assets these companies are willing to let go of go here or to other large "informed"  investors.

Is Washington Smarter Than a Third Grader?

Recently Diane Swonk a well known economist was asked what she thought about mortgage companies getting clarification on rules for making home loans.  She said something like--"Now that these companies have clear rules for making loans there should be more of them made and that will be good for the economy." 

Points that came up for me:

College Draft Picks (No Not Football)

When it comes to paying for college here are a few things we have found--
1)  Our IT consultant got a 4 year degree in 3 years and under $10,000.  Anyone can afford a degree if they want one and are motivated
2)  Most parents primary education goal is for their children to be able to provide for themselves and become independent.  Secondarily is that they will LOVE what they do.
3)  In Oklahoma the BEST freshman graduation rate is 39% from OSU.
4)  National studies indicate only 25% of people who