Originally posted on August 22, 2016. The abuse of expected returns assumptions at public pension funds in America is something I have regularly raised a red flag about. Take a look here at The Economist's comparison of American public pension fund rules with those for private funds and foreign public funds. The opportunity to use inflated future return expectations leads public pensions in America to make less than realistic assumptions about future liabilities, thereby threatening the system itself by making risk more attractive than it should be. Private-sector pension funds in America … [Read more...]
Get Your Gun and Your Training—NOW: Revisited
Originally posted October 26, 2016. Your Second Amendment rights are on the line on November 8th. In a recent conversation with a gun store owner, he told me he cannot keep self-defense guns on the shelves. What he means is the concealed carry pistols are out of stock. What I have learned is how important it is to get your training before making any purchase. I’ve taken hours of coursework at my favored Sig Sauer Academy. A friend of mine just finished 10-hours of training with Surefire in Wyoming. Go to NRA.com to find training near you. You will not regret it. Dick Young wrote the piece … [Read more...]
How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Part III
In my series this week about retirees working through retirement I told you first that 79% of retirees expect to keep working in retirement, but many find out that they cannot. Then I told you that 73% of Americans 50 and over are planning to delay retirement altogether. Now I'm turning the focus away from America's Baby Boomers, previously the nation's largest generation, to Millennials who are now America's largest generational cohort. Millennials are people born between 1981 and 1991 (though definitions vary). They are well educated, but thanks to a variety of factors, they are getting a … [Read more...]
World Water Day 2018: Is Your Water Source Secure?
Today is World Water Day. Each year World Water Day is used to highlight the plight of the billions of people in the world with poor access to water. It is also a good day to check up on your own water security. How secure is your water supply? Where would you get your water if your well or town water source were shut down for some reason? Would that water be clean? If your power shut off, would you be put in the same situation as the 2.3 billion people living without access to improved sanitation, or the 844 million who don't have access to safe water at all? Here are some facts … [Read more...]
How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?: Part II
Of Americans aged 50 and over who are still working, 31% haven't even prepared a retirement budget. Of that same group 73% prepare to delay retirement according to a survey performed by the NHP Foundation. Many of the people in this group, encompassing many Baby Boomers but also some older Gen-Xers, are wishful thinking. Lee Barney writes for Plan Adviser: Thirty-one percent haven’t prepared a retirement budget. Among those that have tried to figure out a retirement budget, 62% say that Social Security will comprise half or more of their monthly income. Sixty-five percent have not budgeted … [Read more...]
Man vs. World? Try Community Preparedness
The typical theme of the prolific post-apocalypse genre of film is man vs. world. One survivor fighting against the odds to overcome societal breakdown. This Mad Max version of events is attractive to moviegoers, but the reality is that after any disaster, your neighbors and other people in your community are still going to be there. Incorporating them into your disaster recovery plans can only increase your chances of making it through any serious disaster. In Puerto Rico, after FEMA has left them behind, the most reliable source of help for residents is their neighbors. The Daily … [Read more...]
The U.S. Airforce is Testing CubeSat’s for Connected Battlefields
The U.S. Airforce Research Laboratory (AFRL) is looking to benefit from a commercial internet connection through thousands of small satellites or CubeSat’s. The AFRL believes these commercial satellites could provide wider bandwidth and help protect against the emerging anti-satellite threats. The AFRL envisions its stealth aircraft sharing secure data over a commercial space internet like the one OneWeb is planning. The Air Force is testing two experimental satellites launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Feb 22nd. The test will include mounting antennas on test aircraft in hopes of … [Read more...]
How Many “Retirees” Will Keep Working?
The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) reports that 79% of workers expect to keep working to supplement their retirement incomes. That's a plan for those who haven't saved enough to enjoy their golden years. But what happens if you can't work in retirement? At the Washington Post, Michelle Singletary explains what happens when retirees who expected to work more, simply can't. Yes, more seniors are staying in the workforce past 65 and happily so. But many others are finding themselves in a retirement quandary. They thought they had more time, but the reality is they are forced to … [Read more...]
Why Wouldn’t You Buy a Gun?
In Brazil each year there are around 60,000 murders committed with firearms. The U.S. averages slightly more than 8,000 each year. Still a sad statistic, but given that Brazil is home to slightly more than 200 million people, and the U.S. is home to over 325 million people, it's obvious that the rate of gun homicides in Brazil is much higher. The interesting part about Brazil's high gun homicide rate is that the civilian population has been disarmed. Only criminals have guns in Brazil. It's safe to say the disarmament policy has failed. Those calling for gun bans in America should take … [Read more...]
Austin Bombings: Maintain Situational Awareness
A bomber (or bombers) are terrorizing the city of Austin, Texas. There have been four bombings this month, including three package bombs, and now a new device triggered by a tripwire. Paul Weber and Will Weissert report in the Denver Post that: Austin was rocked by the fourth bombing this month, which injured two people and which the police chief says was caused by a tripwire and showed “a different level of skill” than the package bombs used in the three prior attacks. Police Chief Brian Manley also told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday that both men who were injured in Sunday … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 374
- 375
- 376
- 377
- 378
- …
- 474
- Next Page »