Checking Out …For Now

Nothing new has been added to this blog for the last three weeks, and nothing much will be added over the next few months.  I am checking out for a while.  Right now, I need to watch and think, not write. As I stated in my final post for 2011, this year is all about […]

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Student Loan Interest: Who’s Finessing Who?

Interest charges on student loans have become a political football.  It confirms beyond any doubt that our leaders can’t agree even when they do agree. The issue is the rate charged on subsidized Stafford loans that the federal government will make to students after June 30, 2012.  Unless Congress acts, new loans after that date will […]

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$250k and the Thick of Thin Things

Last week was heralded as the beginning of the general election showdown between Obama and Romney, and we got a full dose of what we can expect over the next six months. We are going to be pulled daily into the thick of thin things. Why did Romney put the dog kennel on the top […]

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Equity Crowdfunding: A Bonanza for Scam Artists?

Equity crowdfunding will soon be legal. The JOBS (“Jumpstart Our Businesses Start Ups”) Act that the President signed days ago mandates that the SEC implement rules for a new crowdfunding securities registration exemption within 270 days. The President heralded this provision as a “game changer” for “small businesses and start-ups,” stating “for the first time, […]

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Obama and the Supreme Court: A New Low

The latest target of Obama’s campaign rhetoric is the Supreme Court. While the Court is doing its job to grapple with our nation’s toughest defining issue, the President is admonishing the Court in a way that is anything but presidential. However one views Obamacare, it was refreshing to watch the Supreme Court wrestle last week […]

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A Smart Fix for the Estate Tax

It’s time to fix, not kill, the federal estate and gift tax. We need a smart fix that will keep the tax targeted squarely at the rich, contribute to a balanced approach of fiscal discipline and economic growth, protect family-owned businesses and farms, and eliminate screwy loopholes. When viewed in the context of our present […]

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Death to the Death Tax?

We’ve had a federal estate tax since 1916. For many years, there’s been a fierce push to put this tax out of its misery. Only a handful of votes have prevented its complete demise on a few occasions. It actually disappeared for 12 months in 2010, but it’s back now and, absent Congressional action by […]

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New Tax Moves by Obama and Romney: Which is Best?

Last Wednesday, Obama and Romney each released a new tax proposal. Obama’s new move would cut the corporate federal tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent (close to 25 percent for domestic manufacturers). Romney’s new proposal would slice personal federal income tax rates 20 percent across the board. Under Romney’s proposal, the top individual […]

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Greece Comparisons and Our Santa Claus Mindset

As we witness the latest riots and violence triggered by Greece’s desperate austerity measures, it’s easy to hype fears of our rudderless spending and debt mess by claiming that we could end up like Greece. Sure, Greece is drowning in debt and on the brink of default, but it’s a far cry from what we […]

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Tombs and Robots

I was told it would take slightly more than an hour. And it did. I was in this government office to handle a relatively simple matter. The place wasn’t crowded; there didn’t appear to be a big backlog. I spend the great bulk of my time sitting in a chair. At three different points I […]

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