#saving #investing #stocks #mutual funds #bond funds #equity funds #FeedThePig A man rides on the step of an ice cream truck. He spots another man, dressed as a piggy bank, walking down the street. He jumps off the ice cream truck, tackles the pig-man, and drops some cash in the slot on the pig-man’s head. “Same time next week?” the man asks. “Well, of course,” says the pig-man. This TV ad from feedthepig.org is meant to encourage people to save a little regularly, preferably every week. The ad is supposed to alert savers that it takes effort and discipline to be a good saver. You have to commit to it every week – or however often you get a paycheck. You have to make sacrifices and take risks, like riding on the step of a moving truck and tackling the pig-man. In this economy, however, trying to save can be difficult. Gasoline prices are high, as are food prices, rent and other living expenses. To be able to save, however little you can, from each paycheck requires intentionality. The pig-man, too, is symbolic. If you really want to save, you should put the money into a savings account, rather than a piggy bank or under a mattress. As the savings account grows, you may want to graduate to a certificate of deposit (CD), which generally pays a bit higher interest than the savings account. But, you have to tie up your money for the period of the CD, lest you pay a penalty. Given that you must tie up your cash, the difference in interest rates between the accessible savings account and the CD has to be worth it. You should discuss this with your banker before making that commitment. As your CDs grow in value, you can then think about other investments that require small risk, but much better return. Mutual funds fit this category, as do bond funds, equity funds etc. You may need better advice than your banker can give you for these vehicles. That advice often comes at a cost so, again, make sure the cost is worth it before embarking on that journey. Your financial adviser may encourage you, as your account grows, to invest in individual stocks. Make sure the money you put into those is money you can afford to lose. If you go this route, you may have a mix of losses and gains. Some losses can be deducted from your income tax return. If you go this route, resist the temptation to invest in “the next big thing.” These are shiny objects that don’t always materialize as promised. If your adviser comes off as an aggressive salesperson trying to get you into “the next big thing,” find a different adviser. Building wealth is not easy. It takes effort. It takes sacrifice. But, if you do it successfully, managing risk along the way, it will pay off over time. Also, as you make the difficult wealth journey, make sure your big purchases, like a home, are worth your effort. And, it’s OK to enjoy some ice cream or other pleasures along the way, providing that you spend with care. Peter
#days #eras #labels #innovation #inventions #AI #technology The 1950s and early 1960s were considered “Happy Days,” as the 1970s TV show called them. The late 1960s and early 1970s might have been considered “Hippie Days.” The late 1970s and early 1980s might be called the “Early Tech Days.” One could describe later periods in various advanced degrees of “Tech,” as the technology revolution proceeded. But, how would you describe our “Days” today? Technology continues to advance. AI is coming, if not already here. Many of today’s jobs will either not exist, or be completely revised, in coming years. The way we interact with institutions and other people changes by the minute. Decorum, in many instances, has been upended. Individual security – physical and economic – seems to be deteriorating. So, what will we call this era? Even more pressing: how will we live through it? Age will become an important factor. The younger a person is, the more thought must be given to life decisions. The younger the person, the fewer the expectations there will be for life to be predictable. The way to survive currently and in the future will be unlike those of the younger generation’s parents or grandparents. Some principles should remain intact: spend less, save more, be kind to one another etc. But, even following those principles, what practical outcome will a young life have over the next decades? We may live longer. We may have fewer children. Old institutions of household, employment and lifestyle may disappear. How much education we may need will also vary. Expensive education will be, well, optional, particularly if the payoff isn’t worth the cost. Still, in such a time of upheaval, innovators will emerge. These innovators will have to reinvent not the wheel, but the circle of life. Will these inventions pay off for everyone? Will everyone be able to assimilate into this new life? Perhaps not. But, determination, introspection and pure grit will help people not only survive but also thrive in this new environment. Not only will people have to choose their paths more carefully, but they may also have to change direction quickly, and numerous times, throughout their lives. The old song says, “Happy Days Are Here Again.” But the “Happy Days” of decades past will not return, no matter how much we may want them to. How we label these times may be irrelevant, though it may be a fun academic exercise. How one finds his or her place in these times will be far more important. Peter
#crazy #sanity #government #elections #politics #IsCrazyWorking “We’ve tried sanity for a long time, and it hasn’t worked. Why not try crazy?” That was a sentiment expressed a few years ago, as presidential administrations changed. Given the enhanced polarization that produced, do you think “crazy” is working? Politics never used to ruin family relationships. It never used to ruin friendships. Today, by many accounts, it has done both. If’ you’ve experienced lost friendships and family relationships, do you think “crazy” is working? We never saw people in high places dehumanize others, regardless of their inner personal opinions. Now, we see people in high places advocating violence against those who disagree with them. If’ you’ve witnessed that, do you think “crazy” is working? If you’ve seen prices for goods and services rise, making your life more difficult, while those who are already well off receive even better treatment financially, do you think “crazy” is working? If you’ve seen someone start a war, and now finding few ways to get out of it, do you still think “crazy” is working? It must be said that before “crazy,” not everyone got to where he or she wanted. No system gives everyone everything. There was always government overreach, the rich always seemed to get richer etc. But at least those in power talked about real fairness. To be sure, real fairness for everyone at all times may be impossible to achieve. But, before “crazy,” we had a sense that people in power, for the most part, had their hearts in the right place. We saw people win and lose elections with some degree of decorum and grace. The loser always congratulated the winner. Since “crazy,” that’s not always the case. Do you want your children to grow up under “crazy?” What could they learn as they observe not only the behavior of those in power, but also the response from their parents to “crazy?” What do your children learn when they see adult relationships and friendships dissolve over “crazy?” Does it make them want to establish good relationships in social, family, work and worship settings? There is much to think about here, and very little time to think about it. You may be wise the next time you vote – if you are eligible, PLEASE VOTE – you may not want to choose “crazy.” Instead, you may want to choose those candidates who will stand in the way of “crazy.” You may want to choose candidates who will undo all the “crazy.” If you still think “crazy” is working, talk to as many others as possible to see whether they agree with you. Peter
#Beatitudes #Bible #meek #peacemakers #persecuted #Christians #religious “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” These are two of the eight Beatitudes found in the gospel of Matthew in the Bible. This passage tells the story of those who are weak, mourning and persecuted being rewarded by God. But, some who practice Christianity today would rather reward those who have much. It is they who should inherit the earth. The meek be damned. Power and riches don’t necessarily equate to strength. In fact, many of those who have gone through challenges have much more strength than those for whom good fortune came naturally, or through family. The Bible tells us that those who face the most challenges are the strongest among us. When one prays for successful war, God may not answer. It’s clear from the Beatitudes that He prefers peacemakers. One can achieve strength and use it to make peace. But, merely using strength to show off what one can do is not peacemaking. It is the opposite. Some Christians today prefer to reward prosperity. Prosperity is not a sin unless it leads to greed and taking advantage of others not as fortunate. Indeed, prosperity combined with humility, generosity and integrity is a virtue. Jesus taught that we should love thy neighbors as thyself. That implies we should love our neighbors regardless of appearance or circumstance. Discrimination is a sin. Taking advantage of others less fortunate to enrich oneself is a sin. If your neighbor wrongs you, you should continue to love him as you try to right that wrong. Retribution is a sin. We should all comply with laws based on values Christians, and those of other faiths, hold dear. Arresting someone who is merely complying with the law is a sin. We should welcome those who come into our midst with open arms. Of course, they should come in peace, and they should come to do no harm. Those are bona fide Christian teachings. Anything that diverts from those teachings is something other than Christian, or any other faith. So, as you conduct your daily lies, think of the Beatitudes. Live by them. Treat others as you would wish to be treated. Always search for peace, not conflict. Of course, if you are attacked, you should defend yourself. But, never be the attacker. If you face challenges, face them with your own strength, and with help from your neighbors. If your neighbors will not help you, they must live with that. Blessed are the meek, persecuted and those who seek peace. These are the true saints among us. Peter
#JobMarket #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #CollegeDegrees #UnemploymentRate It’s been said that a college degree will open more doors than just a high school diploma. But, according to an article by Sydney Ember in the New York Times, there are fewer employers showing up at college job fairs. In fact, the article states, the unemployment rate for college graduates between ages 22 and 27 surged to 5.6 percent at the end of last year. It quotes an analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That rate outstripped the overall 4.2 percent unemployment rate at the time. “For those who were employed, more than 40 percent held jobs that do not typically require college degrees, the highest level since 2020,” the article reads. The Times story was also published March 26, 2026, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The job market probably will be in flux for many years to come. With the emergence of artificial intelligence, and other economic factors, jobs will change. The need for people will change. The article also provokes a thought: Though no education is a waste, one will have to think long and hard before committing a lot of money to college in the future. Definitely, if you don’t think you are college material, don’t waste your money, thinking a degree will somehow pay off later. AI can do a lot of things. It can accomplish menial but necessary tasks that seem to waste human time. Robots don’t need bathroom or lunch breaks, vacation time or sick time. Still, there will be a need for humans to repair them when they break down. Machines can copy. They can perform tasks based on past patterns. But, they are no substitute for human intuition, innovation or creativity. Machines also do not need college degrees to perform any tasks. So where does all this leave a young person trying to create an adult life? We’ve gone through uncertain times before. The Industrial Revolution and the invention of the computer changed work for many people. Though some people’s lives radically changed, society survived. This will be another one of those times. We as people may have to rethink how we work, how we make a living and how we advance financially. Progress cannot be stopped, despite the efforts of those who want to take the U.S. back to another bygone era. AI may also change our lifestyles. It will certainly make some chores easier, but it may make other things more challenging. Therefore, it will be incumbent upon us, particularly the younger generations, to rethink how to make a good life. That may mean thinking about whether to go to college. If you decide to go, will the investment pay off? If you have to go into debt to do it, can you pay it off in a reasonable amount of time? And, if you get a job somewhere, how long will it last? What are you going to do when one day you suddenly have lost your job? Despite these potentially difficult decisions, it’s best to stay optimistic. Pessimism and self-doubt can scramble your thought process. Regardless of what you decide, know that AI is here to stay. How can you best live with it? Peter
#vaccines #PolioVaccine #Rotary #polio #RotaryInternational #PurplePinky In an opinion piece, two academics from New York University’s Medical Ethics section touted the success of the polio vaccine, as it comes up against vaccine skeptics now regulating the nation’s health. The piece, published in the April 1, 2026, edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, even had a photo of Elvis Presley getting his polio vaccine shot backstage at The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. Nathaniel Mamo, MA, and Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., rightly say that polio is close to being eradicated BECAUSE of the vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk through research funding by what was then called the March of Dimes. But, what the doctors fail to mention is the role of Rotary International in distributing the vaccine worldwide, as it still does. By Rotary’s count, polio cases are down to a few in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As the academics point out, the vaccine skeptics argue that sanitation has improved enough to prevent an increase in cases. Sanitation has improved, but the poliovirus can easily spread if enough people decide not to get vaccinated. By extension, they may not get their children vaccinated. If the disease spreads, all of Rotary International’s efforts over many decades will not have been wasted, but the progress will be slowed. Certainly, getting all those folks in all those countries vaccinated was no small task. Rotary faced all kinds of obstacles to get the vaccine into people. In fact, on April 28, 2026, Rotary District 6780 in East Tennessee will have its annual Purple Pinky Day. Buy a box of 10 doughnuts from participating Dunkin’ stores for $25, and proceeds will be matched 7.5 times toward the eradication of polio through vaccinations. If you live in East Tennessee and you’d like to participate, contact your local Rotary club to order your doughnuts. If you don’t like doughnuts, you can also donate money to Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign. Those donations also will be matched 7.5 times. The clubs will be taking doughnut orders through April 9 (April 13 for some clubs), and the clubs will advise you on how you can pick up your doughnuts. If you don’t live in East Tennessee, check your local Rotary club to find out when they will have Purple Pinky campaigns. It’s called Purple Pinky Day because, as people got their polio vaccines, one of their pinkies was dipped in a purple dye to tell those distributing the vaccines that they had been vaccinated. So, the NYU folks are correct. We all should be vaccinated against polio. Science has demonstrated for decades the vaccine’s effectiveness. And, one can thank Rotary International for spearheading the campaign to help those around the world who may not have ready access to the vaccine get it. Polio and other diseases are either preventable, or their effects can be minimized through vaccines that have been properly tested. Those who cast doubt on proven vaccines are doing a disservice to the nation, the world and overall health. But, creating and testing vaccines and making them available may not be enough. Organizations like Rotary have to make it their mission to make sure the vaccines are widely available. If it succeeds in eradicating polio, Rotary undoubtedly will move on to conquering other diseases worldwide. Distributing vaccines is the most effective and efficient way to do that. Peter
#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #jobs #Amazon #AIInvestment #PreparingForAI Your salary and benefits are so good, you can buy your daughter a big scoop of ice cream. Or, you can comfortably take your girlfriend out on a dinner date. These scenarios come from Amazon recruiting ads on television. But, how long will you have a job, if you work for Amazon, or anywhere in manufacturing? Jeff Bezos, who owns Amazon, is investing $100 billion in AI that could ultimately eliminate many manufacturing or warehousing jobs. Bezos is spearheading a new $100 billion fund to buy and modernize industrial manufacturing firms with AI, often utilizing technology from his own startup, Project Prometheus. Prometheus, focused on physical AI simulations for aerospace and defense, launched with $$$6.2 billion, according to The New York Times. If people don’t have jobs, will the U.S., state and local governments have to tax robots? That is being debated today, according to reports. AI seems to be the wave of the future. But, we don’t yet know exactly what toll – or benefit – AI will have on working people. Certainly, some jobs will be created, but many others will be eliminated over time. And, from all indications, that time is not too far off. So, if you are a relatively young person who works in manufacturing, or for companies like Amazon, and have a great salary and benefit package, how long do you think you will have it? It may be wise to start preparing for – not just thinking about – what you will do next. Of course, that is much easier said than done. Sometimes, it’s often hard to project where your skills might be useful. You may be matched perfectly to your current job, but jobs go away. Or, jobs change. Or, you may have to look at your environment to see what other jobs you could learn. You may have to do this on your own time. Your employer, no matter how currently generous he or she may be, likely will NOT be thinking about you as the workplace evolves. It also may be difficult for some to project what his or her workspace will look like in, say, five, 10 or 15 years. It is a time for people with detail-oriented jobs to look at the bigger picture. The details of your job may be important now. But, imagine a machine doing the same thing. If perfected, or even if not, a machine likely will do a job faster than a human. Will it do it as well? Will the company care about the quality of human touch? If the machine does a good-enough job at a faster rate at less cost to the company, it could be very easily embraced. AI, robots and other technology are NOT substitutes for human talent. Perhaps we should think of this in foodie terms. The small farmer who raises grass-fed beef without any artificial enhancement to the cattle will produce great meat. But, overprocessed meat is cheaper. What do you think most consumers will buy more of? We can’t stop AI. But, we’ve gotten enough warning that we should ALL be preparing for it. Peter
#TeenTakeovers #TeenBoredom #SocialMedia #TeenMentalHealth #ReadABook A “teen takeover’ recently took place at Atlanta’s Beltline. This occurs when social media, i.e TikTok, Instagram etc., encourage teens to gather in a certain place at a certain time and take it over. This incident, at the 700 Block of North Avenue in Atlanta, apparently got out of hand. Police arrested more than a dozen people and recovered 10 firearms, according to Nedra Rhone, “Real Life” columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Her column about “teen takeovers” was published March 1, 2026. Teens apparently are quite bored these days. Teen boredom has been a problem for a long time. But, since the COVID-19 pandemic, kids are feeling more isolated. Mental health problems among young people have increased. Combine boredom, isolation and (some may call) addiction to social media and you have a large mass of young people looking for recognition. When they go to these takeovers, teens record the activity, including themselves, and post it on their social media accounts. Back decades ago, if a teen got bored, mom and dad would just tell them to go amuse himself ot herself. Or, if he or she had nothing else to do, read a book. Today, teen boredom is more than just a phase, or something they will get over. It is manifesting itself in an apparent strong desire to be seen by others. People used to call it one’s 15 minutes of fame. In the wrong person, that desire could turn tragic. At the same time, one-on-one personal interaction is in decline. Young people’s lives are largely tied up in their digital personas. Teens used to talk on the phone for hours, one on one. Now, they spend hours scrolling through their phones, talking to no one in particular, but perhaps commenting on things for the world to read, or see. If they do have a one-on-one conversation, it is through their personal devices, usually not in person, voice to voice. It begs the question: how do these kids interact in school? How will they interact in a future workplace? Schools are beginning to crack down on personal phone use in their buildings. At the same time, with the increasing fear – and actual occurrence – of active shooters at schools, the phones provide a way for kids to quickly let parents know they are OK – or not. They call it “social” media. And, it can be a very good way to stay in touch with people you don’t often see, but want to hear from. But, between bullying that takes place on that media, and the isolation that it seems to create, it may be more like “anti-social” media. If you are feeling bored, or isolated, call – as in, pick up your device, go to the telephone or contacts icon, punch in a number (or speeddial) and call – a friend. Talk as long as you have time for. Talk about anything you want. If you can meet this person one on one, have a cup of coffee or some other favorite beverage. Perhaps meet over lunch or dinner. Talk for as long as you have time for. Your grandparents, who may have told your parents to go read a book if they were bored, were not wrong. If you are alone, find a book (they make digital ones) that interests you and read it. It may take your mind off the reason you are bored. If you believe you have a problem and need help, don’t ever be afraid to ask for it. There are many good people – not just your parents – who are more than willing to help you. Going to a “takeover” just to document that you were there is not the same thing as good, in-person social interaction. At least the kids who went to Woodstock in 1969 just to say they were there got to hear some good music to make the visit worthwhile. Takeovers may get you “clicks,” but they may not get you “kicks.” Or, they could get you the wrong kind of kicks. Plus, you do not want the wrong kind of “click,” which is the sound of arrest and detention by law enforcement, whether or not you did anything wrong. In short, when you are bored, talk, literally talk, to somebody one on one. Peter
#oil #OilMarket #OilPrices #IranWar #GeopolitialForces #EfficientDistributionOfOil The worldwide oil market is both fluid and slick. First, it is fluid because it so depends on geopolitical forces in the world, as the current Middle East war shows. It is slick because it depends as much on how the oil is transported as much as where it is produced. In either case, the price depends on world supply and demand. Middle East conflicts affect supply. How much drivers drive and how the weather affects heating are among the demand factors. Though the U.S. is a net exporter of oil, it still must import oil from Middle East sources. That’s the slickness of the market. Just because we produce a lot of oil does not mean we can distribute that oil efficiently. It’s not easy to get U.S. refined oil to U.S. markets inexpensively. That’s why, for example, the oil produced in Alaska is more economically shipped to Asia, vs. being consumed in the continental U.S. Emmett Lindner explains the oil market in detail in The New York Times. His article was also published March 12, 2026, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Refineries in New Jersey, for example, might import oil from Algeria or Nigeria instead of buying it from Texas,” Lindner writes. “Fuel made from imported oil often winds up in U.S. gas stations,” Lindner writes. The type of oil produced in the U.S. tends to be higher quality – light, sweet crude, he said. But U.S. refineries are set up to handle heavy and sour oil. Therefore, it’s often more efficient to sell the sweet crude and buy the heavy, the article says. Here’s the other issue Lindner cites. If the government decided to open up more fragile areas for oil drilling, i.e. government-owned areas in the West, those actions would take time, up to six months, to get online, he writes. All this talk of oil and fossil fuels begs the question: why isn’t the U.S. exploring cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, so we are no longer dependent on geopolitically sensitive oil? The country wax making strides in establishing a clean-energy industry, using solar, wind, electrical even nuclear sources. Politically, the government decided to focus back on oil and fossil fuels which, in addition to geopolitical hazards, also damage the earth more than the other sources do. Remember, when oil prices rise, the already rich oil barons get richer and everyone else gets poorer. For the moment, though, the U.S. needs a mix of fossil fuels and alternative energy, with policies intended to wean the country off fossil fuels eventually. Tower of Power famously sings, “There is only so much oil in the ground.” And, what’s still left in the ground depends almost entirely on a fluid and slick market that can send prices all over the place. The country, and the world, should be aiming for the day when oil and other fossil fuels are NOT the main driver of energy. If we don’t manage this closely, the volatile oil market could one day, when we least expect it, be tapped out. Or, the price could be so high, we may lament on what we didn’t do to secure cheaper, more sustainable alternatives. Peter
#WealthManagement #jobs #JobSecurity #JobChanges #investments #savings “Alex” is about in his early 20s. He’s just gotten a promotion, and can now think about his financial future. He hires a good financial adviser who sets up three accounts for him: one for now, one for later and one for retirement. Alex is, the TV ad says, a real client of JP Morgan Wealth Management. The scenario of Alex laid out in the ad seems perfectly normal. A young man starts a promising career and begins to save for life’s eventualities, like a home (“barndominium,” according to the ad), a family and, of course, retirement. But, as discussed often here, that scenario is hardly typical for a 20-something today. If Alex is completely independent from his parents’ financial assistance, he’s very lucky and very unusual. If Alex can get through, say, 40 more years of working, advancing in his career, saving and investing his money wisely – with an adviser’s help, of course – he will be among a small percentage of people in his generation who will do so. For most of his and other generations, careers will veer in wild directions over time. Technology, particularly AI at the moment, will change the employment landscape. Some jobs will be created. Others will be eliminated. It’s unclear in the ad what Alex does for work (he looks as if he’s in construction), but just about every workplace will change over his adult life. And most, if not all, of those changes will come when employees are not expecting them. That may mean people like Alex, if they can start saving and investing now, should. But, they may need that money much sooner than they had planned. Alex may think he can plot his career now. But, more than likely, his best laid plans will be disrupted through no fault of his own. Some disruptions can be planned for. For example, if you see things about your job, or how you do it, that you believe will change in your working life, do what you can to mitigate or even take advantage of those changes. If you see productivity gaps in what you do, chances are your employer will eventually see them, too. When that happens, it may not bode well for you. Try your best to fill those gaps. Still, you cannot stop the progress of technology. It is like running water. You may be able to divert it (perhaps to your advantage), but you cannot stop it. If you can anticipate it, you’re ahead of the game and can make changes. But, more than likely, you will be surprised at least once in your career that the job that you like will change. Those changes likely will not benefit you – at least immediately. So, if Alex in the ad is a real person, his financial adviser should be talking to him about all eventualities that he may see in his working life. As “The Gambler” put it in the Kenny Rogers song: “The best thing you can hope for is to die in your sleep.” Alex’s adviser should be telling him: The best thing he can hope for is to work as long as he wants to, advance when opportunity comes and retire on his terms. If that happens, Alex will certainly be very fortunate. Peter
