With no disrespect to our representatives in Congress, a new rule taking effect in January reminds me of a scene from The Jerk, an old Steve Martin movie. Playing the role of a carnival huckster, Martin shows off a wall of attractive prizes but then narrows the choices to an impossibly small set of [...]
Looking back, looking forward
Earlier this week the president took to Twitter with his financial outlook for 2018: “All signs are that business is looking really good for next year...Stock Market is poised for another year of SUCCESS!” While a tenth straight year of stock market gains would be unprecedented, I don't think any [...]
Lobster?
Last year the author Malcolm Gladwell set off a firestorm when he attacked the rapidly-increasing cost of college tuition. In a podcast titled “Food Fight,” Gladwell argued that tuition is out of control because schools are engaged in an arms race to increase amenities, at the expense of [...]
Financial Aid 101
I am hardly a fan of graffiti. Who is? But sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. I'm thinking, specifically, of an incident that occurred back when I was in college. It was early spring one year, and the school had just announced tuition rates for the coming year. For the first time, the [...]
Charlie’s story
Statistics are just statistics until you meet someone who is one of those statistics. And that's when you really understand an issue. Recently I met a fellow — I'll call him Charlie — who told me a heartbreaking story about his daughter and new son-in-law. I share their story because their [...]
