James Twining

Zimbabwe is the first country in the 21st century to hyper-inflate their currency. The country recently had an annual inflation rate of 80 billion percent, which means that prices there are doubling every 12 hours. Needless to say, the economy is now on a barter system. “I’ll give you my pet crocodile and this Game […]

In the 18th century, it was assumed that all swans were white. No one in the civilized world had ever seen a swan of any other color. The statement: “Swans are white” was as self evident and obvious as any other fact taken for granted, such as the fact that the sun rises in the […]

In recent weeks you may have heard the “R” word bandied about. When discussing the economy, it is a dirty word! The mere mention of recession is enough to put fear into the hearts of investors, and the expectation of recession can become a self—fulfilling prophecy: If enough investors and consumers become pessimists, they can […]

The cheerleaders for recession were about a year early, but it appears that they finally have their way, partly due to their own efforts. Perception can become the reality, and with confidence at very low levels, spending, business activity, and investing decrease, and this can lead to recession. In my opinion we will see contracting […]

There are different opinions as to the proper use of insurance. Here is my view: Insurance should be used to buy protection from unlikely, catastrophic events. Good examples of risks that are suitable to insure include: A house fire A catastrophic injury or illness A lawsuit due to an automobile accident A death or disability […]

Like most everything else in our practice, our process has evolved over the years. I want to communicate to you a recent change to our process that you may not be aware of; as it takes place in your absence. But first, some background: When I began in the financial planning profession in 1982, things […]