Category: Blog

It’s funny how as the kids grow older, the excitement of Halloween really fades away. We used to make a big deal of the day. We would all head to my parents’ house, including my brother’s family, for pizza dinner. Then the kids would all go trick or treating through the neighborhood that we grew… Read more

I recently did a review of my portfolio as the year is coming to an end. Like most years, I made mostly solid decisions with a sprinkle of “what the hell was I thinking buying that” mixed in. The majority of stocks I own are either growing well or providing very solid dividends. But when… Read more

I’ve been working for a very long time and through those years, I have experienced quite a bit. When people ask how to define a company’s culture, it was always tricky to answer for me. I really didn’t know. I have worked for some amazing people and some complete duds and assholes as well. But… Read more

This question is posed regarding the dogs….not your significant other! If you like your significant other, by all means, walk together. Things have been a bit busier than normal at home and I’ve had to make the choice to either walk the dogs together or separately. My choice has always been separately for a couple… Read more

First of all, I would NEVER suggest only buying one stock. I only ask this question because I was curious with all the information and AI analysis available to us, which would be the pick. I was wrong on the answer it spit out. So while you would likely never due this, the principles behind… Read more

My apologies to anyone who lives in Cleveland. Not for the nickname or the reputation that comes with Cleveland….but actually sorry that you live there! I have to return to Cleveland yet again for a work trip. I’ve never seen a more secluded city in my life with maybe the exception of downtown Buffalo in… Read more

As we are about to enter the 4th quarter of the year, it’s time to really start focusing on what your taxable income is going to look like for 2026. It’s also very important to find ways to minimize your taxable income. One way is to hire an accountant who apparently is either incompetent or… Read more

As many of us beer drinkers are aware, Oktoberfest actually start in September….so we are right in the middle of it now! What have you been waiting for? As a craft beer drinker, I love to support the local or smaller craft breweries when possible. The one exception is Oktoberfest. When it comes to Oktoberfest… Read more

Two posts in one day? Yes…because today is definitely a very special day. Happy 20th Birthday to Emily! I can’t believe what I’m saying….how can I have a 20 year old child? I barely feel (and definitely don’t act) like 20 myself. Time flies…it’s the truth. Savor every moment because they come and go quickly.… Read more

Ok, I’m off topic again but this one is important for the Monday followers when I typically discuss Finance. The Feds raised interest rates again. And this somehow slows inflation fears? Certain stocks and sectors rise while others fall or stay stagnant? How does all that work? Raising interest rates helps reduce inflation by making… Read more

Mikey has a class project where they have to “invest” 10K in the stock market distributed between 5-10 funds. I thought this was a great exercise as I constantly hear from the kids “we never learn anything that is real world stuff”. I was so happy to help with the project and put together exactly… Read more

As someone who lived and worked in North Jersey for many years and saw the Manhattan skyline every day, Sept.11th is still fresh in my mind like it was yesterday. I was at a business meeting that morning in Newport, RI with my regional colleagues from North Jersey and NYC. That meeting was supposed to… Read more

I’m not a manager of people. I have absolutely no desire to be, especially in my world. Those in middle management roles spend the overwhelming majority of their time wasting away on meaningless “conference calls”. Other middle managers arrange these meetings to fill their calendars each day. Sounding familiar? On every interview I’ve ever been… Read more

During this past weekend’s trip, I obviously had to make a stop by the Charlton location of Treehouse Brewing. I grabbed a case for myself along with some extras to give to a friend and my neighbor. Also muled home a couple extra cases for friends. The main location is amazing if you haven’t been… Read more

I am back from another short trip with Mikey and his good buddy. We traveled up to New England and played multiple rounds of golf over the past few days. The trip was a lot of fun and we were lucky enough to have great weather and great meals as well. When in New England… Read more

Booze Tuesday and I’m talking about a riot? Yes I am! So while we were on our little hiking adventure, we stopped for lunch at a pub on the way north and I always love trying something local that I haven’t had. There was a beer called “Riot in Vermont” from Prison City Brewery in… Read more

I usually talk about investing on Mondays, but what happens to all the hard work you did after you’re gone? For those of us with children, we obviously have them first in mind and how to take care of them not only while we are here, but also after we’re gone. So based on that,… Read more

Our journey to the Grand Canyon of the East was a nice trip. The park itself is beautiful and well maintained. None of the trails are hard/strenuous, so it wasn’t the typical hike that Emily and I usually do together but we still very much enjoyed it. The main trails by the 3 waterfalls simply… Read more

I could just include this stop on our trip into one post but it truly deserves it’s own. The Corning Museum of Glass is a pretty cool place to visit if you find yourself in that area of NY state someday. On a previous vacation (long story about getting stranded in Dallas for a couple… Read more

Getting some work done today among other things to prepare for the long 4 day weekend of fun. Remember this: when the end of life arrives, no one has ever said they wished they worked more! Enjoy! Read more

How does one take the emotion out of some investing when it’s YOUR money involved? Let me share…. Your retirement investments, the kids college funds, etc….I would certainly label those as ones you should be emotionally invested in. But what if you are already comfortable with those and where they sit and some dividends come… Read more

We need banks. Don’t get me wrong. But do we need to keep all of our money in banks and “save”? Absolutely not. I always talk about investing but today is the math behind losing value, not money. If you are barely getting a 1% return on your money in a savings account, but inflation… Read more

Yes, apparently that is a thing. I’m surprised I never knew about it, but my first interest has always been National Parks. There are so many state parks that it’s hard to keep track. But as Emily and I were searching for some decent hiking within a reasonable driving distance, we stumbled across Letchworth State… Read more

Happy Monday. Every day I check on the stock market and it seems one of the most common items I see each time is the same: OIL. Many things influence oil but it always seems to be one of the cyclical commodities on the market. It made me think…what other commodities are also the most… Read more

I have friends who have done this trip recently and the experience is apparently a great one. I do suppose you have to enjoy bourbon to fully appreciate it…. which I do. I have not been there yet myself, but I anticipate it will someday be on this list of trips I have completed. Luckily… Read more