I started volunteering at Boulder's Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) in February of 2024. I work in the food bank, which operates like a free grocery store (albeit with some restrictions) for people who are food insecure. In my work, I mainly stock shelves, sort produce, and interact with participants. In its Fiscal Year 2025, … Continue reading Thoughts From Volunteering At A Food Bank
Job Seekers: Build and Curate Your Online Presence
One of the standard themes that I emphasize to people who are looking for jobs or starting their careers is the importance of building and maintaining a professional online presence, although this is also a core practice throughout one's career. I continue to be a bit shocked when recent graduates have little or no professional … Continue reading Job Seekers: Build and Curate Your Online Presence
U.S. Market Outlook From Late June of 2025
I wrote posts in January and March sharing my thoughts on market conditions so far in 2025. Early in the year, markets shifted rapidly from general concern to a state of considerable fear, with a corresponding sell-off in U.S. stocks, as the Trump administration has worked through its tariff policies. As the rhetoric has settled … Continue reading U.S. Market Outlook From Late June of 2025
Processing Market Volatility in Early 2025
As of March 13th, the S&P 500 is around 10% below its recent high and the NASDAQ index is about 13% below its high. Market volatility has risen dramatically, too. The broad decline and higher volatility are, of course, driven by concerns about how President Trump's tariffs will impact both the domestic and international economies. … Continue reading Processing Market Volatility in Early 2025
Investing Observations From 2024 And Implications For 2025
At the end of most years, I look back and note a range of unexpected financial events, and 2024 is no exception. This post provides an overview and an attempt to draw some actionable conclusions. Asset Class Performance Amidst enormous geopolitical turmoil, the U.S. stock market continued to deliver large gains. The S&P 500 returned … Continue reading Investing Observations From 2024 And Implications For 2025
Figuring Out When You Have ENOUGH
One of the topics that comes up often in discussions with friends, family members, and colleagues is how to determine when you have sufficient financial resources to step away from full-time work. It is striking how few people feel confident in determining when they have reached the level of having enough. There are thousands of … Continue reading Figuring Out When You Have ENOUGH
Vaccine Resistance And Car Accidents
A study published in a medical journal concludes that there is a significant correlation between COVID vaccine hesitancy and the probability that someone will be in a serious car accident. Specifically, unvaccinated people had a 72% higher probability of being involved in a crash. Even after correcting for "age, sex, home location, socioeconomic status, and … Continue reading Vaccine Resistance And Car Accidents
Investing Lessons From 2022
After reaching new highs in 2021, with the S&P 500 (SPY) returning almost 29% and the NASDAQ 100 (QQQ) returning about 27.5%, the market turned in 2022. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 are down 13.2% and 25.8%, respectively, so far in 2022. Much of what has happened in 2022 is a reminder of the … Continue reading Investing Lessons From 2022
Planning for Income in Retirement
One of the most important parts of retirement planning is figuring out how much income you are going to need and how much wealth is required to sustain that income. A common rule of thumb is that you will need about 70%-80% of your pre-retirement income to maintain your lifestyle after you stop working. This … Continue reading Planning for Income in Retirement
Making Choices About Higher Education
For many individuals and their families, the choice of a college and major are among the most significant economic decisions they will ever make. I have read a wide range of research on this issue and I have put two kids through college, as well as having spent more than my fair share of time … Continue reading Making Choices About Higher Education
Geoff Considine on Finance and Economics 