Maybe this should be considered a “chicken and egg” problem. Whike companies seem to have little consideration for employees, what about employees? They quit without notice. I guess I’d say the days of loyalty in the workplace are gone — and both employers and employees are to blame.
The problem is that lowest group is likely to increase very rapidly. Health care is the fastest growing area of the economy— and that isn’t doctors and nurses. It’s the low paid jobs like working in a memory care facility, home health care. CCRCs, etc. Then consider the current impact of AI on young people. Recent college grads have among the highest unemployment rates. And I don’t see a lot of support for people living totally on Social Security. They can go to food banks, but what else? Help with rent or
property tax is minimal.
I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot while doing tax prep at Goodwill this year. We can talk all we want about saving, but I see people for whom that just isn’t possible. They earn far too little. And a lot of us, who have solid retirements, are benefitting from underpaid workers. Think health care aids for example. The agency that places them gets a high per dollar payment, but the worker winds up with appallingly little — and no benefits like health care or a retirement plan. NITHING! HI can whip through a tax return for these folks in a matter of minutes; there’s nothing to report, i have no idea where this all finally ends up. I don’t like the quasi socialist answers to the current situation. But this afternoon, I Zelled some money to my daughter. She uses a dog walker, who is the sole support of her family of four. The woman’s husband is disabled, and she has to limit her income so he qualifies for Medicaid. The woman drives a beatup car to her dog gigs. I want my daughter to give the woman some extra cash each week— and it must be direct cash— to cover the rising gas costs. Maybe this is a guilt payment on my part, but I feel like I have to start somewhere.
Not so sure— my brother built a great career in the 1980s—all the way to VP of a Fortune 50 company—by walking into the corporate offices and announcing “your parking lot is too big!” At the same time, I worked for state government with a labor union contract that made it impossible to get rid of the most incompetent worker. I don’t have an answer to this— but I’m sure simplistic solutions wont work. And I agree with Mark Crothers—not seeing a better way in Europe.
If your wife’s birthday is at the end of November, be careful about the expectation that she’ll want to stay on a few extra weeks. The months before a wedding tend to be filled with surprise “emergencies.” Also— the wedding should be the big deal; birthdays happen every year.
Spoken like a true retiree!! A week is a lot of time for a working adult. I suggest that you skip the surprise and ask your wife what she thinks. The money seems like a minor issue.
If you’re SURE your wife would want the birthday celebration, then I’d say you should just cover the costs. No loans, just pay for it. But I’m wondering whether you may be shoehorning a lot of celebration in a very short time frame. Not to mention the Christmas and New Year’s holidays that fall between the birthday and wedding,
I’m copying the list!!! While we don’t plan to sell soon, who really can tell about the future? Almost 50 years ago, we bought a run down house for $45,700 in a neighborhood that has become the city’s most desirable. Even with the $500,000 exclusion, we could see a huge capital gain. Our best case scenario is that our estate sells the house after we
die, but…
I hate to say it, but the market for old books isn’t great. Even libraries don’t want them — except for the annual book sales. I buy most of my reading material at those yearly sales. When I tell the people running the sales, I plan to donate the books back when I’ve read them, the response is “please don’t.”
Comments
Maybe this should be considered a “chicken and egg” problem. Whike companies seem to have little consideration for employees, what about employees? They quit without notice. I guess I’d say the days of loyalty in the workplace are gone — and both employers and employees are to blame.
Post: America Doesn’t Just Do Layoffs. It’s Fallen in Love With Them
Link to comment from March 17, 2026
The problem is that lowest group is likely to increase very rapidly. Health care is the fastest growing area of the economy— and that isn’t doctors and nurses. It’s the low paid jobs like working in a memory care facility, home health care. CCRCs, etc. Then consider the current impact of AI on young people. Recent college grads have among the highest unemployment rates. And I don’t see a lot of support for people living totally on Social Security. They can go to food banks, but what else? Help with rent or property tax is minimal.
Post: Retirement in America is not a pretty picture…and not getting better.
Link to comment from March 17, 2026
Honestly, I wouldn’t be as worried about empathy as I would about finding another job,
Post: America Doesn’t Just Do Layoffs. It’s Fallen in Love With Them
Link to comment from March 17, 2026
I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot while doing tax prep at Goodwill this year. We can talk all we want about saving, but I see people for whom that just isn’t possible. They earn far too little. And a lot of us, who have solid retirements, are benefitting from underpaid workers. Think health care aids for example. The agency that places them gets a high per dollar payment, but the worker winds up with appallingly little — and no benefits like health care or a retirement plan. NITHING! HI can whip through a tax return for these folks in a matter of minutes; there’s nothing to report, i have no idea where this all finally ends up. I don’t like the quasi socialist answers to the current situation. But this afternoon, I Zelled some money to my daughter. She uses a dog walker, who is the sole support of her family of four. The woman’s husband is disabled, and she has to limit her income so he qualifies for Medicaid. The woman drives a beatup car to her dog gigs. I want my daughter to give the woman some extra cash each week— and it must be direct cash— to cover the rising gas costs. Maybe this is a guilt payment on my part, but I feel like I have to start somewhere.
Post: Retirement in America is not a pretty picture…and not getting better.
Link to comment from March 17, 2026
Not so sure— my brother built a great career in the 1980s—all the way to VP of a Fortune 50 company—by walking into the corporate offices and announcing “your parking lot is too big!” At the same time, I worked for state government with a labor union contract that made it impossible to get rid of the most incompetent worker. I don’t have an answer to this— but I’m sure simplistic solutions wont work. And I agree with Mark Crothers—not seeing a better way in Europe.
Post: America Doesn’t Just Do Layoffs. It’s Fallen in Love With Them
Link to comment from March 17, 2026
If your wife’s birthday is at the end of November, be careful about the expectation that she’ll want to stay on a few extra weeks. The months before a wedding tend to be filled with surprise “emergencies.” Also— the wedding should be the big deal; birthdays happen every year.
Post: Opinions Wanted: Please Reply Freely (I’m used to being called an idiot)
Link to comment from March 11, 2026
Spoken like a true retiree!! A week is a lot of time for a working adult. I suggest that you skip the surprise and ask your wife what she thinks. The money seems like a minor issue.
Post: Opinions Wanted: Please Reply Freely (I’m used to being called an idiot)
Link to comment from March 10, 2026
If you’re SURE your wife would want the birthday celebration, then I’d say you should just cover the costs. No loans, just pay for it. But I’m wondering whether you may be shoehorning a lot of celebration in a very short time frame. Not to mention the Christmas and New Year’s holidays that fall between the birthday and wedding,
Post: Opinions Wanted: Please Reply Freely (I’m used to being called an idiot)
Link to comment from March 10, 2026
I’m copying the list!!! While we don’t plan to sell soon, who really can tell about the future? Almost 50 years ago, we bought a run down house for $45,700 in a neighborhood that has become the city’s most desirable. Even with the $500,000 exclusion, we could see a huge capital gain. Our best case scenario is that our estate sells the house after we die, but…
Post: Home Tax Tips
Link to comment from March 9, 2026
I hate to say it, but the market for old books isn’t great. Even libraries don’t want them — except for the annual book sales. I buy most of my reading material at those yearly sales. When I tell the people running the sales, I plan to donate the books back when I’ve read them, the response is “please don’t.”
Post: When Your Pastime Takes Ownership
Link to comment from March 7, 2026