Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Forbes: ObamaCare Just Made My Eyes Water

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Thanks ObamaCare! You just made my eyes water.
The same is probably true for many other people.
Bad News
In an economy where inflation is said to be subdued, premiums for The Affordable Care Act are set to jump by an average of 25% next year, according to new government figures. That’s the just the average. It means some people will see increases of even more than that.
My eyes are still watering. Read more here.

Outside On The Street: Why Restaurant Wine Is A Ripoff

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Wine connoisseur Mark Oldman explains how to make the best use of your money when buying wine at dinner.

Monday, October 24, 2016

WSJ: Is Longevity Insurance Too Risky?

By SIMON CONSTABLE
The chance of a guaranteed lifetime income in old age seems like something risk-averse people would jump at.
Yet many of them are shunning a product—a type of annuity known as longevity insurance—designed to provide just that.
The problem, a recent study found, may stem from the need to make a large single payment to buy the insurance when people don’t know how long they are going to live. Such insurance typically starts paying a fixed monthly sum to beneficiaries when they reach age 80 or 85. But the payments stop when the policyholder dies. Read more here.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Outside On The Street: What Is The 2 AM Principle?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Jon Levy explains why it's sometimes better to stay up late and have a special experience. He is the author of The 2 AM Principle, and explains his ideas in this video.


Tuesday, October 18, 2016

U.S. News: 5 Reasons to Bet on a Consumer Rebound

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Is it time to bet on a consumer rebound? Historically, it's never been wise for investors to underestimate the willingness of Americans to spend.
But so far in this recovery we haven't reached the "spending-like-drunken-sailors" stage. 
The good news is that we may soon see the beginnings of a splurge, because although the economic recovery has been limp these past few years, there seems to be an important turning point. Read more here.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Forbes Video: How Restaurant Wine Is A Rip-off

By SIMON CONSTABLE
There are ways to get better value for money when you order wine at dinner. Sure, you already know that the restaurant has to mark up the price it charges you — there are lots of people who need to be paid.
But there are ways you could easily do better or worse, if only you knew what code words to use, or to avoid. For instance, which phrase is better: good value, or good price?
Plus there are actions you can take, which might seem subtle, but actually communicate directly with the sommelier in a way that they are unlikely to miss.
To find out what you need to know, I asked Mark Oldman, author of ‘How to Drink Like a Billionaire,‘ who explains the intricacies of restaurant wine in this video.