An anchorman's take on news, money, family, life and a lot more
So you’re determined to play the lottery tonight, despite the overwhelming odds against winning. I know, $600 million is pretty tempting. But by now you’ve heard your chances are 1 in 175 million. Ronald Wasserstein, the Executive Director of the American Statistical Association, says it’s tough to grasp the smallness of “1 in 175 million” […]
If you’re keeping count, the average price of gasoline in the U.S. is up for the 35th straight day! Winter isn’t typically a time when demand rises at the gas pump, but prices have climbed a whopping 48 cents since late January, according to AAA. There’s pain at the pump no matter where you live, […]
I didn’t up and quit my job last night to live a life of luxury, and the odds are pretty good you didn’t either. But two lucky winners struck it rich in Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot, splitting $587 million. But don’t just automatically toss your lotto ticket in disgust if you didn’t match all the winning […]
Think you can be President in 2016? Of course not. So why are you playing the Powerball lottery this week? You may have heard that the Powerball jackpot continues to climb to new record highs. As of Tuesday evening, the jackpot is at half a billion dollars for Wednesday’s drawing. When else can $2 magically […]
Not too long ago when my kids were small, I remember one of them begging my wife and I to buy a brand new, expensive sports car. It was something like $50,000. He asked us if we’d buy it if he chipped in all the money in his piggy bank. I think he had all […]
Mortgage rates have dropped again to record lows on both 30-year and 15-year fixed rates. Freddie Mac reports the average rate for a 30-year mortgage dropped to 3.56%. That’s down from 4.51% this time last year. The rate on 30-year loans has fallen to or matched record lows 11 of the past 12 weeks. The […]
I can remember as a kid when Pete Rose made headlines as the first singles hitter to make $100,000 a year. That was in 1970. “Charlie Hustle” made eleven times what the average worker made. 100 grand. One hundred thousand dollars. A “six-figure” salary. That’s been the benchmark for financial success for a long time. […]
My youngest son (of 3) turns 17 this week. He’s throwing himself a big party to celebrate. Maybe I should celebrate too. I’ve reached a milestone in parenting. I recently read that the cost of raising a child from birth to 17 has jumped 25 percent over the past 10 years. The Department of Agriculture, […]
I’m tired of changing light bulbs, especially in those hard to reach spots. Know what I mean? Even ones that claim to last a long time… really don’t. So this claim caught my attention: a light bulb that will glow for 20 years! Can you imagine not having to get the ladder out and replacing […]
You’ve just finished eating out at the restaurant. The bill comes. You look at it. Shock. “How did I spend that much?” Many of you will be going out to eat this weekend… especially on Easter Sunday. But when you go, keep in mind for the restaurant it’s a business, and their goal is to […]
If you’re looking to buy a new car, what are you concerned with most? Price, most likely. But the real cost of owning a vehicle is more than the price you negotiate. Kelley Blue Book looked at the cost of owning 2012 models, both domestic and foreign. Here’s the breakdown in order of cost: Depreciation […]
