At OLV Investment Group, we have had the pleasure of hiring an international intern who is attending the University of Michigan. Muhammad Ammar is hardworking and eager to learn. In fact, when asked during his first week if he was willing to work an unscheduled, 13-hour day, he jumped at the opportunity. This very long day included an hour-plus drive to our Livonia office where we had a seminar regarding risk tolerance and tools we utilize when determining how much risk a client is willing to take. During the 60-minute trip to Livonia, I may have accidentally driven significantly above the speed limit. We were engaged in fun conversation regarding cultural differences and politics. Our intern, who has asked to be known as Ammar, his given name in Dubai, was very engaged in our discussion when I received a phone call from my business partner. We had been talking on the phone for a few minutes when a sea of red brake lights lit up both of our faces. Looking at the speedometer, I realized that I was driving in excess of 85 MPH. As I hit the brakes, phone in hand, Ammar let out a very small shriek as he realized the seriousness of the situation. He was genuinely afraid that he was about to be involved in a high-speed auto accident. But, the car was very much under control, as that is the type of traffic I often experience during my business excursions.
For a certain group of investors, conversion of their Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA could be an effective move to hedge long-term bets against higher tax rates in the future. For some living in Michigan, this strategy could also be a very viable way to pass assets onto the next generation and help manage taxation to them at both federal and state levels.
President Trump recently announced tariffs on aluminum and steel. Economists almost uniformly agree that tariffs are an ineffective way to create jobs.
Being a Michigander, snow is nothing new to me. It holds no real fascination or wonder. It simply … is. For almost nine long years, I lived without it (excepting jaunts back home to visit family or holiday trips to Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam, etc.). But still, moving to a place that has snow and cold holds no real special meaning for me, and I didn’t consider cold weather to be a negative, or an obstacle, nor something to celebrate. Snow and cold weather are simply a fact of life to me, no matter how ethereal and beautiful snowflakes appear to my Texan husband.
The history of Memorial Day dates back to the American Civil War and was instituted to honor soldiers who had died during the Civil War. It has been said to be inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored the dead. Previously known as Decoration Day, the first national observance took place on May 30, 1868. In the late 19th century, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces.
It has long been my contention that farmers and chefs are in cahoots to get us to eat things that are not typically considered food.
Traditionally, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This day is held in high regard as one of the most special days of the year. It is a time to honor the mothers around us for the gift of maternal bonds, and the service mothers provide their families and others in society. We all look for ways to impress the special ladies of the day, gifting them with jewelry, gift baskets, flowers and lavish dinners. Sometimes, the most understated gift is just what a mother is looking for – one chosen with thought and effort, and comes from the kitchen.
As the mother of two toddlers, let me start by saying that I totally get why many moms want to wear yoga pants and T-shirts daily. However, Mom, this can’t be your whole life. You know that moment when you get to walk out of the house with no kids having taken more than two minutes to do your hair and make-up? What if I told you that it’s possible to keep this up on a daily basis without being late to every appointment? It is!
We’re well into the season, and I am just getting geared up for the annual torture-fest called Spring Cleaning.
One of the pleasures of the gold-standard Turner Classic Movies channel is its showcasing of film noir – the loosely defined class of taut, violent, often-fatalistic 1940s and 1950s crime thrillers that hinted at a seamier world below the postwar surface. TCM presents a regular “Noir Alley” feature on Sunday mornings, but these movies are all over the schedule, and – if you seek them out – on home video and streaming services, too.
With the warmer weather finally here, many of us are putting away the sweaters and cold weather clothing and taking inventory of our spring wardrobes. As this rite begins, we encounter those single, pathetic and unmatchable socks. All year long, they collect like weeds in the garden of our perfectly matched drawer-full of duos. The time has come to say goodbye.
Finally, the calendar says it’s springtime! Now, all we have do is wait for the thermometer to agree. While those two decide who’s right, let’s start making plans for welcoming our friends and family over for the first opportunities to entertain this season.
