Over-50

Gas at More than 4 Bucks a Gallon - Circling Back to Counterculture

It's eye-popping. Each day for so many days the price of a gallon of gasoline keeps jumping up. And that makes day-trippers hesitatie to go the distance. And RVers might stay put until they figure this out.

Right now in Orange County, California, a gallon of gasoline is $4.05. That's the highest it has been since December 2019. In near-the-border town of Sierra Vista, Arizona, a gallon goes for about $2.73.

Why the increase? Because of the laws about air quality, pumps have to switch to the summer blend. That's more expensive.

Legally, that has to happen by April. Only now it's going down earlier.

Will prices level off? You don't know.

Meanwhile, some might be rethinking big. As with SUVs and the giants RVs. Small could become desirable again. Remember the VW Beetle during the Counterculture. The mantra was that whatever didn't fit in it didn't belong in our lives. 

In October 2020, after plenty of research, I went for the Smart Car. 

I get 40 miles to a gallon. That means, unlike my other aging neighbors, I can still take day trips. 

How to research going small? Check if local car dealers stock used Smart Cars. How more folks are going about this, though, is popping online and finding out what Smart Cars are available around the U.S. For a relatively low price, the vehicle will be shipped to you. Beforehand you get all the details. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Age and ABC - Has 60 Become Issue of Network Concern and 47 Means Okay, To Go? (Stephanopoulos and Muir)

Drama at ABC.

That's nothing new. After all, the network is a world of big money, big influence and big egos.

But this particular supposed dust-up, reported by CNN Business, could have an age edge to it.

Apparently, there's been tension between George Stephanopoulos, 60, and David Muir, 47. 

What is out there and accepted is that 60 is an issue. In general those doing the hiring and in charge of promotions and terminations take notice. 

On the other hand, 47 is not 50. 47 is still middle age. Not young old.

CNN Business tells us that corporate leader Bob Iger parachuted in to calm things down. Both on-air personalities were given long-term contracts. 

But, don't count on internal peace. Youth, even if it's not in the 20s or early 30s, tends to have the upper hand.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Be Executor of Family Member's Estate? - That Depends

Old-line television shows like "Perry Mason" had scenes in which family members challenge the provisions of an estate. Soon enough a murder is committed. 

Well, that drama can play out. But it might not be all that typical. At least not with small estates, that is, those with few moving parts and not a lot of financial value.

Your aging sister might ask you to be what is called the "executor" of her final financial affairs. That entails everything from carrying out the provisions of the will to filing her last tax return.

There is an emotional component to this. No, she doesn't have much. Her assets consist of an investment fund of less than a $100k on which she designated her church as beneficiary. In her apartment - she had opeyed her financial planner and sold the house years ago - there isn't much of financial value. But the little she has she holds dear. She wants what follows her life to be as orderly as what went before. She trusts you.

It's hard to say "no." That's even though this MarketWatch article, derived from Nerd Wallet, warns of the perils of being an executor. With a small estate, even those cautions apply. With a large estate, the takeaway seems to be: Turn it over to the professionals.

MarketWatch points out pitfalls.

• Hours put in and the long period of time involved in executing last financial wishes. You could be investing 540 hours of your time. The average period to complete the transaction ranges from six to 12 months. Is there a provision in the legalese which provides payment for you to carry out this task?

 

• Difficulty locating financial assets. You may be only a bit aware that your sister owned part of a horse farm in New Mexico. The portion was small. But it has to be settled. So, you have to become a sleuth and hunt through the documents. Then make contacts. Then find out the next steps. Sell the small interest?

 

• Danger of being sued. You duty is called "fiducirary." You could be accused by those who want a piece of the pie or are simply wary of not carrying that out. The example MarketWatch provides is not securing the premises after death and items are stolen.

In short, whatever involves money and the law is serious business. Ask yourself: At my age, do I want to deal with this business?

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)