For residents of places like the Black Hills, where the first day of spring usually brings a snowstorm, timeshares for resorts in Florida or Mexico can have a lot of appeal. They seem like a fun idea for a vacation in the sunshine as well as a good deal financially.

Over the past 30 years I’ve researched hundreds of timeshare offers. I’ve never bought one. When you take a close look at the numbers and the restrictions, they often simply don’t add up to a good value.

One of the biggest problems with timeshares in general is that they can lock you into a specific vacation. Spending a week at that resort in Mexico in February, exploring the local area and relaxing by the pool, might be wonderful for a year or even several years. But eventually you may get tired of going to the same location, doing the same things, and seeing the same people. After a while, even a rut person like me might want to do something different.

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On our recent vacation, my wife and I visited a nature preserve off the coast of Argentina where we had the chance to swim with sea lions.

Even though they were half-grown pups, some of the sea lions were as big as I was. They were curious, friendly, and playful. Like many mammals, their play takes the form of gently nipping at each other. They seemed happy to include human visitors in their fun and games. We could reach out and touch them, and they would respond.

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What matters most when you’re choosing the stores or service providers you want to do business with? Ask several people that question and you’ll get a variety of answers. One common factor, though, will probably be customer service.

It seems to make no sense, then, that I have recently switched from an airline that provides excellent customer service to one that doesn’t.

I travel frequently on business, almost always by air. I also live in Rapid City, South Dakota, which is not exactly a major transportation hub, so my airline choices are limited. Continue Reading »

My family and I recently took our 20th cruise-ship vacation. Obviously, we’ve found that cruising offers something for each of us.

I was reluctant to go on my first cruise, both because I’m prone to motion sickness and because I couldn’t see why anyone would want to spend a vacation cooped up on a boat. I quickly learned two things that changed my mind. First, a number of drugs, patches, and shots are available to prevent or cure seasickness. Second, if you get bored on a cruise ship, it’s only because you choose to.

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What’s at the top of your retirement bucket list? If you are like most folks that I help prepare for retirement, travel is high on that list.

As I’ve grown older, my views on retirement travel have changed. I used to buy into the dream of retirement as the “Golden Years.” I thought of it as the time in life when people are free to do what they want, when they want, with whom they want.

Working with older clients has taught me that my younger views of the glory of retirement were a bit naïve. While certainly some people do experience years of unlimited and unfettered travel, many more don’t find it so easy.

Doing “what you want, when you want, with whom you want,” assumes three things we often take for granted: good health, adequate finances, and meaningful relationships.

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Be frugal. Live on less than you make. Save for the future. It’s my message, and I’m sticking to it.

Just in case you’re getting tired of that message, though, let’s take a look at thrift from a slightly different perspective. For anyone who wants to throw cash around, here are some effective ways to waste your money:

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I had no hat and no sunscreen to protect me from the scorching heat in the Australian vineyard. Yet I couldn’t leave as I listened to Leigh telling his family’s heartfelt story of grit, passion, and struggle. Standing among the vines seemed a fitting place to hear it.

Many people unassociated with business know little of the risks associated with pursuing a dream and turning a passion into a vocation. In today’s America, when blaming the wealthy for the country’s woes is encouraged, there is a growing notion that those who have wealth got it from their parents or through unethical and shady pursuits. While that is certainly true of some, they are the extreme minority. Research shows that 85% of those who build wealth acquire it the “old fashioned way” by either working hard, risking much, spending little, or saving much.

So it was with Leigh’s family. Continue Reading »

Jannie Wu wanted a better life.

I met Jannie on a recent trip to China. After earning an undergraduate degree in English, she took a teaching job paying 1000 Renminbi, or RMB, ($150) per month. In China, obtaining a student loan is not an option. Her parents funded her education, which cost 40,000 RMB ($6,500), and one of her goals was to pay them back.

Jannie’s lifestyle didn’t include eating out much, going to movies, or buying the latest clothes. “My rent was 300 RMB, my food was 300 RMB, I spent 100 RMB on other necessities and a few pleasures, so I was able to save the rest.” That was 300 RMB a month or $45. Still, repaying her parents would take about seven years. Jannie found a better way, moving 100 miles from her small village to Beijing and becoming a tourist guide. While it was hard leaving her family and the move ended her relationship with the man she was dating, it was worth it to her.

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This week I did a very quick trip to Seattle, WA, where I spoke on my client process at the annual symposium of the Puget Sound FPA.  TD Ameritrade sponsored my talk, which was a first for both of us. I appreciated their sponsorship, as I know those in attendence at my presentation did, too. It was a pleasure meeting some new friends and connecting with old, albeit, the connection time was way too short!   And, yes, true to the stereotype that Seattle residents despise, it rained the whole time I was there.

In 1992 I gave my father a birthday gift, two tickets to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. I thought it would be a nice event to do together. Of course, the implication for the second ticket was that he use it to take me, rather than my mother. It worked.  What I didn’t expect was to make it a tradition. Tonight will mark the 15th championship game we’ve attended. The four years we didn’t go to the final four, we attended two regional NCAA tournaments and two NFL Super Bowls.

We’ve had a lot of experiences in the past 19 years. One of the more interesting was learning the ropes on how to best secure tickets to the Final Four. Early on we played the lottery to obtain tickets, most of which were “nose bleed” seats in the upper tiers.  But that was okay, at least we were in the doors.    Continue Reading »