Columns

“By their own admission, Fannie executives loosened their mortgage standards to regain market share (the profit motive), as well as to meet government housing mandates (the government-policy motive).” —James Hagerty, “The Fateful History of Fannie Mae,” p.195 Housing shortages and mortgage solutions are not new;...

As my parents suffered lingering deaths from cancer and Alzheimer’s, they appreciated long-term care insurance, and their purchase enlarged my inheritance. I am a 62-year-old paraplegic planner receiving home care while working diligently—and subsidized retirement living terrifies me enough to save. After all, 70%...

“One can show no greater respect than to weep for a stranger.” —Jose Saramago It was in May of 1988 when my sweet hubby Norm announced to me that he was ready to “get out of Dodge” so to speak. Working in our computer development...

Are you out of your fitness routine? Getting back into exercise when you’ve taken time off can be intimidating. You may feel a little lost on where to start. It doesn’t matter how much Covid-19 couch time you’ve had during your exercise hiatus, you...

The City of Scotts Valley is lucky to have many generous individuals and organizations supporting the City so that more services and amenities are available to the community. This article highlights a few of the wonderful actions recently taken by local residents to make...

When I think about precious stones, rubies, diamonds and sapphires come to mind. They are known as the “Red, White and Blue” stones in the industry. Recently, I visited William Greene Fine Jewelry Design out of curiosity. Little did I know about their rich...

“Our advice—that term life is a better deal for most families—hasn't changed.” —Consumer Reports Life insurance agents somehow think that life insurance is the ultimate solution to family financial planning. As a former Primerica Financial Services amateur, I cried “Buy Term and Invest the Difference!”...

With our gardens coming to life at this time of year we are hopeful that each plant will achieve its full during this growing season. But that doesn’t always turn out to be the case and sometimes it’s hard to figure out what exactly...

Being the type who doesn’t take no for an answer, I’m going to try growing veggies on my shady deck again. I wasn’t very successful a couple years ago. I thought that three hours of hot midday sun would be enough for green beans...

June is Professional Wellness Month. The goal of Professional Wellness month is to shine a light on the important role the workplace plays in creating a holistic environment for employees and how organizations can support the mental and physical wellbeing of their employees. Why Is...