New Broker

I have a new Broker to manage my accounts at Schwab.  Same guy in SLC, but the heavy lifting is done at the Phoenix office.  "Met" him today, on a conference call.  He's been in the business for 17 years, assures me that they can keep me wealthy, and I won't have to sell the Camaro.

And he went to Arizona and not, Arizona State.  Thank God for that.  They are SO much smarter in Tucson than Tempe.

But this is the third change in my account since 2005.  Is the financial business THIS unstable everywhere?  Or just here in SLC?

I'm asking.  I didn't have any money to manage until my dad got sick in 2005, and then I had to take care of HIM!  With HIS money.

Then it was managing the portfolio to take care of him, at about $5K a month for the next 20 years.  With assisted living, medicines, it was pretty close to $5K a month.

Then, less than a year an a half later?  He died.  Cancer can screw with you, despite the best care you can afford, and he had THAT for sure.

Then, being an only child, I had some money, could afford to retire from the State, had five years of paid health insurance for the WHOLE family (not quite as good as Chris Buttars LIFETIME paid PEHP, which I was PROMISED when I took the state job.  And he only had to work part time, for ten years to get HIS) so we did what we should have done.  Traveled as much as we could, while Deb could still see a little.

She saw Paris, London, Athens, and tons of places in the Caribbean MANY times.

Now?  It's hard to travel with her, and it's hard for her to travel.  And we have to pay for our own health insurance.  Because this country, unlike every, other, industrialized, nation, in, the, world, doesn't, have, a, national, health, care, program, and, it's, why, we, no, longer, have, a, middle, class, or, a, manufacturing, industry.

So, we've made some changes.  Won't go outside the country for travel more than once, if that, a year.  Keeping the Camaro, but no more cruises for a while.

We had a really good run.  It was awesome!  Now?  We'll enjoy the memories while enjoying the fact that we can afford health insurance.