A recent visit to my parents’ home in Massachusetts marked a major turning point in our family history; after fifty-odd years of sitting around the table, devouring the door-stopping Boston Sunday Globe along with breakfast, I was alarmed to discover that my parents had discontinued their subscription. No more news, sports and entertainment mixed in with bagels and lox. And … Read More

Earth Day, 2010 has come and gone, and with it, the sense of planet-saving urgency that surrounds it. We smugly look backwards at the improvements we’ve made in the forty years since we first marked this day in 1970 and pat ourselves on the back. The air we breathe is cleaner, as is the water we drink, and the gaping … Read More

Strange as it may seem, paying taxes in this country should be seen as a privilege. April 15th, the income tax filing deadline set by Congress in 1954, should be noted as the day we commemorate the principle of taxation with representation that we fought for and won during the American Revolution. James Otis, a signer of the Declaration of … Read More

There are certain immutable truths in life, and most of them can be found in the kitchen. It all started with the stove—or more precisely, the new under-burner inserts that cost $14 at my local grocery store. I knew they were the right size, but, somehow, they didn’t fit correctly. So for the better part of two weeks, I cooked … Read More

Maybe it’s my age, but the correlation between cash and money has always been clear to me. My first allowances were paid in nickels and dimes, which I religiously deposited into my piggy bank. When piggy was full, I emptied him into my first savings account. Every time interest posted to that account, I had no difficulty picturing it as … Read More

I have just returned from a week in Costa Rica, where the roads are bad, the food is fabulous, and the scenery is indescribable. I took a break from the winter chaos of my life, from the leaky plumbing and ice dams, and especially from my desk, buried under the weight of hundreds of tax files. Instead, I hiked through … Read More

Last week, the Supreme Court overturned what everyone thought was settled law, and instead opined that corporations were entitled to the same free speech as you or I supposedly enjoy. In the decision handed down in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Court stated that corporations could fund independent political broadcasts in candidate elections without limitation. In this case, … Read More

Once upon a time, not too long ago, banks were as integral to our communities as the town library and Fourth of July picnics. They helped us save money, and lent our funds to others to buy homes and cars, and build businesses. Those days, alas, are dwindling. While small local banks are still doing the work of building community, … Read More

The holiday season kicked off in our family, as it always does, with Thanksgiving and our wedding anniversary. Now, having just returned from a long weekend away with my beloved, I’m making my lists for the annual giftapalooza, figuring out what to buy, and what to avoid, for all my special people. While a 15th anniversary is certainly noteworthy, I … Read More

Financial and emotional costs of H1N1 flu