I remember coming home to visit my parents to find they were clipping coupons from stacks of newspaper inserts, “for the church”. There was an independent grocery store that was then turning them in. The church got a cut and the grocer, of course, got a cut.
At the time, I was working in the research department for a food company, and working on statistical models to predict coupon redemption, models that could be used to find egregious examples of suspicious activity, although we were just using them to forecast our financial liability. I told my parents that, church or no church, they needed to at least stop their own participation in this activity.
The grocer was later prosecuted, although none of the church members were.
Let’s suppose you are an aging retiree with stocks you bought a long time ago. If you sold them, there would be capital gains. If, instead, you borrow against them, when you die there is a step-up in basis and your heirs don’t have to pay those capital gains. Sure, the loans have to be repaid, but this may be less costly than the capital gains (and, in the meantime, the stocks might go up in value more than the cost of the loan). The “basis step up at death” feature is one of the main ways generational wealth is built.
From ChatGPT:Hamas leaders are indeed wealthy,Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ politburo, is worth more than $4 billion. Khaled Meshaal, another prominent Hamas leader, is estimated to have a net worth of more than $2.6 billion. Moussa Abu Marzook, … is believed to have a fortune ranging between $2-3 billion While these leaders revel in luxury, the majority of Gaza’s population—over 2 million residents—live in abject poverty.
If you’re stuck with something in your house, the old guys at a local Ace Hardware will be happy to try and steer you in the right direction. But Home Depot and Lowe’s killed off the other two in town.
I came here to say the same thing. Sports can teach you to lose with grace, and to react to a loss not by moping (leading to a loss next week, too) but to suck it up and get better.
I remember coming home to visit my parents to find they were clipping coupons from stacks of newspaper inserts, “for the church”. There was an independent grocery store that was then turning them in. The church got a cut and the grocer, of course, got a cut.
At the time, I was working in the research department for a food company, and working on statistical models to predict coupon redemption, models that could be used to find egregious examples of suspicious activity, although we were just using them to forecast our financial liability. I told my parents that, church or no church, they needed to at least stop their own participation in this activity.
The grocer was later prosecuted, although none of the church members were.