Our political platform of living within your means and taking control of your own financial future appeals to many in the "Financial Freedom" Party.

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1. Give Generously During Hard Times (2008-11-10)
   As a response to the recent market correction, consider giving more generously to charities.
   
   
2. The Assault on Free Markets (2008-11-03)
   Free markets are under assault in America. We have seen much hyperbole and slander in these past two years of political polarization. But the idea of capitalism and free markets has received more negative campaigning and vicious attack than both candidates combined.
   
   
3. Our Financial Crisis: The Result of Centralized Planning (2008-09-29)
   Regulation and centralized planning have caused financial instability and failing institutions. If this is the root cause, then many of the proposed solutions will only make matters worse.
   
   
4. Inflation Part 2: The Results of Underreporting Inflation (2008-06-23)
   Officially, inflation today is about 4%. Unofficially, it is over 7%. Inflation at this rate causes serious harm to our nation's economy and its citizens.
   
   
5. Part 2: Privatization Could Fix Social Security (2008-10-20)
   Privatizing the system could break the political deadlock between cutting future benefits and raising payroll taxes. We can have both our benefits and lower taxes if we finally admit that socializing retirement was a mistake and once again trust in the power of free markets.
   
   
6. Part 1: Social Security Is Still Broken (2008-10-13)
   If you think the $700 billion bailout of the mortgage crisis was expensive, wait until we need to bail out Social Security. Between 2037 and 2075 the Social Security program is projected to run deficits totaling $30 trillion. And annual shortfalls are projected to start as soon as 2017.
   
   
7. What Your Advisor Doesn’t Want You To Ask (2005-09-19)
   Simply put, the term "fiduciary" applies to the more than five million individuals who have the legal responsibility for managing someone else’s money. A fiduciary is required by law to always act in the best interests of their client, beneficiary, or retirement plan participant. Yet, many fiduciaries are not even aware of their legal responsibilities.
   
   
8. Inflation Part 1: How the Government Lies About Inflation (2008-06-16)
   Officially, inflation today is calculated about 4%. Unofficially, it is over 7%. Since 1997 the government Consumer Price Index (CPI) has manipulated the raw data and significantly underreported inflation.
   
   
9. Eastern Europe and Turkey: BRIC Wannabes (2008-09-22)
   The BRIC acronym made four emerging market countries sound like more attractive investment opportunities than the other two dozen. BRICET is the term used to add Eastern Europe and Turkey to the in-crowd.
   
   
10. BRIC Countries: China (2008-09-15)
    In recent years the Chinese economy has been waxing toward ascendance. It passed Japan in November 2007 and began to rival the brightness of America.
    
    
11. BRIC Countries: Russia (2008-09-01)
    Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been trying to remake itself and regain its former glory and respect. But a lack of glasnost ("tell the truth") and perestroika ("decentralize power") still plagues the country.
    
    
12. Inflation Part 3: Protecting Yourself Against Inflation (2008-06-30)
    Officially, inflation today is calculated about 4%. Unofficially, it is over 7%. You can hedge your assets against underreported inflation and protect your retirement goals.
    
    
13. Remember to Fund Your Roth IRA (2008-03-10)
    If you are eligible, make sure you fund your Roth IRA or your Roth 401(k) this year with the maximum contribution possible. It may be your last chance to pay a reasonable tax rate before the prevailing winds of class envy swamp your retirement sailboat.
    
    
14. Tax Freedom Day 2008 (2008-04-21)
    This year we celebrate Tax Freedom Day on Wednesday, April 23. That's the day we stop working for the government and start working for ourselves. For average workers, all of our earnings for the first 113 days of the year go to pay federal, state and local taxes. Starting April 24, we are free--at last--to take care of our own family's needs.
    
    
15. That Rebate Check Could Ruin Your Retirement Part 2 (2008-05-19)
    Anyone who spends more than 4% of their rebate will actually lose ground saving toward their retirement.
    
    
16. Social Security Is Hopelessly Broken (2005-02-14)
    Social Security is neither a pension plan, nor a genuine trust fund. It has no assets, and it has always been a redistribution system from those who are working to the elderly. It is hopelessly broken and no small fix will solve the fundamental flaw.
    
    
17. BRIC Countries: A Passage to Indian Freedom (2008-09-08)
    India dDuring the cold war was highly socialistic with the government exercising control over every aspect of the economy. These restrictive policies caused extremely low growth rates, derisively dubbed the "Hindu rate of growth."
    
    
18. BRIC Countries: Brazil (2008-08-25)
    In 2003, the Goldman Sachs Global Economics Department predicted the economic and geopolitical influence of Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRIC countries) would become increasingly visible in the developed world and even dominate it by 2050.
    
    
19. Subprime Lending (2008-05-05)
    The subprime mortgage meltdown has cost the world 15% of its market capitalization, about $9 trillion. The primary culprit who caused all of this financial loss, pain and suffering is not the mortgage companies. Neither is it the overextended borrowers. It is our own federal regulations interfering with the free market.
    
    
20. Decide to Be Rich (2008-04-07)
    It used to be that becoming a millionaire was regarded as a huge achievement. In today's dollars, however, it is fairly trivial. The new rich is over $5 million.
    
    
21. Tax Rebates Are a Losing Proposition Part 1 (2008-05-12)
    Beginning this month until July, the government will issue over $100 billion in tax-stimulus checks, the equivalent of about 1% of annual consumer spending and some 70% of the country's $14 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). The assumption is that we can spend our way out of a recession by boosting third-quarter GDP growth over 4%.
    
    
22. Cash Has Been the Riskiest Investment (2007-12-03)
    If you think hiding money under your mattress is a risk-free way of building wealth, think again. Cash, it turns out, has been the riskiest investment since 2002. Many investors try to avoid risk by putting their money in a bank account or investing in CDs. But like any other investment, cash is subject to its own set of risks.
    
    
23. Foreign Freedom Investing 2008 (2008-07-14)
    You can both diversify for safety and boost your returns by adding international investments to your portfolio. In the past year, international stocks performed 2.5% better than U.S. stocks. And developed countries with the most economic freedom returned an additional 4.4% more than the international index.
    
    
24. Invest in Women (2008-01-21)
    Those countries with the greatest economic freedom and the highest level of gender equality also tend to exhibit superior performance in the stock market.
    
    
25. Loss Aversion (2008-03-03)
    Psychologists suggest we feel a loss about 2.5 times as much as an equivalent gain. Even with a brilliant investment plan, it takes diligence to overcome our emotional biases and avoid making investing mistakes.
    
    
26. Italian Communists and Beautiful Girls (2005-08-01)
    Last month, The Soccer Organization of Charlottesville Albemarle (SOCA) sent its Girls fourteen and under (U-14) team on a three country tour of Europe. As a parent and assistant coach I had the pleasure of seeing first hand three of the twenty six freest economies in the world. Italy is a beautiful country and this was my fourth visit in thirty years.
    
    
27. Breaking Spaghetti: A Seven-Year Financial History (2007-04-09)
    For the past seven years US markets have experienced the ripple effects of the tech sector's correction in 2000. The latest waves have been in the slow decline of the housing market and, now, in the weakening of the commercial real estate market. While economists can't always explain the timing of these ripple effects, the corrections in the market are much like the physics of spaghetti.
    
    
28. Foreign Freedom Investing 2007 (2007-07-09)
    Adding international investments to your portfolio is a good way to diversify for safety while boosting returns. On average, international stocks appreciate more than US stocks. What's more, companies located in countries with the most economic freedom typically appreciate more than the broader international average. Over the past year, countries with the most economic freedom appreciated 7% more than the international index.
    
    
29. Eliminate the Capital Gains Tax (2008-02-25)
    I've decided to run a mock campaign for president again as a forum to talk about public policy. Every four years I look for a candidate who understands economics, only to find politicians instead. If elected, I promise to do less harm.
    
    
30. Investments in China (2005-03-14)
    In a recent survey of leading executives, China is currently the most attractive destination for foreign investment. While we recommend that investors have significant stock investments in foreign countries, we have serious qualms about China.
    
    
31. Tax Freedom Day Arrives on April 30, 2007 (2007-04-30)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives on Monday, April 30th this year. That's when we stop working for the government and start working for ourselves. For the average worker, all of the earnings of the first 119 days go to pay taxes to the federal, state, and local governments. Starting May 1st, we are free -- at last -- to take care of our own family's needs.
    
    
32. Italian Mafia Coming to America Soon (2005-08-08)
    Last month I had the pleasure of traveling with SOCA’s U-14 Girls Express team throughout Europe. We have chronicled the high regulatory burden that Italy puts on its citizens and the way that regulation stifles growth. The other major problem within Italy is the corruption and organized crime throughout the country.
    
    
33. Minimum Wage Hurts the Poor (2007-01-01)
    Americans are very much in favor of raising the minimum wage. This fall, five states saw legislation to raise the minimum wage pass, in some cases by wide margins. However, American compassion can at times be misguided. Economist Robert Whaples, of Wake Forest University, found in a random polling of American economists, that 62% believed the minimum wage should remain unchanged, if not lowered or abolished altogether.
    
    
34. The French Kiss of Death (2006-02-27)
    Over the past decade, the French economy has been given the kiss of death by the burden of socialist "feel-good" labor laws. The French government’s intentions were good, but cumulatively they have poisoned French entrepreneurial competitiveness and paralyzed their economic growth.
    
    
35. The Alternatives to Privatizing Social Security Are Worse - Part 1 (2005-02-28)
    My column on privatizing social security generated a great deal of outrage and name calling, but no real alternate proposal. That isn’t surprising since the alternatives to privatization all have dire unintended consequences.
    
    
36. Bush policy taxes wealth by devaluing the dollar (2004-09-06)
    “The art of taxation,” said the French finance minister Jean Baptist Colbert, “consists in so plucking the goose as to get the most feathers with the least hissing.” The Republicans have proven themselves the better pluckers.
    
    
37. Taxes are NOT Funny (2005-04-25)
    It’s that time of the year again. "April is the month," one wit noted, "when the green returns to the lawn, the trees and the Internal Revenue Service."
    
    
38. Virginia is for Business Lovers (2006-09-04)
    The nation’s first Labor Day celebrations were held by the Central Labor Union in New York City in 1882. By 1894 every state was celebrating the accomplishments of American workers. While all states claim to be pro-labor, some have proven more effective at creating jobs for their labor force than others. Jobs follow economic freedom, not economic regulation. A recent article published by Forbes names Virginia the best place in America to do business... and where there is business there are jobs.
    
    
39. Medicare Part D deserves an F (2005-11-14)
    Medicare’s prescription drug program debuts January 1, 2006, marking the largest government entitlement program since Johnson’s Great Society. Known as 'Medicare Part D,' the plan subsidizes prescription coverage for millionaire and destitute seniors alike. But, the pork spending and boondoggle regulations aren’t even half the problem. Part D may bring some prescription benefits to low-income seniors in the short-term, but the unintended consequences are guaranteed to make us all sick in the long run.
    
    
40. The Guillotine of French Economic Freedom (2006-02-13)
    The financial outlook for France is not promising. We can learn from their decline. The Heritage Foundation’s survey last year of 155 countries ranked France among the top-ten countries to lose the most economic freedom. The French people are paying the price. According to a study by T. Waning, economic freedom is to blame for France’s nightmarish unemployment rates brought into the public eye by angry youths protesting the lack of liberte, egalite, fraternite.
    
    
41. Minimum Wage Helps the Rich (2007-01-08)
    For the millions of workers who struggle to make ends meet, legislation to raise minimum wage cannot come soon enough. A December poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal/NBC News shows 77% of Americans support increasing the minimum wage. Ironically though, minimum wage does more to benefit rich suburban young people than it does for the poorest members of our society. At its worst, minimum wage paves the way for employers to discriminate against our nation's minorities.
    
    
42. The Alternatives to Privatizing Social Security Are Worse - Part 2 (2005-03-07)
    Those critical to privatizing social security rarely ever focus on the cost of the alternatives. That’s because the alternatives to privatization all have dire consequences. Last week we saw that neither raising taxes nor lowering benefits will solve the financial burden of fewer younger workers and longer living boomers. This week we will dispel the myth that allowing the government to invest in the markets would be anything but a disaster.
    
    
43. O Canada, The True North Strong and Free! (2006-06-26)
    July 1st is Canada Day, the day our northern neighbors celebrate their union as the North American colonies of Great Britain. We should celebrate too. Not only are they good neighbors but a good investment.
    
    
44. Foreign Freedom Investing 2006 (2006-07-24)
    On average, international stocks appreciate more than US stocks, and stocks in countries with the most economic freedom appreciate more than the international average.
    
    
45. Socially Responsible Investing (2006-07-17)
    Seeking to use your investment selection in order to be socially responsible is misguided. Though it may assuage a guilty conscience, it is an ineffective tool for corporate change. If you put so many constraints on your portfolio that you cannot meet your financial responsibilities, then you have taken the speck out of your brother’s eye but failed to notice the log in your own eye.
    
    
46. Health Savings Accounts (2006-06-19)
    Employers and employees alike are feeling the squeeze of swelling health care costs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance premiums have risen at an average rate of 12 percent per year since 2000. Unable to keep up with rising premiums, employers are forced to pass on costs to employees, to trim benefits, or worse, yet, to dump the coverage all together.
    
    
47. Salzburg: Seasoned with White Gold (2005-08-22)
    In Austria our soccer team visited the Hallein Salt Mine about 30 miles south of Salzburg. Lessons about the white gold from ancient salt mines are just as applicable today to the black gold of oil reserves.
    
    
48. Austria and the Road back from Serfdom (2005-08-15)
    Austria is the 19th freest economy in the world. Much of Austria’s economic freedom is the direct result of the most famous Austrian economists, Friedrich August von Hayek, who won the Nobel Prize in 1974. Hayek is best known for writing "The Road to Serfdom" - his steadfast defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against a rising tide of socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century.
    
    
49. The United States - Land of the Free (2006-07-03)
    This year, the US reclaimed its spot among the top ten countries in the world with the most economic freedom according to The Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation 2006 Index of Economic Freedom. But for a nation which considers itself a paragon of liberty, watching other countries enjoy more economic freedom than we Americans comes as an affront to our self image.
    
    
50. Donald Mortlock - Making a Free Market (2006-04-10)
    Most investors in the stock market know what a stock is but don’t understand how the "market" itself works. Understanding how a market works is helpful to appreciate both how and why prices fluctuate.
    
    
51. Germany: Worst Economic Weakness May Be Over (2005-08-29)
    Germany’s economy is one of the weakest in the EU. Over the past three year Germany has shown little growth. Their stock market returns have been poor. IShares German (EWG) has a one, three, and five year annualized return of 12%, 8.5%, and -3% respectively. These returns are all two to three percent under the International Index.
    
    
52. Tax Freedom Day Arrives on April 17th, 2005 (2005-04-18)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives on Sunday, April 17th this year. That’s when we stop working for government and start working for ourselves. For the average worker, all of the earnings of the first 107 days pay taxes to the federal, state and local governments. Starting April 18th, we are free -- at last -- to take care of our own family’s needs.
    
    
53. Taxes Matter 5 - The Economics and Mindset of the Rich (2004-08-23)
    Being rich often stems from finding your personal area of genius. Being rich involves finding the vocation where your productivity is most valued by society.
    
    
54. Tax Freedom Day Arrives on April 26th, 2006 (2006-04-17)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives on Wednesday, April 26th this year. That’s when we stop working for the government and start working for ourselves. For the average worker, all of the earnings of the first 116 days go to pay taxes to the federal, state and local governments. Starting April 27th, we are free -- at last -- to take care of our own family’s needs.
    
    
55. Economic Freedom Part 2: Let Freedom Ka-Ching (2004-04-19)
    Freedom matters. Those countries with the most economic freedom provide the best place for your foreign investments.
    
    
56. The Benefits of Canadian Drugs are a Pack of Lies (2004-10-11)
    Pressure is mounting on US lawmakers to allow the reimportation of prescription drugs sold to Canada. A recent study by Illinois officials claimed that the state could save more than $90 million dollars by buying prescription drugs for state workers and retirees from Canada. Nothing could be further from the truth.
    
    
57. Government Controls Endanger Homeland Security (2005-11-21)
    The threat of a bird flu pandemic and the shortages of ordinary flu vaccine reveal the failing health of the vaccine market. Some blame the pharmaceutical companies and demand tougher government controls, but it is this kind of misconception which landed us with the flu vaccine shortages in the first place.
    
    
58. Taxes Matter 4 - Private Charity vs. Government Entitlement Programs (2004-08-16)
    Government entitlement programs lack several important characteristics that make charity a virtue.
    
    
59. Economic Freedom Part 1: Invest in Countries with Economic Freedom (2004-04-12)
    Protectionism doesn’t work. Trade, not aid makes countries better off. And countries with economic freedom will experience the most lucrative trade.
    
    
60. Taxes Matter 1 - The Laffer Curve (2004-07-26)
    The Laffer Curve works. Give the wealthy a tax break and they end up shouldering an even greater share of the tax burden.
    
    
61. Health Savings Accounts (2004-03-29)
    Insurance is best used to limit catastrophic risk, not pool everyday expenses. Therefore affordable medical insurance will have a high deductible. Out of pocket expenses below the deductible will provide sufficient negative feedback to prevent skyrocketing insurance costs.
    
    
62. Taxes Matter 3 - Taxes reduce the opportunities for economy efficiencies (2004-08-09)
    Small business owners make the majority of the decisions about economic expansion and job growth when they decide if the expertise their company has to offer is efficient enough to justify the burden of taxes.
    
    
63. The High Cost of Medical Benefits (2004-03-15)
    There are many ways to address the problem, but all of the solutions that will work involve negative feedback, and the best solutions unify payment, empowerment and benefit in the same individual.
    
    
64. Social Security Can Be Saved (2004-01-12)
    Social Security can be saved. The solution actually costs less while preserving benefits. It is nothing short of miraculous.
    
    
65. The Growing Federal Deficit is Bush’s Fault (2004-08-30)
    In his first term Bush has increased spending more than the first terms of Carter, Clinton, and his father combined. Under his leadership, Republicans have lost the high moral ground of fiscal responsibility and rightfully endangered their control of congress.
    
    
66. Gas Prices Part 2: Remove Taxes and Price Controls on Gasoline (2004-06-14)
    High prices are good when caused by increased demand or a shortage of supply, but artificially high prices are not.
    
    
67. Wisdom to be Learned from the Vice Presidential Nominees (2004-10-04)
    Amidst the economic uncertainties of our times, we hope you have learned the lessons of these wise advisors, and will start taking control of your financial future today.
    
    
68. Economic Hypocrisy Plagues Public Sector (2004-05-03)
    We act as if being a business owner is trivial enough to burden them with the responsibility of funding, implementing, and enforcing whatever social programs are in vogue. Then we exempt ourselves from taking the risk.
    
    
69. Gas Prices Part 1: High Gasoline Prices Are The Best Energy Policy (2004-06-07)
    High oil and gasoline prices are good. Without any coercion high prices set energy policy more effectively than any government program could.
    
    
70. Why We Need to Fix the Social Security Program Now (2005-01-09)
    Every four years, the soundness of the Social Security program is reviewed. The group’s report goes to the President and the Congress. The conclusions reached are always the same: the program is broken and needs to be fixed.
    
    
71. Op Ed: High Oil Prices are Good (2004-08-14)
    The good news is that high oil prices are good in the long term. Without any coercion, high prices set energy policy more effectively than any government action could.
    
    
72. Letter to the Wall Street Journal 12/3/2004 (2004-12-03)
    Tom Lauricella’s article on 401(k)s in the Dec.1 Wall Street Journal was an excellent recital of how workers might make some mistakes if they were given the opportunity to invest part of their payroll taxes in a partially-privatized Social Security program. While admitting that there is that danger, just consider the massive mistakes made by the government in the overall design and of Social Security in the mid-1930s.
    
    
73. Foreign Trade Not Aid Encourages Freedom Abroad (2004-04-05)
    Foreign aid is like a parent playing for their child’s soccer team. The parent may score some goals in that game, but you will have a weaker team as soon as the parent steps off the field.
    
    
74. Ignore the Politicians and Take Control of Your Financial Freedom (2004-03-22)
    During elections the political dialog assumes that the wellbeing of your future is out of your control and in the hands of politicians. This is simply not true. You have the freedom to take control of your finances and your life.
    
    
75. Why We Need to Fix the Social Security Program Now (2005-03-21)
    Speech delivered at the Carmel Valley (CA) Manor, Issues Meeting, March 21, 2005 about (a) the looming financial crisis facing the Social Security Program, (b) the mistakes that got us into our present condition, and (c) outline some of the alternative choices for solving our present predicament.
    
    
76. California’s Recall is a warning to us all (2003-09-29)
    Forget the fact it is a political battle, we can still learn from the California recall fiasco.
    
    
77. Tax Cuts For Those Who Pay (2003-06-04)
    The recent tax cuts signed by President Bush are continuing to be attacked by Democratic Presidential hopefuls who say it is comprised largely of costly and unjustified tax breaks for the wealthy. Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand: paying for lunch.
    
    
78. Tax Freedom Day 2003 Arrives in Virginia on April 15th (2003-04-12)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives in Virginia on Tuesday, April 15th this year. That’s when we stop working for government and start working for ourselves.
    
    
79. Don't Tax Dividends Twice (2003-01-11)
    The proposal to eliminate the double taxation of dividends is a good one for many reasons.
    
    
80. How to Avoid Another Stock Market Bubble (2002-09-02)
    We suggest that Congress look at the incentives they themselves have created in our so-called "system" of taxation.
    
    
81. Tax Freedom Day 2002 Arrives in Virginia on April 30th (2002-04-12)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives in Virginia on Wednesday, April 24th this year. That’s when we stop working for government and start working for ourselves.
    
    
82. Tax Freedom Day 2001 Arrives in Virginia on April 30th (2001-04-25)
    Tax Freedom Day arrives in Virginia on Monday, April 30th this year. That’s when we stop working for government and start working for ourselves.
    
    
83. Taxes Matter 2 - The Democratic Party Has Changed (2004-08-02)
    Historically, it used to be the liberal party that favored tax cuts. Not any more.
    
    

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