Monthly Archives: December 2019

“Flying the Friendly Skies” May Not Be So Friendly Anymore!

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Recent anecdotal evidence would suggest that there has been a demonstrable change affecting Canadian Visitors to the United States in the wake of the new legislation regarding pre-clearance sites at Canadian airports.

Being retired, my wife and I are frequent visitors to the United States, having had the good fortune of spending our winter months down south over the last number of years. Although we have never had any difficulty in crossing the border into the United States, the “happy hour” conversations down south invariably give rise to the occasional “horror” story about a friend or acquaintance, who has had “run in” with an overzealous U.S. Customs and Border agent. (“U.S.CBP”), most of which are usually quite amusing but typically are uneventful.

However, a number of recent newspaper articles, including reported personal stories and anecdotes, suggest that there is an enhanced level of inspection and statistically, an increasing number of refusals of entry at the Canadian/U.S. border, apparently as a result of recent changes and amendments to the Pre-clearance Agreement between the United States and Canada. 

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“Frugality Risk”: How Much Money Should You Spend In Your Retirement?

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In an earlier article entitled, “Retirement, Financial Risks and Negative Interest Rates”, I identified and discussed the key financial risks that every retiree must understand and consider in developing a retirement plan. Based upon my own experience and from my observation of others, there is another risk that some retirees must address, which is seldom identified or even discussed.

Frugality is considered by many to be a valuable financial habit and some consider it to be a significant contributor to the establishment of wealth. By definition “frugality” refers to the quality or state of being frugal; the prudent and careful management of material and resources, especially money. Those who consider themselves to be frugal are economical in the consumption of consumable resources such as food, time or money and avoid waste, lavishness or extravagance. READ ON

“Grumpy Old Men”: The Relationship Between Aging and Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional intelligence as a field of academic research has been around for several decades but has only recently become a popular topic among corporate executives as they search for new ways to improve talent/recruitment within their organization. The topic first gained notoriety following the publication of the book in 1995 entitled “Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman. Based upon subsequent research and numerous empirical studies, it has been determined that having a high EI is essential in achieving success not only in business but in life itself and that it may be just as important as having a high IQ.

According to Goleman, there are five key elements to Emotional Intelligence:

  • Self-awareness.
  • Self-regulation.
  • Motivation.
  • Empathy.
  • Social skills.

“Grumpy Old Men”

It is not uncommon these days to discover that there is a general negative perception of seniors and the aging process. Many younger people when thinking about aging associate it with physical decline and diminished cognitive skills. Many seniors are stereotyped as being unhappy and isolated and lacking in motivation. Seniors are often portrayed as “grumpy old men”.

To the contrary, recent studies have demonstrated that as we get older, our emotional intelligence improves significantly and seniors are more focused on positive outcomes as opposed to having negative feelings. They have a tendency to value relationships and work harder at maintaining existing relationships and fostering new ones. They generally have a more positive outlook and a greater sense of optimism, all of which is somewhat surprising to many observers. Studies have found that there is a correlation between aging and an increase in emotional intelligence.READ ON