Financially Forward: Gerald Harris

The idea was great in theory and then reality set in and ruined the party.  This, in a nutshell, sums up the dreams and disappointments of many people who bought e-scooters.  They hoped that in a small way they could improve the world, enjoy the convenience of traveling any time, and have fun in the process.  Unfortunately, even the best of intentions can miss their mark.   

Who done it?  A lot of investors are asking that question, but no one knows the answer. Among the possible suspects: a speculator who loves to live dangerously; someone who is very good at reading tea leaves; a hedge fund; and a billionaire.

Lots of businesspeople and tourists traveling to Africa are baffled.  “Where am I?” they’re wondering.  “Did I get aboard the wrong plane?”  Locals also are surprised. 

People love to travel and not just during the hot summer months.  Winter is also a busy time at airports.  Some people travel for business purposes, to attend sporting events, to take mid-winter vacations, or to visit relatives and friends.  Whatever the reason, lots of luck.  If you’re planning on staying at a hotel or motel, you’ll need it. 

It’s no secret that retail is on the ropes.  Scores of huge chain stores that once dominated the U.S. landscape have gone bankrupt and many more were downsized to a mere shadow of their former selves. But there are still a few bright spots in the industry and dollar stores are among them.  Practically every year, they draw more customers, grow profits, and open new stores.  

Drive around the country and you’ll see great wealth: people living in incredible mansions with rolling, trimmed lawns, amazing new skyscrapers enhancing city skylines, and luxurious cars parked in circular driveways, to name just a few examples of that wealth.  All of these are typical of the opulence that exists in certain parts of America.  But often - sometimes within walking distance of them -there’s a very different side of modern society: poverty so extreme that it’s hard to believe that both exist in the same country at the same time.