Kevin Mulligan

Government Shutdown, Debt Ceiling Crisis, and Links

Published or updated October 6, 2013 by Kevin Mulligan

The United States federal government has been shut down since Tuesday. Thousands of workers are furloughed, national parks and monuments are closed, and Congress is still getting paid.

What’s worse is this may not be the biggest crisis the US faces this month.

Later in October — or early November at the latest — the Treasury department will hit the “debt ceiling” and max out its credit line. The debt ceiling is a legal limit placed on the Treasury by Congress that says the US cannot have more than X amount of debt. That amount right now is $16.699 trillion.

Both parties have said they will have no part in a United States default on debt due to not raising the debt ceiling, so that’s encouraging. Yet each day that rolls forward means we are getting closer and closer to not being able to make our minimum payments on all of our obligations. If we default expect widespread chaos in financial markets, Treasury bill interest rates, and the value of the dollar.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Maxing out your credit cards, too? Can’t seem to control how much you spend? Here are some articles to help you out:

iPhone 5S Sells Out While Blackberry Posts a $1 Billion Loss and Links

Published or updated November 19, 2018 by Kevin Mulligan

What a contrast.

Apple’s hyped iPhone 5S sold out within 24 hours of being launched and won’t be available until October at the earliest. (Supply chain problems, anyone?)

Meanwhile Blackberry, the former smartphone heavyweight, posted a $1 billion loss and announced it will be cutting 40% of its global workforce.

Will Apple be able to avoid the similar fate? Despite selling out the iPhone 5S many critics have been unimpressed with Apple’s ability to truly innovate the iPhone. Perhaps that is natural as there is only so much you can do with a smartphone, but where will the next blockbuster product come from?

Don’t sit back on your previous success like Blackberry did. You need to constantly push forward with your finances. Here are some good reads to encourage you to do just that:

My Employer Offers Life Insurance, Is That Enough For Me?

Published or updated September 8, 2013 by Kevin Mulligan

Life insurance is one of the most critical pieces of financial insurance you can buy.

No amount of money will bring you back from an untimely death, but if your family is reliant on your income then going without it puts them at grave risk if you suddenly pass away.

The best option for most people is to buy a term life insurance policy for a minimum of 5 years worth of your annual income; 10 years or more is preferred.

But sometimes those polices can seem out of reach or simply inconvenient to get.

I’m not saying inconvenience is a legitimate excuse (you can buy a policy online and they will send a nurse to your home to the medical exam!), but it is one nonetheless. Sometimes cost keeps us from buying the life insurance policy we really need, too.

Many people instead opt for their employer’s life insurance.

Using that life insurance is generally easier and more affordable because you are part of a group plan. The cost can be taken straight out of your check so you never feel the impact of the insurance on your budget. Your employer may even pay for your coverage, or at least part of it.

However, relying solely on your employer’s life insurance is fraught with danger.

Why Your Employer’s Life Insurance Isn’t Enough

Apple Hype Machine Preps for September 10th Launch of iPhone 5S and Links

Published or updated September 28, 2014 by Kevin Mulligan 4 Comments

The Apple Hype Machine has been running like a well-oiled machine for the past few weeks.

Leaked photos and videos. Sneak peaks at new refinements to iOS and the iPhone. Hints at new iPads.

Apple is running into a problem, however.

The prices of smartphones — good smartphones — keeps dropping. The Google/Motorola team wants to push phone prices down. There is a discussion that Amazon might give away their future smartphone to get users plugged in to the Amazon ecosystem.

Yet Apple remains stalwart in charging $649 to $849 for off-contract iPhones depending on the amount of memory provided. That’s why Apple is all announcing something called the iPhone 5C. It’s a — gasp — plastic version of the iPhone. Plastic hasn’t been used since the iPhone 3/3G, and it is one of the things that Apple fans have made fun of Samsung for forever.

But Apple needs to reach the lower end of the market to continue to grow, and plastic is cheaper than the shiny metal used in the premium iPhone devices. Will users bite or will they prefer to get a used premium iPhone on eBay or other marketplaces?

Are you planning to spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone this month? Is that part of your financial plan? These articles will help guide you on your plan:

Steve Ballmer to Retire from Microsoft and Links

Published or updated December 30, 2014 by Kevin Mulligan 2 Comments

After years of disappointing product launches Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will retire at some point in the next 12 months.

From Windows Vista to Windows 8 to the Surface tablet to the Xbox One getting trounced by Sony’s Playstation, there have been too many products that have fallen flat. Meanwhile Microsoft’s competitors have become stronger and in some instances completely dominated the marketplace.

To me this underlines the importance of never sitting back on your laurels. The same holds true for your finances. Many of Microsoft’s most recent products were a reaction to a competitor’s innovation. Likewise we can’t wait until something happens to change our finances, we have to think ahead, plan in advance, and start making changes now.

It will be interesting to see what the next person in line brings to Microsoft. Will you let your finances fall into a rut? Or will you start planning ahead using some of these great reads below?

Kevin Mulligan

Maxing out your credit cards, too? Can’t seem to control how much you spend? Here are some articles to help you out:

Don’t sit back on your previous success like Blackberry did. You need to constantly push forward with your finances. Here are some good reads to encourage you to do just that:

Why Your Employer’s Life Insurance Isn’t Enough

Are you planning to spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone this month? Is that part of your financial plan? These articles will help guide you on your plan:

It will be interesting to see what the next person in line brings to Microsoft. Will you let your finances fall into a rut? Or will you start planning ahead using some of these great reads below?

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