Death Valley - Here We Come

Well, for those who care, the weekend for my bike ride in Death Valley is coming up. We leave the day after tomorrow for Vegas and then shuttle 2 hours to Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, California. We start our ride about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday morning with a temp around 61 degrees. We finish with temp around 100. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Salt intake is equally important so one does not get what is called hyponatremia, referred to as water intoxication.

Will give you update when I return next week. If you are one of those who contributed to JDRF to support my ride, a sincere thank you.

Falk Resigns

I wonder if County Exec Falk's determination to keep office till April 1, 2011 has anything to do with her retirement benefits? Could it be that is the real reason for the April 1 date?

Here and There

Attended Packer game last Sunday. There is still something special about Lambeau Field. It is always interesting to run into people who come from all over the world to be there.

As I look out this a.m. at a perfectly cloudless sky and the beautiful leaf color changes taking place, geese flying south..... why would one question why autumn is the most beautiful season of the year!

Bike on!

Wisconsin State Journal

I am finding the articles in the "Wisconsin State Journal" that address the "honesty" of political campaign ads very helpful.

Vote

I believe the two most important freedoms we have are the right to a trial by jury and the right to vote. Exercise your right to vote today!

Go Badgers & Packers!

Vegas & The Economy

On Sunday I returned from Las Vegas after being there for the Badgers football game. You want to see a hurting economy... go there. And a lot of people who earn more than $250,000 are the very people who make Vegas go. And who gets hurt when they don't go or spend less? Taxi cab drivers....waitresses......waiters......hotel workers.... etc. So while it makes some people feel good to raise taxes on higher income persons, the real hurt is felt by hard working people. And when our leaders make comments disparaging Las Vegas, it only exacerbates the economic woes of places like Vegas.

Mutual Funds

A question often raised is: How many mutual funds should I hold? Many say you should hold at least four different funds. No matter how many funds you buy, equal dollar amounts are invested in each fund initially.

Anger

I've been on this planet Earth for quite a while, but I sense an anger in America never before seen. I think most of it has to do with the persistent bad news we see, hear and read. But I also think some of it is directed at those who work and represent us in our various governmental jurisdictions. Perhaps we are tired of not being understood and made to feel that only those in government know what is right and just. I'm probably wrong, but I have a feeling.

Park St Shoe Repair

I highly recommend a front page article in the "Neighbors" portion of the 8/6/2010 "Wisconsin State Journal." The article on George Fabian aptly describes one of the most memorable persons I have ever met. He is truly a great guy!

Beer Garden

I attended an event at the Capital Brewery in Middleton last Saturday. If you've never gone there when they have live music in their outdoor area, I highly recommend it. And their new Supper Club brand beer is pretty good!!

Juvenile Diabetes

Those who know me know I like to road bike, despite what Mitch Henck thinks about bikers! Each year I do a charity ride for Juvenile Diabetes Research. This ride is normally in excess of 100 miles in one day. This year my ride is scheduled for Death Valley in October.

If you are interested in contributing to this cause, please go to www.jdrfride.com/donate; search for Bob Gorsuch. My oldest grandchild contracted Type 1 diabetes at age 8 and is now entering his 3rd year at UW - Madison. Believe me, type 1 diabetes is a "silent" disease that impacts the lives of these young people and their families. We feel we are getting close to a "cure". But it takes lots of $$$$ for the research.

Investor Sentiment

I just read an article on investor sentiment these days. Amongst professional investors, 39% are bullish; 31% neutral; and 30% bearish. The average asset allocation of these same investors is stocks - 60%; bonds - 15% and cash - 25%.

Financial Overhaul

In my opinion, the highly publicized financial regulation legislation about to be signed into law by Pres. Obama, will do little to correct the abuses that were present during the recent financial crisis. A huge new bureaucracy will be created creating all kinds of new compliance issues. These compliance issues costs the banking system billions of dollars. And guess who pays? You're right..... you the consumer!

Happy July 4

It looks like we are all going to have great weather this weekend. If you are going to be outdoors, be sure to take your Deet insect repellant!

What a great country we are blessed with. Yes, there are shortcomings, but can you think of a country you'd rather live in? God bless America!

Riding in Death Valley

In October I will be riding my road bike over 100 miles in Death Valley to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You see, my oldest grandchild, Prentice, has Type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed when he was 8 years old.

My goal this year is to raise $10,000. For my 2007 ride in Montana and my 2009 ride in Vermont I raised $8,000 on each ride.

Contributions of any amount are welcome. Make checks payable to JDRF and mail to Bob Gorsuch; Oak Bank; 5951 McKee Rd, Suite 100; Fitchburg, Wi 53711-5114.

Thanx.

Dot Com

Wow! This past March marked the 25th anniversary - yes, 25th - of the registration of the first dot-com domain. It was over a month before the 2nd one was registered and the 100th didn't take place until 20 months later. Now there about 668,000 dot-coms registered every month!

Final Tip

Check the benficiary designations on all of your investment accounts, including any mutual funds. You want to make sure the names and contact information are accurate and up to date.

Next to Last

Here's the next to last quick financial management tip...

If you or your spouse wear a ring with a diamond or other precious stone, have a jeweler check the prongs. Even one loose prong increases the risk of the diamond falling out.

Financial Management

Another financial management tip......

Check up on your credit. This is something that should be done every year. If there is an error, file a dispute with the reporting agency and call the creditor. Higher credit scores mean lower interest rates.

Another Tip

Investigate your broker. Run a background check of your broker at www.finra.org/brokercheck. The report will show the broker's qualifications and will list any regulatory action that has been taken against him/her in the past.