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The French Connection
In April 1985, the seniors in my high-school French program returned from three weeks in France: a week in Paris and two in a La Rochelle lycée. They shared a photo of the class in front of the Eiffel Tower. They detailed differences between high school in France and America. And they rhapsodized about the
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Retirement on the house
When the pandemic, at last, retreated, I traveled to Traverse City, Michigan to hike, cycle, and kayak on the trails and waterways bordering Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. I met a friend who lives there. “The city is booming,” I said, remarking on bayside condo developments and the high prices for modest homes close
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The Bridge
In 1975, employer-sponsored retirement plans were mostly defined benefit (DB) plans, designed to pay retirees a fixed income for life. Some 70% of the private-sector workers covered by any kind of employer-sponsored plan were enrolled in a DB plan. In 2022, the figure was about 12% and falling. Today, workers mostly participate in defined-contribution (DC)