The Deal Desk (blog)

May 29, 2025: Bond market yields  are a truthful indicator of economic health. When yields rise, borrowing costs for governments, companies, and consumers go up, which can slow down spending and investment, which can slow economic growth. The bond market reflects expectations about inflation (from tariffs, for example) and rising government debt. And higher  deficit spending, like…

May 15,2025: Despite ongoing criticism, McMansions continue to be a fixture in many suburban neighborhoods. These sprawling, super-sized homes come packed with multiple bedrooms—each with its own bath, as well as grand dining rooms, family rooms, media rooms, home offices, game rooms, gyms, commercial-sized kitchens, and many other amenities. For growing families or anyone who…

April 30, 2025: The impact of trade tariffs with China is starting to come into focus. Anecdotal information shows that trade between the U.S. and China may be about to slow down dramatically. Bloomberg reports that May container shipments from China, which is facing a tariff of 145%, could be down as much as 60%.…

April 25,2025: In times of high uncertainty, control those things that are under your control. Focus energy on things that can be managed like learning new things, developing new skills, and building better relationships.  Nothing is as bad or as good as it appears. Emotions fired up in the moment amplify and distort our perception…

April 15, 2025, Tax Day: Ever wonder why managing your money feels like you need an advanced degree in economics? I’m feeling it today. The crushing weight of complexity has become a silent burden on the middle class, creating what amounts to a hidden tax on ordinary families. Think about income taxes. What should be…

March 20, 2025: Almost 40 years ago, (September 1986) I started out in this business as an independent mortgage broker. After many years, I switched to bank lending. Since then, my focus turn to helping homeowners finance their construction or renovation projects. It was good experience and I learned much along the way. Now it’s…

March 8, 2025:  Words from Anthony Bourdain’s 2014 travel series “Parts Unknown” are raw, honest, and still as relevant as ever:  “Americans love Mexican food. We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. We love Mexican beverages, happily knocking back huge amounts of tequila, mezcal and Mexican beer every…

March 4, 2025: The  UK decided to withdraw from the European Union on June 23, 2016, with approximately 72.2% of voters participating. It was closely contested, with 51.9% voting to leave and 48.1% to remain. Influenced by issues such as immigration and sovereignty, the vote highlighted deep divisions within the country as the UK officially left…

February 20,2025: Asymmetrical B2C (business-to-customer) relationships occur when a business holds significantly more power, information, or resources than the customer. It’s not hard to come up with B2C examples: In some areas, telecommunications companies still enjoy a monopoly or limited competition and can impose long-term contracts and complex pricing structures that are difficult to understand.…

February 2, 2025: The recent advancements in open source Artificial Intelligence (AI)  might be compared to a spectacular 15th-century invention. The Gutenberg press forever changed the way information was shared by the affordable mass production of books. The rapid spread of ideas and knowledge that followed led to the Renaissance, the Reformation and inevitably the scientific…