Welcome!

Welcome to My Blog!

I've named this blog 'The New Era of Economic Responsibility." To some this may seem faddish, given our current economic climate. However, the topic has been of great interest to me my entire adult life. See, I've been blessed by two generations of fore-bearers who have lived responsibly, working and saving, so that they and their future generations would have something significant.

My paternal grandfather was an immigrant. He left school at age 8 to help support his family. Times were very tough. At age 21, his boss took him out for a steak dinner. My grandad said he was terribly embarrassed because he had never had steak before and didn't know how to eat it! I can't imagine. Yet, he always worked more than one job. He went to night school, got his high school equivalent, and eventually his bachelors and masters. He saved all his extra and invested wisely. He was a model of economic responsibility.

My dad was thrifty as well. I'm one of seven kids. There was money for all of us to go to college or other post secondary school if we wanted to. That gave not only me, but my brothers and sisters, a huge advantage in adult life. He lived the model of economic responsibility. Even today, having been deceased for 14 years, he is still taking care of my mom. She is in an excellent nursing facility, not having to worry about her monthly bills, because his investments--his life of economic responsibility--is taking care of all her needs.

Likewise, I have attempted to live according to these principles. In fact, I am in a profession that supports them--investments and insurance. I work for a company that has modeled these principles for over 105 years--it hasn't gotten involved in the sub-prime mess and the "mortgage backed" securities house of cards.

The goal of this blog is to share thoughts and case examples with you about what it means to live in an economically responsible way. Hope you enjoy it. Hope it helps you make better decisions. And, your comments are appreciated.

~Richard B. Osmann, Ed.D.