Countries With The Highest Quality of Life

Income Equality and Standard of Living | Are you Better Off if Your Neighbors Aren’t?

Richard Cummings

income-inequality-standard-of-livingIn this article, we will take a look at countries with high income equality AND inequality and ask the question:  Between these two, which leads to a better standard of living for the whole?

I recently wrote an article about socialism in Sweden.  With Joe Biden promising higher taxes on those making over $400,000 if he wins the presidency, the arch-conservative Fox News threatened that we would become the next “socialist Sweden” if this were to happen.

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second-round-of-stimulus-payments

A Second Stimulus Check Payment in 2020 – Get the Latest Updates!

Richard Cummings

second stimulus checkWill you be receiving a second stimulus check payment in 2020 and, if so, how much will it be?

The current amount that you would receive in a second stimulus check of 2020 would be roughly equivalent to the first stimulus check of 2020.

Many of you have already received your first 2020 stimulus payment and gotten all of your Coronavirus protective gear. If your first stimulus payment has not yet arrived, you should be receiving your check or direct deposit shortly if you do not exceed the income thresholds of $75,000 for the full payment of $1,200 or $99,000 for a partial payment.

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senate-second-stimulus-HEALS-mitch-mconnell

Second Stimulus Proposal – the HEALS ACT- In Danger of Collapse

Richard Cummings

senate-second-stimulus-HEALS-mitch-mconnellWhile Americans continue to wonder when they’ll receive their second stimulus check, the Republican-filled Senate continues to argue over the details of their new stimulus package called The HEALS Act.

If you are wondering about how much a second stimulus check would be, the answer is that it would be roughly the same amount as the first stimulus check from the CARES Act, which was $1,200 for all qualifying Americans.

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How Much Can I Put In My Roth IRA [2020 Edition]

Richard Cummings

how-much-can-i-put-in-my-roth-iraIf you are wondering, “How Much Can I Put In My Roth IRA?” in 2020, you have come to the right place. We will discuss how much you can put in your Roth IRA and various situations that may arise.

If you are unfamiliar with Roth IRAs, read more on the page entitled What Is A Roth IRA.

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how-many-employees-does-facebook-have

How Many Employees Does Facebook Have?

Richard Cummings

how-many-employees-does-facebook-haveHow many employees does Facebook have?

This is an easy question to answer because Facebook keeps this information up to date for us.
The number of employees at Facebook is currently just over 44,000 people.

Presumably, since they are essentially a data company, they keep all of their information up to date.

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beauty-of-socialist-sweden

Is Sweden A Socialist Country?

Richard Cummings

beauty-of-socialist-swedenThis morning I was investigating whether Sweden is a socialist country.   Why?  Well, having just seen many accusatory commentators on Fox News claiming that we are “becoming a socialist country like Sweden”, I decided to put on my investigative cap and do some research.

The first question that came to my mind was:  Is being like Sweden a bad thing?

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Roth-IRA-Best-Rates

Roth IRA Best Rates [2020 Edition]

Richard Cummings

Roth-IRA-Best-RatesIn this article, we will take a look at the Roth IRA Best Rates and determine the Best Roth IRAs where you want to put your retirement funds.

When considering opening a Roth IRA, many people want to investigate Roth IRA best rates. However, this is not the question to really be asking. Rather, we want to know what are the best Roth IRAs in which to put our retirement funds.

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Best-Student-Loan-Consolidation

Best Student Loan Consolidation | Get Out of Debt With These Trustworthy Loan Consolidation Programs

Richard Cummings

Best-Student-Loan-ConsolidationIn this article, we investigate the Best Student Loan Consolidation and the Best Student Loan Consolidation Companies that enable you to pay off your myriad school loans such as Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans.

After the fiscal credit crisis that took place 2008/2009, banks have more stringent rules regarding offering loans and, for many, it is no longer advantageous to offer student loans.

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america-the-new-mexico

America: The New Mexico?

Richard Cummings

america-the-new-mexicoThis essay was written in the mid-2000’s when the economies of Europe were thriving and the U.S. was unknowingly on the threshold of one of the biggest financial disasters in our history.

This essay asks an important question that is perhaps even more valid today:  Are our entrenched practices holding us back in the modern economy?

One startling example of this is the advances made in China.  As we read in the article Why California can’t compare with China, “China has built almost 30,000 kilometers of high-speed rail lines since the beginning of the century, while the US has completed virtually none.”

Obviously, our Democratic principles have a lot to do with this.   Rightfully, we are unwilling to stifle the rights of the people for progress.  But we still need to consider workable solutions because, while our people are not being stifled, our country may be.

Enjoy the article below from the early 2000’s.


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what-is-a-roth-ira

What Is A Roth IRA [2020 Edition]?

Richard Cummings

what-is-a-roth-iraIf you are wondering what is a Roth IRA, I am here to provide you the answer in a colloquial manner that, hopefully, will shed some light and humor on how well (or poorly) you’ll be spending your retirement years.

So, what is a Roth IRA? Let’s first delve into the acronym.

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Top-10-Auto-Insurance-Companies

Top Rated Auto Insurance Companies In United States [2020 Edition]

Richard Cummings

Top-10-Auto-Insurance-CompaniesMany of my readers have written to ask me: “What are Top Rated Auto Insurance Companies In the United States?”

I’ve become the answer man for these types of questions. So, today I have donned the investigative hat and compiled this 2020 list of the Top 10 Auto Insurance Companies for you.

I recommend that you visit each of the companies below to find out which one meets your car insurance needs and your budget.

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bidet-uruguay

Uruguay: Bills, Bidets, and Boundaries

Richard Cummings

bidet-uruguayThere are 3 main cell phone companies:  Ancel, MovieStar, and CTIMovil.

Like most South Americans, nobody here makes a phone call.  If you receive one, it’s important, or the person is rich and lazy.

It’s comparatively expensive to make a phone call.  Everyone WhatsApps everything-it’s kind of hassle.  It’s not uncommon for someone to say “oh, my phone is out of money.”  You refill your phone through phone cards.   Many people buy these at these stores called Abitab.  I could not figure out what these stores really did at first.  I thought they were just places that sold lottery tickets.  I have since learned that many things here are quite…Antiquated…

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uruguay-freakonomics

Living In Uruguay–Richard’s Freakonomics

Richard Cummings

uruguay-freakonomicsThis is an article I wrote about the Freakonomics of Uruguay back in 2007. Some of the observations would no longer be accurate today (like the tattoo one!) ……but some would. Thus, I leave this article about Uruguayan Freakonomics here for a glimpse of the past and perhaps some revelations about the present.


I met a girl named Maria the other day which is not unusual because a large number of girls here bear that name.  What was unusual is that Maria had a tattoo, or as Vince Vaugh’s character in Wedding Crashers says, “might as well be a bullseye”.

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