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Trump's second year: Whiplash PoliticoThe six-year itch is looming for Trump, but can he do a Clinton? The TimesOpinion: What if we have already passed peak Trump? The Globe and MailChaotic Trump term now 'reminds people of pandemic' — and that's disastrous: GOP pollster rawstory.com
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Padres Sign A.J. Preller To Multi-Year Extension MLB Trade RumorsA.J. Preller agrees to multiyear extension with Padres ESPNPreller stays on, signs multiyear extension with Padres MLB.comPadres listen to Manny Machado, make A.J. Preller extension announcement Yahoo Sports
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iOS 27 'Rave' Update to Clean Up Code, Could Boost Battery Life MacRumorsiOS 27 to include code cleanup and interface tweaks in hopes to boost battery life: report 9to5MacHardware and software changes will lead to improved iPhone battery life this year PhoneArenaApple's iOS 27 Might Bring Huge Battery Improvements, As Tesla Bemoans The Slow Rollout Of iOS 26 Wccftech
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Sony Considering PS6 Delay to 2028 or Even 2029, New Report Says Push SquareSwitch 2 pricing and next PlayStation release could be impacted by memory shortage The VergeSony Reportedly Considering Pushing Back PS6 Release to 2028 or Even 2029 Amid AI-Fueled Chip Crisis IGNThe AI-Fueled Memory Crisis Might Delay The PS6 By Two Years KotakuNintendo Switch 2 Price Hike
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Asia stocks muted in holiday-thinned trade, Japan dips on dismal GDP Investing.comShares subdued in Asia by holidays, dismal Japan data ReutersAsian shares trade higher ahead of Lunar New Year holidays and gold prices fall Yahoo FinanceStock Market Holiday: Is Chinese stock market closed this week for lunar new year 2026? Mint
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Makers of AI chatbots that put children at risk face big fines or UK ban The GuardianNo free pass for internet platforms on child safety, Starmer says BBCSocial media ban for under 16s could be in force this year The TimesUK to tighten online safety laws to include AI chatbots Financial TimesGovernment announces sweeping 'crackdown' on social media firms Sky News
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Many farmers are facing a critical retirement decision. The traditions of yesterday are often changing, and their children may no longer want to follow in their parents' footsteps. The challenges are many. However, there are options available.
In 1971, I began my farming career at the tender age of 9 in the Skagit Valley, 60 miles north of Seattle. Crop farming was my gig; rouging spinach, sorting tulips, picking strawberries, raspberries and cucumbers alongside the migrant workers from Mexico. When I was old enough, I was driving picking machines with a dozen kids lying on boards over a conveyor belt, or driving an open tractor pulling a green pea combine while traveling about 1 mile in four hours.
SEE MORE Keeping Property in the Family with LLCs and Partnerships
Today, at the age of 59, I realize that I've been preparing this article for 50 years. During 12-hour shifts on the open tractor, it rained, often. My family could not afford proper rain gear, so a plastic lawn bag with holes punched out for my head and arms provided quite well. Working six of these shifts every seven days gives a teenager time to reflect. That's when I decided farming was very hard and I wanted an easy office job someday!
Challenges for Farmers Today
A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the men and women who feed the world. You face unprecedented challenges:
Mother NatureInconsistent commodity prices
Lack of access to labor
Global competition with lower costs of operations
Lack of resources to compete with larger corporate farming technology
Next-generation (family) choosing a different career path
You are at an age where you need to slow down or retire completely
Potential income tax law changes
Inheritance and estat
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One of the most unique things about my job is seeing people at all different stages of life. I've seen more people change jobs, retire, get married, get divorced, have kids, have grandkids, etc. than most people you know. After more than two decades in the business of helping people navigate their finances and lives, I've pretty much seen it all.
SEE MORE COVID's Financial Toll Isn't What You Think
I tell you this simply to point out that my job comes with a perspective that most people don't get to see. I simply see people go through every stage of life thousands of times, making important decisions and big moves along the way.
The past several months I have seen more people shake up their lives with major changes than in any other period I have ever witnessed. I'm calling it "The Great Change."
The Great Change
Here is what I have observed: I have run more financial plans for what it looks like if people quit their jobs, take new jobs, get divorced, or move somewhere random than any other period in my 20-plus year career. Last week alone I ran three updates of plans — two people wanting to switch jobs and one wanting to separate.
The interesting thing about them all is when asked why, their answers were all eerily similar. They all said something like, "I can stay in my current situation, but you know what? That won't make me happy." One of my best friends, a successful entrepreneur, told me he is worn out and wants to get out of the rat race to follow his passion for cars. To many, these thoughts and changes were foreign two years ago — not today though, not with the "Great Change" among us.
The two things that virtually every one of the people I've come across this year says are:
They could stay in their current situation if they must.They really just want to be happy.
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