Free men but no free space

When I lived in New York State in the Croton Reservoir area, I was surrounded by nice forests and a beautiful landscape. However, I was quite surprised, when I learned that you are not allowed to enter anyones property e.g. for hiking. This can be even dangerous for your life considering the  Second Amendment and ubiqitous availability of weapons in the States. In most countries in Europe this is quite different. A central part of the revolution in 18th century was the right of free access to forests, open space and even the right for a little hunting. Can you imagine that the landlords in Massachusetts or Coney Island owning a nice property with beach access are forced by law to open a stripe of beach to the public? This happened e.g. in Britanny in France, where you can hike along the sea side for hundreds of miles. In Germany every citizen is entitled to enter forests or open space at any time. Thus you will find nice hiking trails in every part of the country. However, this freedom may have some drawbacks. It is not recommended to hike in France or Italy during the hunting season in fall!   

What’s going on with US Pension Funds?

American pension funds are a major driver of uncontrolled hedge fund activities and other huge financial transactions causing big turbulences around the world. Unfortunately it’s your money with which bankers and strategic investors are playing around. Certainly they get their share on fees and incentives right now. For you there is just hope that you will get your pension when you need it. Would you trust anybody in your family to save your money over thirty years and give it back to you when you need it? Would you trust a New Jersey politician to take care of your pension?  It’s probably time to rethink the totally capital based American pension plans. In Europe most states have a combination of tax based and capital based pensions. More and more people don’t trust politicians and bankers and build their own personal development and financial plan for their retirement.