On Death and Aging

The photo above shows my mother, Rose Mishlove, at a cemetery in New Jersey where her brothers and parents are buried.

One of the reasons why I have posted to neither the Forecasting Systems Letter nor to my blog in the past month is that much of my time and energy has been devoted to taking care of this beautiful, 85 year old woman -- who took care of me for so many years in my childhood and infancy. I will not dwell on the details of her situation, other than to say that, in the last month, she has relocated to Las Vegas from her home for over 30 years in Milwaukee.

There are many uncertainties in the world of forecasting. But, one thing is indeed certain: aging and death. This certainty, ultimately, is the ground of philosophy and religion, as well as much metaphysical speculation. Additionally, it provides me with much of the motivation to explore the world of financial forecasting. This is particularly true as we live in an era when most of us can expect to live longer than our parents who, themselves, are living longer than their parents. So, we are faced with the reality of finding the financial means to care for our parents, as well as ourselves (and perhaps, also, our children). Today, because of this increasing longevity, many of us -- in spite of our affluence -- are faced with the possibility that we may outlive our own assets.

Because of this looming possibility, knowledge of financial forecasting -- even if it provides only a slight edge in the marketplace -- can contribute meaningfully to our well-being. The simple fact is that a slight financial edge, compounded over one or two or three decades, can become the deciding factor between a life of comfort and one of hardship.

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