Land Planning

Cities are birthplaces of civilization; centers of culture, trade, and progress; cauldrons of opportunity - and the home of 80 percent of the world's population by 2050. As the 21st century progresses, metropolitan areas will bear the brunt of global megatrends such as climate change, natural resource depletion, population growth, income inequality, mass migrations, and education and health disparities, among many others.

Leave the chaos of city life for a true feeling of independence and self-sufficiency. Are you getting increasingly dissatisfied and disillusioned with the nonstop daily grind? If these are your realities, even while being surrounded by the comforts of modern living, you just might be cut out for a wonderful life off the grid! Home Power Magazine says there are close to 200,000 families living off the grid in the United States. Worldwide, the figure is estimated to be around two billion.

Whether your retirement dreams are five years away or fifty—the single greatest threat standing in your way is taxes. Unlike losses in the stock market, money lost to taxes never recovers. With untaxed retirement accounts likely to become your largest asset, you face an explosive landscape of costly tax traps, penalties, and a complex maze of rules when it comes time to tap into those savings. Renowned tax advisor Ed Slott returns with the ultimate guide to reclaim control of your financial future and keep more of your money—no matter what Congress comes up with next.

Becoming Los Angeles, a new collection by the author of the acclaimed memoir Holy Land, blends history, memory, and critical analysis to illuminate how Angelenos have seen themselves and their city. Waldie’s particular concern is commonplace Los Angeles, whose rhythms of daily life are set against the gaudy backdrop of historical myth and Hollywood illusion. It’s through sacred ordinariness that Waldie experiences the city’s seasons.

It takes many years to build a sound financial base to secure the basic needs and comfort of your family and yourself. When you reach a point where you are ready to start growing that nest egg to cover things like education, retirement, and your family’s future well-being, you need to have more to go on than just the hope that the stock market stays stable. We all know it won’t, anyway!