Last week, natural disaster struck Nebraska. Our dry weather and windy days make us especially vulnerable to disasters like wildfires, as Nebraska farmers and ranchers know all too well. Beginning last Monday, a wildfire blazed across 71,000 acres of land in Custer and Lincoln counties over just 24 hours. The fire destroyed several buildings, including primary residences, and forced evacuations in the North Platte area.

In a society where instant gratification is the norm, it may be tough to think about long-term planning and the benefits of delayed gratification. But as investors that is precisely what we should be doing. Taking the time to consider the consequences will almost always benefit us in the long run.

Wealth taxes are like a specter in search of a host, and an already overtaxed New England state may be the first to succumb. Vermont lawmakers want to tax residents’ unrealized gains, hoping to finally break the barrier that’s kept them from draining asset values year after year.