We have been thinking about and talking about trade a lot these days. It is in the news every day as Trump tariff taxes on imports go up and down, and then they are put on hold as the rich get richer and the rest of us watch as our 401 (k) s and retirement accounts shrink.

Here is what the import/export picture looks like in Minnesota. We import more than we export.

When I was in college, which I admit was a long time ago, we were taught that our economy had shifted from manufacturing to an information and service-based economy. I guess that isn’t a thing anymore, but I do know that when manufacturing comes roaring back, the people who manufacture and program robots will come out ahead.

There is a labor shortage in the US, which makes things interesting. On the one hand, our wealthy leaders want to see more manufacturing a labor shortage exists in the US, though the situation has improved somewhat since the height of the pandemic. The number of job openings continues to outpace the number of unemployed workers, with many employers struggling to find qualified candidates. While the gap is shrinking, the US still faces a significant challenge in filling open positions.

There is also a skills gap in that particularly in manufacturing and in health care. We don’t have enough workers with the right skills.

If I were young and just starting out, I would learn robotics. As a woman could probably do better in robotics than in health care.

I have spent my entire life working in the service sector. No regrets. Minnesota’s top employer is the Mayo Clinic. Minnesota’s top 16 employers are health care, government, and financial

There isn’t anything wrong with being a salesperson. That is what I do. There is an old saying about how no one makes money until someone sells something.

I have run into a few salespeople cleverly disguised as social workers or professionals who specialize in working with seniors.

First of all, it is important to know how a person gets paid and who they work for. I once got a referral from a person I thought was an expert and who had vetted the facilities. He was instead a salesperson paid by the large companies who own the senior living facilities. He didn’t know anything about assisted living.

There are Realtors like me who have special training and certification. SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist). That doesn’t make me an expert in elder care, and I am a salesperson and an SRES. I have helped many older people buy and sell real estate, but I take care to stay in my lane. I don’t give senior care advice.

Be aware of the Realtor who makes housing recommendations for assisted living or nursing home care. If you are a senior, never let a salesperson talk you into selling your house. Call the Realtor after you decide you want to move.

If you visit a facility that offers assisted living, you may be given a tour by a social worker who is a salesperson. Always know who an expert works for and how they are being paid.

If you are an older person looking for help with housing in Minnesota, call or visit Senior Linkage Line. The service is free through the State of Minnesota. They can be very helpful with housing and other issues.

Tomorrow is the April 15th deadline for filing federal income tax returns, which means today is tax day eve.

I miss the good old days when I used to prepare a paper tax return and wait in line at the St. Paul post office downtown to mail it. There were protesters and often a circus-like atmosphere, but there was also a sense of camaraderie.

Today it is all done electronically, and it takes less than an hour. I have a process for gathering tax information that takes about three hours. I have to find my expenses and calculate my income and do some math.

The post office building was converted to housing many years ago. There is a small post office downtown on 5th Street but it isn’t anything like the old one. Postal workers were there with carts; we just opened the car window and dropped the tax return into a bin.

As a licensed real estate broker in Minnesota, I can not legally give tax advice. People ask me all kinds of questions about their taxes. I like to remind people about filing for a property tax refund, but those aren’t due until August. 

Once the taxes are done and filed, it is time for ice cream and or bourbon.

Good Luck!