Because I'm a banker, I'm often asked about my opinions about the monetary policies that are being utilized in the United States and abroad.  The question is generally summarized as, "With the Federal Reserve stimulating the money supply as they currently are, don't you think inflation is inevitable?  And, given coming inflation, what do you think I should do with my savings?"  Talk about some heavy-hitting questions ...

The arrival of the New Year brings with it many things. Sure, you have to remember to start using “12” instead of “11” when writing the date and that calendar needs replacing. But one of the things that many people include with the New Year is setting goals… also called “resolutions”.

Since we are blessed to live in the most free, most advanced and most prosperous society in the history of the world, we have much for which to be thankful. On this Thanksgiving week 2011, here is a limited selection of items for which I am thankful:

Welcome to the NEW Astra Bank website and our very first blog entry. We hope you're as excited as we are about our new website and all the great new things that you'll find here. To help you get started, here's a listing of just a few of the new elements you'll find on our website... and why we're excited.