Our recent article, In Government We Trust??, struck a nerve with many readers. Subscriber Dan H. shared a graph, stating, “This is the only graph you need”. This isn’t just the US. Urs Vrijhof-Droese recently provided his international perspective: “Realistically, we are moving back to where everyone was responsible for their well-being throughout their life, including retirement. I would not […]
» Read moreAs the market soared, pundits hawked their investment flavor of the day; “Don’t Fight The Fed!” Buy stocks based on the actions of the Fed, not the value of the company. Even forever unprofitable companies saw their stock prices skyrocket. Traders made a lot of money playing that game. Bill Bonner wrote, “After 1999, stocks rose for the wrong reasons; […]
» Read moreIn my late 40’s, fresh out of a divorce, I took stock of my life. I had a good job, a small 401k, an old car and lived in a rental apartment. I’d enjoyed my share of good times and raised a family. My personal balance sheet would have fit on a Post-it-Note with room to spare; it was pretty […]
» Read moreSince the 2008 bank bailouts, market volatility has been the daily challenge for all investors. Inflation is sky high, the Fed is slowly raising rates, hoping to bring it back to their 2% target. Interest rates are still below the rate of inflation. Stock jockeys and academics are screaming, 2% is just too hard – calling Fed head Jerome Powell […]
» Read moreWhen it comes to retirement planning, Baby Boomers had the rug pulled out from under them by the government and Federal Reserve. For decades, Boomers worked with their financial planners, saving, investing, and strategizing – targeting their “magic number.” How much money did they need to have on their retirement day to live comfortably and enjoy their golden years? Bank […]
» Read moreThe Fed is raising rates, forecasting more hikes and the stock market is falling. Fed Chair Powell says he can’t promise a soft landing. Pundits are peering into the future expecting the stock market to continue down. The Fed proclaims the days of easy money are behind us; many expect bond defaults and a slowing of the business cycle. I […]
» Read moreMy friend Tim Plaehn never ceases to amaze me with his research. He recently wrote about stocks with a declared dividend, plus a variable dividend on top of it. Sounds cool…but…. I called him to share a bad experience. Right after the 2008 bailout, a mining company offered a guaranteed dividend increase based on gold prices increasing. As a new […]
» Read moreAs the world awaited the new bailout bill, CNBC reported, “10-year Treasury yield hits highest level in a year”. “The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbed to 1.29% at around 4:15 p.m. ET, breaking above the 1.28% level for the first time since February 2020. Meanwhile, the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond rose to 2.08%. …. The […]
» Read moreRemember the saying, “Everything comes to those who wait?” Investment gurus lectured us about patience and compounding. They blared, “Save $100/month, invest at 6% and you will be a millionaire when you retire.” Current interest rates make that impossible. 25 years ago, if you bought US treasuries, the compound interest doubled your money in 12 years. Using today’s interest rates, […]
» Read moreMy young son Drew and I spotted a cool convertible pulling in the parking lot. He said, “Dad that car is really baaad!”. I said I thought it was pretty neat. He then explained how I was no longer hip, now “baaad” means good. For the last 50 years, when someone says something is bad, I have to stop and […]
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