There is a three-headed investment bandit lurking in the weeds looking to steal your wealth. Savvy investors must deal with them – all at the same time. First up is the safety bandit. If you invest in stocks and bonds, they can default or go down in value, robbing wealth from your nest egg. Second is the income bandit. Retirees […]
» Read moreNorthwestern University sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s a beautiful campus, particularly when the leaves are turning golden. I left work and drove to night school to begin the fall semester. I thought to myself, ‘I want to be an accountant, why is a marketing course required?’ Marketing 101, here I come. Professor Howard was an executive in […]
» Read moreRealizing you are wrong about a basic belief is tough. The last two weeks we discussed “The Bond Fund Risks Your Broker Won’t Tell You” and “Closed-End Bond Funds, Friend or Foe?” We concluded holding top-rated bonds is OK – individually, not in a publicly traded fund. Fund managers, chasing high returns, take risks I’m not comfortable with. If bonds […]
» Read moreIn our article, “Is Your Money Manager Really Listening?”, subscriber Rick G. reported a bad experience when his money manager invested in a closed-end bond fund: “…. He put me in several Closed-End Bond Funds (CEFs). He said they were good deals as they were selling at a discount to Net Asset Value (NAV). Upon further research, these CEFs ALWAYS […]
» Read moreHistorically, funds holding investment-grade bonds have been considered a safe investment. Lending money to hundreds of well-known companies had little chance of major default and provided interest income. Has your broker mentioned new risks emerging? Bonds ratings fall into two major groups, investment grade and high yield (called junk bonds). The bond rating generally determines the interest rate borrowers have […]
» Read moreApple was the first $1 trillion company. In May 2018 they announced a $100 billion stock buyback program. Their stock was over $225/share at the end of August. In November, Tony Daltorio, one of our panel of experts, wrote “Two Smartphone Makers Nipping at Apple’s Heels“. Apple’s stock dropped around 16% since Tony’s warning. Tony’s comments raised a huge red […]
» Read moreMy broker/mentor was fond of saying; “It’s easy for investment advisors when the market is booming. When times are tough you learn who is doing their homework!” She was a veteran and the voice of experience. We looked out her office window and counted a dozen starter BMW’s in the employee parking lot. They belonged to their cadre of freshly […]
» Read moreWith our current political climate, the EU punishing Britain for Brexit, tariffs, trade wars, the Fed raising rates, record government deficits and whatever hysteria the media can create – the crystal ball is full of clutter. How should investors approach 2019? We’ve assembled a terrific group of highly regarded experts with excellent track records. Readers want me to use them […]
» Read moreIn response to our recent article about investing offshore, many readers asked for more information. They expressed many concerns, particularly about safety. Jamie Virjhof, Relationship Manager of Weber Hartmann Virjhof & Partners Ltd. recently interviewed me and addressed those concerns. I have permission to share it with our readers. Is International Diversification really necessary? Dennis Miller’s recent article, “Should Investors […]
» Read moreThe market is bouncing up and down like Marqeus Haynes dribbled a basketball. Are stop losses necessary? Investors are edgy. Money and Markets reports – “Alarming Survey: Record Number of Fund Managers More Bearish than 08 Crisis”. “…. Bank of America’s monthly survey…is warning investors to take caution and heed the market’s warning signs. …investors managing about $646 billion in […]
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