A lot of people have had a lot to deal with this past year. Some lost loved ones and friends. Some lost jobs, others had their income reduced. And all of us had our lives affected one way or another by being shut in at home for months. For some this meant anxiety and sadness. […]
News
“As long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance…”
This quote is from Chuck Prince, CEO of Citigroup, in July 2007, on why the bank loosened housing lending standards and created ever more complex derivative securities. They had to keep up with the competition. And we all know how this ended – the Housing Bubble and Great Recession of 2007-2009. Today, are we “whistling […]
Considering an EV as Your Next Car?…
Our family of five needs a new car and we’re considering, for the first time, an Electric Vehicle (EV). If you haven’t done research into EVs, the terminology can be confusing. There’s charging, range, tax credits, and kilowatt-hours. Start by reviewing unbiased rankings of EVs by Edmunds or Consumer Reports. Many car concepts will begin […]
The State of the State…
It has been 14 months now since the arrival of COVID in Vermont. We seem to be past the worst now and are slowly getting back to some semblance of normal. This is a good time to assess what has happened to the Vermont economy, and who better to turn to than our long-time friend, […]
Sowing the Seeds of Disruption…
Over the last two years, six out of 10 of the world’s largest food companies have set goals to increase regenerative agriculture in their supply chains. Regenerative agriculture refers to practices aimed at replenishing topsoil levels, improving soil health, and sequestering carbon. Examples include planting cover crops to reduce soil erosion and fertilizer use, mixing […]
Getting in on the Game…
Originally crypto exchanges were known as a good place for bad actors to transfer funds anonymously. But the market has evolved since 2010 when Bitcoin, the most prominent digital currency, was first introduced. In its recently released 2021 State of U.S. Crypto Report, exchange provider Gemini found that just over 21 million adults or about […]
Once A Bell Is Rung, It Can’t Be Unrung…
Richard Heuer, a CIA veteran of 45 years, wrote that “once information rings a bell, the bell cannot be unrung.” What he meant was that once we learn something, it leaves an impression that is hard to erase — even after we find out the idea is false and discredited. It is an innate feature […]
The Complete Inflation Story…. (Abridged)…
The economy is on a tear today. Driven by the post-shutdown bounceback, numerous rounds of stimulus, and the rapid rollout of the COVID vaccine, GDP is expected to grow over 6% this year, maybe even 8%. These are growth rates not seen since the Reagan years. But the question now is, is this recovery about […]
mRNA, You Say?…
In January of 2020, news began to trickle in from China about a new virus that was spreading, causing the country to lock down millions of its citizens. By March of 2020, large portions of the world had implemented similar measures to limit the exponential spread of the new coronavirus and prevent hospital systems from […]
The Enduring Power of Storytelling…
When first introduced over 40 years ago, passive mutual funds were designed to provide a low-cost way to mimic the returns of market indices like the S&P 500. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) improved on this concept by allowing investors to buy and sell their holdings throughout the day. Thematic ETFs are the latest iteration of […]
GameStop Was The Best Game Ever…
Until it was not. The stock surged from under $20 to $483 in just a few days before falling back to $50 as I write. The new “swarm traders” (so dubbed by The Economist recently), denizens of Reddit and Robinhood, battled the Wall Street hedge funds for control of the price. Some investors won, some […]
How We Invest, How We Stay Grounded…
“We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run,” scientist Roy Amara once said. It’s a wonderful way of remembering how we get caught up in hype but are short-sighted on long-term value. It also touches on why it can be so hard […]
