We are all aware of the growing income inequality in our nation and around the world. A small group of people are taking an increasingly large share of the pie. This topic is center stage on some of the 2020 presidential campaign platforms and frequently referenced in news articles – however less has been mentioned […]
News
The Stories We Tell…
In 1985 Brad E. Bell and Elizabeth F. Loftus did a controlled experiment to find out how subjects playing the role of jury members responded to different presentations of the same evidence. The result was that vivid narratives full of colorful detail were far more effective than bland presentations of fact. In one example, they […]
Does Debt Matter Anymore?..
There are two methods by which a country may achieve an annual spending budget. First funds can be raised through taxation of citizens and businesses. The second is to borrow. Historically a prudent monetary policy would not utilize the second option unless there is an emergency, like war or economic recessions. Yet we find ourselves […]
Keeping up with Hanson & Doremus…
It’s hard to believe we have been going now for almost twenty-five years. We started here in the Maltex building in Burlington in 1995 with just two people. We have grown to ten today. Some things however have not changed. We are as committed now as we were then to professional money management and providing […]
Understanding China…
Forty years ago, when China was a lot less consequential our relationship was a lot easier. Now things are different. China is not only a manufacturing powerhouse, but they are also producing top of the line products that threaten us now and into the future. We will be butting heads with them for some time. […]
Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Choice?…
A good friend of mine who was hosting a party asked my advice on selecting two entrée items and some hors d’oeuvres based on the catering company’s offerings. No problem, I like food. What I encountered was page upon page of great sounding options. I quickly marked the items to revisit but before I knew […]
During a Gold Rush, Sell Shovels…
The people who made the most money during the Gold Rush of 1858 were not the thousands of prospectors hoping to strike it rich, but the merchants who supplied them with everything from pic-axes to wagon wheels. While gold was discovered, the basic laws of supply and demand (too little gold, too many people searching […]
One Chart and I am an Immigration Expert…
Immigration is a polarizing issue. On the one side you have the ‘Restrictionists’ led by Stephen Miller in the White House who wants to do everything to restrict and reduce legal and illegal immigration. On the other side you have those who want to create a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal […]
Let’s Not Get Too Worried, But…
I tend to come down on the optimistic side of things. No panicking during market selloffs, no short selling, a glass half-full outlook. That kind of thing. But sometimes you have to look at the not so optimistic side. Global growth has been subpar for some time now. Even though the U.S. is experiencing the […]
Things Won’t Always Be This Way…
Once we get used to things going a certain way, we tend to think they’ll just keep going. And the longer they keep going, the easier it is to get complacent and the harder it is to prepare for things going differently. But in life and in investment — as experienced investors well know — […]
The Reason We Save…
Is because we have a certain level of confidence that the future is bright and to enjoy those positive prospects we must be prepared. But what happens when an entire generation starts feeling less optimistic about the future? Younger people around the globe are tending to favor spending now in place of more responsible saving […]
The Tough Love School of Life…
You have read the numbers. Half of all Americans do not have $1,000 to $2,000 in savings for an emergency. Forty percent of Americans do not have a retirement account and the same percentage, 40%, do not pay off their credit card every month. The balance on these cards not paid off monthly is about […]
