Kitkat bars in dozens of flavors, rockabilly music, and KFC for Christmas dinner? These are a few of Japan’s quirky infatuations. And then there are cats – all kinds of cats. . . Only in Japan would a cat named Tama-chan become so revered that she would be given a Shinto-style funeral attended by thousands. […]
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Let’s Do An American Restaurant…
Recently I was stumped by a foreign visitor. When asked where they would like to eat, they said, let’s go to an American restaurant. An American restaurant? Do you want to do Italian, Thai, Chinese, French? Maybe Vietnamese or even Nepalese? But American? What’s that? We are a land of immigrants and always have been. […]
The Travel Bug Bites…
Wealth and travel go hand in hand. The British started taking the Grand Tour of Europe in the 18th century. America first got its travel bug in the 19th century and things really took off after World War II. Travel opens your eyes to new places, new people and new customs. Most of all, travel […]
Can Doing Good Also Do Well?…
Socially responsible investing is getting big. In the U.S., investment assets taking some kind of socially responsible approach top $6.5 trillion. Globally, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, they make up 30% of institutionally managed assets, or $21.4 trillion. Some big investors have been stepping up too. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund and Stanford are […]
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” – Joseph Heller, Catch-22…
Recent data breaches at institutions ranging from retailer Target to health insurer Anthem illustrate that cybersecurity is a growing problem today. The financial services industry is not immune to these risks. Consider that a recent SEC sweep on cyber attacks found that 88% of broker dealers and 74% of advisors said they have experienced cyber […]
$100 goes far in Mississippi . . . but San Francisco? Not so much
The Christian Science Monitor just published an article on the states where $100 is worth the most and least based on cost of living data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. A hundred dollars is worth the most in 1. Mississippi ($115.21) 2. Arkansas ($114.20) 3. South Dakota ($114.16) 4. Alabama ($114.03) 5. West […]
It takes a trigger to burst a bubble: Broad overvaluation alone won’t do it
Source: Marketwatch At a recent Morningstar event, Jeremy Grantham of Boston investment firm GMO said stock valuations are high, but we’re not in bubble territory yet. The current market PE of 21 exceeds the normal 16, and corporate profit margins of 7.3% remain well above the historical norm of 5.7%. Eventually those will have to […]
When Life Gives You Lemons
… make lemonade. Sounds easy but it is not. After you have been knocked down you need a lot of resilience to get back up. Resilience is the ability to recover when bad things happen. We usually think of resilience as pertaining to big things like a death in the family, divorce or the loss […]
It’s The Country of the Next Twenty Years
… and always has been.” Brazil is a country of highs and lows. It is enormous. Brazil and Mexico make up half of South America’s total GDP. Brazil is blessed with natural resources, abundant rivers, a dynamic manufacturing base and a growing middle class. Unfortunately Brazil has always been able to snatch defeat from the […]
We Are Not Rational
Here are some questions to ponder: • Why would someone drive 10 minutes to a get a $10 discount on a $45 clock radio but not do the same for a $10 discount on a $495 television? • Why would someone refuse to pay an exorbitant $10 to get his lawn mowed but refuse to […]
Holding Hedge Funds’ Feet to the Fire
As investment products go, hedge funds have to be considered a big success. Today over 10,000 funds manage an estimated $2.8 trillion in assets, a level that has tripled since 2004 alone. Ironically, this growth has taken place in the face of rather lack-luster performance results. For the sixth consecutive year, hedge funds failed to […]
Hanson & Doremus Relay Team Finishes in Top 30% on May 24, 2015
Runners Michelle Everleth-Trull, Anne Doremus, Eric Lafayette, Jordan Boyle, Sven Eklof The Vermont City Marathon & Relay is a USATF certified course and starts at Battery Park overlooking Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. The opening miles are run through tree-lined residential streets and Burlington’s pedestrian Marketplace where enthusiastic spectators cheer. On the Northern Connector there […]
