A 2010 study done by three researchers at the University of Zurich found that retiring early could increase the chances of serious health issues and premature death. Specifically, it estimated that each year of early retirement was associated with a 1.8 month decrease in lifespan, and it highlighted a higher incidence of cardiovascular disorder – […]
News & Insights
The 2-Minute Thought: The Clouds Part for Value Investors
The dozen or so year-end letters to investors I’ve read so far suggest that the clouds finally are parting for value investors. There is a positive tone in the letters that contrasts sharply with early 2016. Value investors buy undervalued out-of-favor securities based on careful fundamental research. An important part of that practice is being […]
The 2-Minute Thought: Unraveling how we see immigration
Attitudes on immigration are complex. With recent news flow so focused on politically charged atmospheres around the world, it is easy to believe that the globe has turned against immigration. But attitudes within regions are variegated. And large swaths around the world support immigration more than they oppose it. A 2015 Gallup World Poll done […]
Make America Great Again…
I assume this means jobs. So exactly where are the jobs of the future going to be in America? The Economist took a stab at this in their “The World in 2017” edition late last year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics produces a survey every two years looking at current jobs and where the […]
The Best Investment Decisions are Always Very Uncomfortable…
Why? Because when prices are really cheap, the stories are absolutely awful. The flip side of the coin, however, is that when prices are cheap, expectations are low and with even the slightest improvement in sentiment, stocks can jump sharply. Remember back in January a year ago? The S&P 500 declined 4.9% in the first […]
Why We Love Our Jobs… Or Don’t…
In Glassdoor’s yearly survey of the best places to work, California-based chain In-N-Out Burger always does surprisingly well. This year, In-N-Out Burger ranked as the seventh best place to work in the nation. In Silicon Valley it was number three, surpassed only by number one Facebook and number two Google. It tied with LinkedIn and […]
Navigating The Retail Maze…
The 2016 Holiday season did bring some good cheer. Retail sales for the November-December period increased 4% when compared to 2015. In many respects, this result was not surprising considering the recent positive data on job gains, average hourly earnings and household net worth. But a look behind these optimistic numbers shows that the negative […]
The 2-Minute Thought: Stock valuations seem high so you should . . . do nothing?
The good news is that U.S. stocks have had a great run – and especially so since the November election. The more worrying thought is that they look more expensive. We know that when stock valuations are high, returns in future years are lower — and vice verse. From over 100 years of stock data, […]
The 2-Minute Thought An Oversupply of Haigui?
How quickly things change. Not so long ago, most Chinese who studied overseas stayed overseas because job prospects were far superior to those in China. Now, according to China’s Ministry of Education, three-quarters of Chinese students are returning home after graduation. Finding a job overseas has gotten harder, while the job market in China has […]
The 2-Minute Thought: This year, spend less time on time management . . .
entrepreneur.com A recent article in The Guardian by Oliver Burkeman titled “Why time management is ruining our lives” addressed — well, how time management is ruining our lives. How we spend each day and string those days together into a meaningful life has been a central human question since ancient times. But in this modern […]
The Test Kitchen is Under New Management…
We first started publishing a Holiday Chocolate recipe in 1998. This is our 19th version. We have been a little unscientific with our selections in the past. We often have come down to crunch time with the desperate plea, “Anyone got a recipe for this year’s letter?” Well no more. Seriousness is Job One in […]
Wow, What An Amazing World We Live In!…
A recent story from China in The New York Times International edition (November 15, 2016) caught my eye. Many “common cuckoos” spend the spring and early summer of each year in wetlands near Beijing, China. They feast on caterpillars and grubs in the wet soil. By summer, however, temperatures get pretty hot and the cuckoos […]
