Bloomberg Businessweek had an interesting article recently about something we rarely think about or notice – how we sign off on e-mails. E-mails started showing up in the 1990’s as a quicker and more informal option to letter writing. Originally e-mails were more like a memo and there wasn’t always a salutation or any kind […]
News & Insights
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…
We are all very rational… at least we like to think so. At times we think things through thoroughly before making a decision. Other times we make snap decisions based on whatever. We drive out of our way to save a couple of dollars on a small item and then drop $10,000 on a stock […]
Big Picture Investment Thinking…
These are strange and difficult times for investors. U.S. stocks are up, but only a handful of companies are driving the indices while a lot of issues are hitting new lows. Storminess in China and Greece, and weakness in oil, gold, and commodities are creating anxiety. And while earnings reports haven’t been disastrous, downward guidance […]
Required Minimum Distribution – Demystified…
Each year about this time we send a notice to all eligible clients reminding them they need to take the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from their IRAs before year-end. For those investors wondering what the fuss is all about, we thought we would put together the following primer on IRA distribution rules. What Is an […]
When only a few stocks drive the market’s performance
The Wall Street Journal ran an article this week called “The Only Six Stocks That Matter” about this year’s market gains being concentrated in just a few stocks. About half the gain in the Nasdaq this year (up over 7% YTD) has been from just six stocks — Amazon.com, Google, Apple, Facebook, Netflix, and Gilead […]
3000 people attend a cat’s funeral? Only in Japan . . .
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. […]
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 […]
