Getting major financial decisions right makes up for a lot of little misfires. And one of the biggest decisions people face is deciding when to buy a home. To make the right call, it’s important to avoid common misconceptions that surface when people try to compare the benefits of owning a property versus renting. Is a Residence An Asset or...
It is now becoming obvious to everyone the Coronavirus will put a big strain on global commerce, and markets are quickly discounting that. In my last post, I said stocks may be on the verge of a correction. It didn't take long to arrive. Since last Wednesday, the S&P 500 is down 7.6%. Below is a synopsis of our current...
Investing well isn’t about certainty or possibility. Rather, it’s an exercise in probability. This is especially important to remember in the current climate. Only 45 days into the new year, investors are already dealing with several curveballs. Who could have envisioned a manic short squeeze in Tesla? Or a bear market in oil right out the gate? Topping the list...
Kobe Bryant said he hoped people would remember him more for investing than basketball in 20 years. While his business career was tragically cut short, he still managed to achieve a lot in a short time. Bryant knew how to maximize resources, which is arguably the most important trait of a superior capitalist. Kobe Bryant was always in a hurry...
If you got dizzy reading too many 2020 investment outlooks, and are still unsure how to position your portfolio this year, focus on fiscal and monetary policy. These are the most important market catalysts you can bank on, for now at least. Several top hedge fund managers recently attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Interesting soundbites emerged from...
Two years ago, I introduced Forbes readers to the “Dobermans of the Dow.” The Dobermans are my version of the “Dogs of the Dow” strategy, which Michael O’Higgins popularized via his 1991 book, Beating the Dow. Using O’Higgins’ approach, investors will typically buy the ten stocks from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) with the highest dividend yields at the...
It seems mythical that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams took their final breaths hours apart on July 4, 1826. The odds anyone dies on Independence Day are just 1 out of 365. But two of America’s Founding Fathers, both pulling the same pinball? On the same day, in the same year? Come ‘on… Another interesting fact: 3 of the first...
5G is coming. Are you positioned to capitalize? The name “5G” stands for fifth-generation mobile networks. About once every decade, wireless technology experiences a major paradigm shift. 1G (~1980): The first generation pioneered wireless telecommunications. Those "Brick" cell phones you see in some 1980’s movies are from the 1G Era. They weighed 2 pounds, offered just a half-hour of talk...
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. - Lewis Carroll The most common financial questions involve the word “enough.” Do we have enough? Will we have enough? That’s what most people want to know. Another question must be answered first, though, and that is: “Enough for what?” Many people haven’t seriously pondered this question...
It started out like any small fire. Then it spread. Fire in Paradise is a new Netflix documentary about the 2018 fire that eviscerated the small town of Paradise, California. The film chronicles the moment-to-moment drama of how the most devastating wildfire in over a century unfolded. You learn about brave firefighters who risked their lives to save lives, heroic...
Time is running out on 2019. Looking back, Q4 of 2018 was a rough ride for equity investors. Wise to book profits before year-end this time around? Perhaps, but don’t be too hasty hitting the sell button. There are a host of reasons why the S&P 500 will likely see better performance in this year’s fourth quarter. Market Seasonality Recency...
Lawyers are loving Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in 2019. Investors… not so much. J&J shares have lagged amid mounting legal woes. The health care giant faces over 100,000 lawsuits in total, which some analysts estimate may cost over $20 billion to settle. However, the litany of bad news may provide an excellent opportunity for investors to buy a world-class company...