Everyone loves a good forecast. Problem is they are hard to come by -- good forecasts. Like the broken clock, they are likely to be right twice a day. In reality, a positive market forecast has about a 70 percent chance of being right on the overall direction. In most [...]
Through last Friday’s markets close, the stock indexes have already had a great year. Dow, up 26; S&P 500, up 20; NASDAQ 100, up 31 percentages. Yes, we may still be only a Tweet away from disaster, but Mr. Market obviously has liked the change in business climate. Other [...]
In case you haven’t noticed, this will be one of the coolest Augusts in my lifetime for Greater Kansas City. It is supposed to be Dog Days of August, which for some reason means unbearably hot. The stock market should be falling more, but it seemingly will not for now. [...]
Human nature is a strange and wonderful thing, don’t you think? When times are tough, we cannot wait until they become easier. When they become easier, we worry about the next tough time or experience. Lots of investors are feeling that latter one today. As I write this on Tuesday, [...]
Don’t you wish it were as easy to get positive news as negative? With technology from which you can be almost instantly aware of any tragic death anywhere on the globe, we have to decide that we want to balance our information intake. I don’t suggest a head in the [...]
Once again, the health care debate has heated up in this country. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get political. In fact, I think the inflammatory rhetoric from all those in power has caused us to lose sight of some basic economic principles that govern all industries, including health care. [...]
On a recent Sunday morning, my pastor asked the following question, “What does your ideal community look like?” I have to admit my thoughts first drifted to the small, northeastern town of Stars Hollow, where Lorelai and Rory Gilmore call home. I imagined walking through this picturesque town saying hello [...]
Sustainability is a new buzzword in our world. From my life experience, nothing is truly sustainable without change--sometimes massive--required to cope with external causes or even the forward march of human drive for improvements. We are experiencing a bull market for stocks that is approaching 98 months since March 9, [...]
Even at this point in the economic cycle after eight years of horribly slow growth and stock market recovery from 2008-09, my associate, Aaron Pickert, and I are still bullish. To commit a spoiler however, there are some conditions over which you readers who like to worry may safely do [...]
Recently a friend mentioned he was considering cashing out his 401(k). On the outside I remained calm and quietly listened to his plans for the money, on the inside I was screaming NO! He explained that he was leaving his current job and because he didn’t have a large amount [...]
