First Things First
When I was a young attorney in my later 20’s, I asked a friend in the stock brokerage business about starting to invest. I thought he would be glad to help me execute my trades or find the best mutual fund. But he surprised me. He refused to help me. [...]
The Client/Advisor Relationship
What can a client receive from a good relationship with a financial advisor? What does that relationship look like? While companies are spending millions on research on Behavioral Finance, I suspect most client consumers spend little or no time and effort to evaluate what they want and need from a [...]
The Heat Returns
This has been a summer to remember for its pleasant weather thus far. But this week, more normal, higher temperatures are returning. In a similar way, earlier summer stock prices rose to new highs, but last week the indexes jolted us back to reality. Even bull markets do not travel [...]
Why Leave the United States?
Last week, AbbVie (symbol ABBV) announced it will change its corporate citizenship to the United Kingdom along with news of its acquisition of Shire (SHPG), a specialty biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Ireland. AbbVie is the research part split off in 2013 from Abbott Laboratories, the large cap Chicago based healthcare [...]
Still Treading Water?
Today let’s look at a number of issues while the stock part of financial markets continues to perform its dance routine, one step forward and then one back. For the year thus far through Monday the 19th, the S&P 500 was only higher by 1.99 percent, the Dow 30 Industrial [...]
What Is A Fund Anyway?
Since Mr. Market is in a mood to take profits, (which I mentioned in this space was likely) let’s look at gaining some practical education about current investing. If you want to invest in stocks or bonds but want diversification for more safety, what choices do you have? In general [...]
The Zero Interest Rate Problem
Some things never change. In our day of the thoroughly modern Federal Reserve Bank, Mr. Market hangs on every word, every nuance, every implied hint from the Chairperson. What I understand is this: Although the Fed will continue to buy fewer bonds from (lend money to) the US government each [...]
The Sad Truth About Unemployment
There is a story about modern technology (capital) and labor: the new factory has smart machines and robotics galore such that it runs itself. But it has also a man and a guard dog. The man is there to feed the dog each day. The dog is there to bite [...]
Revisit the Caution Flag
A month or so ago, I discussed the statistical probability of a change of the bullish stock market trend during the coming months. The view at that time was clearly uncertain. The indexes had plummeted during the last half of January until February 3, a minus 5.76 percent drop for [...]
Whence Cometh Philanthropy?
Harvard University announced last week that Kenneth Griffin, a 1989 graduate, is giving $150 million primarily to support financial aid for its undergraduates. This is part of a $6.5 billion capital campaign started in 2013 to make a Harvard education affordable for all entering students, but especially those from low [...]