The Yellow Vests Movement

According to Wikipedia, the yellow vest movement is a populist, grassroots, political, revolutionary, (take your pick) movement that began in France in October 2018.  The movement is motivated by rising fuel prices, a high cost of living and the belief that a disproportionate burden of the government’s tax reforms are falling on the working and … Continued

“Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated”

This well-known quote is reputed to have been Mark Twain’s response to news of the publication of his obituary. Investors might want to note that premature obituaries can also occur in the world of stock market punditry.  Recall that throughout the fourth quarter of 2018, conventional wisdom was suggesting that the stock market had peaked … Continued

Don’t Look Back….

The full quotation is “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.”  This quote is often associated with inspirational or positive thinking messages because looking back at bad things won’t change anything in the present.  There is a message here for investors. Don’t look back at the trades you wish you had made.  Wishing that … Continued

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth

This phrase, or something like it, is often associated with the swearing in of witnesses while giving testimony in court, and, by extension, in other contexts.  The idea behind this relatively comprehensive approach probably reflects, in part, concern over testimony that may be technically true, but may be misleading, taken literally, due to omissions or … Continued

Subsidies or Surcharges?

In order to accelerate demand for electric vehicles (EVs), the world’s governments have been handing out a wide range of subsidies and incentives.  But in nearly half of U.S. states, driving a battery-powered car now requires paying an additional fee. To date, 24 states have imposed special fees on EVs, usually through higher registration charges, … Continued

Cash or Credit?

We have previously discussed the gradual movement away from cash in many retail establishments (see blogs titled “Is Cash Obsolete?” and “When Cash is Embarrassing”). The movement towards credit-only transactions appears to be driven by efficiency and the problems associated with accepting and handling cash. Now comes government.  San Francisco is about to require brick-and-mortar … Continued

Is The Jig Up For The GIG Economy?

The great recession precipitated relatively high levels of unemployment and a material reduction in opportunities for full time work.  Consequently, people were open to new things, such as picking up temporary, low-commitment contract work.  Workers in this type of work are generally not legally employees and, while they gain flexibility, they lose out on traditional … Continued