Shop Until You Drop!

The day after Thanksgiving is referred to affectionately as “Black Friday.”  This term is used by the retail industry to indicate when companies in the sector become profitable (an old accounting practice was to show losses in red and profits in black on the ledgers).  Imagine that – it takes almost until the end of … Continued

Guaranteed Lifetime Income

This might be nearly everyone’s single most important financial objective.  But the historical sources or retirement security are under pressure, leaving you with more of the responsibility for your own long term financial security. The recently completed pension deal associated with the resolution of Detroit’s bankruptcy has shed a new light on the problem and … Continued

“I wanna be elected!”

The November 4, 2014 elections – called the mid-terms – had little immediate impact on the stock market following the release of results.  Of course, the stock market is a “discounting mechanism” meaning stock prices adjust immediately and continuously based upon expectations.  It was widely predicted well in advance of Election Day that republicans would … Continued

The Differences in Raising Grandkids versus Kids

All grandparents know that grandchildren are more fun than children!  That’s a given.  For me, that lesson was revisited this weekend when our granddaughters Ava (8) and Natalie (5) convinced us to set up the trains, an activity that typically does not occur until the Christmas tree goes up in MID-DECEMBER.  A little begging goes … Continued

Falling Oil Prices and Fuel Economy

The average price for gasoline in the U. S. is currently below $3.00 per gallon.  Moreover, the Energy Department recently predicted that the average price of gasoline in the U. S. will be below $2.94 a gallon in 2015, a 44% decrease from their previous outlook, issued just a month ago. That may sound like … Continued

Present Value and the Price of Oil

In economics, present value is a future amount of money that has been discounted to reflect its current value.  In short, money now is worth more than money in the future. To put the issue in a context that should be familiar to most of us; if you put your house on the market, you … Continued

Honoring Those That Served

My friend Phil Siebert, a Vietnam War Veteran and Founder and President of Julius Arthur Seibert & Co., honored Veteran’s Day by sending out a note to clients and friends about the traditions that surround the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Some of the information below apparently began with a Jeopardy question … Continued

Beware of the Whipsaw

Most investors recognize that markets tend to fluctuate, sometimes quite suddenly, and predicting these swings has proven to be very difficult.  Avoiding the whipsaw is usually crucial to successful, long term investing. Investopedia defines “whipsaw” as a condition where a security’s or market’s price heads in one direction, but then is followed quickly by a … Continued