Most individuals recognize the need for some regulations. However, the key question is, at what point do regulations stop providing a path to an orderly arrangement for community cooperation and become the sand that brings the machinery to a halt? In order to be truly useful, regulations are likely to be the most beneficial when … Continued
The Census Bureau recently reported that 62.9% of households owned a home in the second quarter. That is the lowest level in 51 years, equaling the home ownership rate in 1965, when the census began tracking the data. Home ownership peaked in 2004 at 69.2%, amid the late and unlamented housing bubble. Is the reduction in … Continued
It is not exactly a secret that the Fed would like to increase interest rates but isn’t actually doing it. The problem may be that there does not appear to be any compelling reason to raise rates at this time and at least two good reasons not to. The Fed’s mandate is to maximize employment, … Continued
For many people, money is a very quantitative subject. How much do you have, how much do you need, how long might your money last, etc.? Labels around money also evoke a similar image – a hundred grand, a millionaire, billion dollar deficits, etc. But, for a large swath of the population, money is a … Continued
Demand for electricity tends to peak in the early evening. Managing peak demand in an environmentally and economically sound matrix is difficult. Load balancing has always been a problem for electric power systems, both because most large scale electric generators operate most efficiently at constant rates and the cost of creating a system that is … Continued
A number of well known companies, such as Tesla, Google, Apple and the auto companies, have demonstrated a significant interest in developing autonomous vehicles ostensibly as a path to reducing human input, which is generally considered to be the primary cause of vehicular accidents. Considering that more than 30,000 people lose their lives on America’s highways … Continued
The Nasdaq Composite Index, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each achieved all-time record high levels on August 11, 2016. Earlier in the year, stock prices went into a scary swoon. Multiple causal factors, offered by well seasoned investment pro’s, were given as an explanation with warnings of … Continued
I met with a client a couple of weeks ago who has a family foundation account that is managed by a large bank (they handle all facets of the account, including grant reviews and check-writing). This account had not performed as well as this client’s personal account that Sigma managed and in an informal review, … Continued
There are hundreds, or maybe thousands, of newsletter writers around the globe. All of them have a single purpose – to sell you something. There is a fertile field for stock market newsletter writers. It goes without saying that human beings are wired to seek self preservation. Numerous articles have been written about the “fight … Continued
Recently released second quarter data suggest that the economic recovery continues to be somewhat lackluster with a seasonally and inflation adjusted increase of 1.2% for the period. The economy appears to be growing at a 1% rate in 2016 and 2.1% since the end of the recession, the weakest expansion since at least 1949. There … Continued
Not too long ago, I attended the funeral of a good friend who was taken way too early from our lives. Her family was having difficulty figuring out how to access a Shutterfly account that she had been using to store photos of her children. It took them a few weeks, but they were finally … Continued
On the one hand, we have an unemployment rate of 4.7%. On the other hand, we have essentially record low work force participation of less than 63%. There are a number of suggested explanations, usually with little or no definitive substantiation. Employers tend to focus on the lack of potential employees with the appropriate skills. … Continued
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