Shareholder Voting Rights

Ride sharing startup Lyft’s move to the public market, has rekindled the issue of shareholder voting rights.  Lyft’s plan for dual-class voting shares has caught the attention of pension funds, which suggests that investors should be aware that corporate governance is not a one-man one-vote democracy. Lyft co-founders will receive 20 votes per share while … Continued

The Opportunities Presented by a Volatile Market

For investors, market volatility can be a painful thing, particularly on the down days.  No one likes to see the value of their portfolio go down, but every downturn comes with potential opportunities.  However, as emotions can run high, along with volatility, it is important to maintain portfolio discipline, staying with your long-term game plan, … Continued

When Are You Too Old?

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests that we tend to age at different rates.  Tom Brady may be Exhibit A on the plus side.  The importance of the apparent differences in aging rates clearly varies with career choices. We know that human faculties decrease with age.  Declining vision, hearing and cognition can affect … Continued

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

This is a concept that suggests that improvements in the general economy will benefit all participants. All well and good, but what if you don’t have a boat.  A strong economy can benefit workers, with improving wages and expanded employment opportunities. Investors can benefit through rising asset prices, as witnessed by the very strong recovery in … Continued

Consent of the Governed

“Consent of the Governed” is a phrase found in the United States Declaration of Independence. In political philosophy, the phrase, consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government’s legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and lawful when consented to by the people or society over which the … Continued

Brain Drain

“Brain Drain” is a slang term describing a substantial emigration or migration of individuals, particularly a core portion of highly educated individuals such as; doctors, healthcare professionals, scientists, engineers or financial professionals. A brain drain can result from turmoil within a nation, the existence of favorable professional opportunities in other countries, or from a desire … Continued

When Cash is Embarrassing

Last June we posted a blog titled, “Is Cash Obsolete?”. Apparently, cash is becoming obsolete in certain situations, particularly for some smaller establishments, such as bars, restaurants, hair salons and coffee shops.  While no specific data is available, anecdotally, it appears that many businesses are no longer willing to, and are not equipped to, accept … Continued