If you are eager to “invest” in Bitcoin you can do it with your credit card. According to wikiHow, the first step is to create a Bitcoin wallet, or software that stores Bitcoin and other digital currencies. When you are ready to purchase, find an online exchange that accepts credit cards. While purchasing Bitcoin with … Continued
Crowd trading is an extension of the concept behind crowd funding, which is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. In crowd trading, a large number of people are encouraged to take a small position in a single … Continued
The idea of “peak oil,” historically a reference to a fear that oil supply was running out, now means something entirely different. Today, peak oil refers to peak demand, not supply. British energy company BP has suggested that oil demand may have peaked in 2019. Others have suggested that peak demand may not occur for … Continued
Once upon a time a falling acorn hit Chicken Little on the head. This startled the bird so much that she immediately embarked on a crusade to spread the news (misinformation) that the sky was falling. Spreading misinformation is not only a topic for fables, but has a long factual history. The expression, “get off … Continued
Thank you Charles M. Schulz and Snoopy. Anecdotally, it seems that a number of my neighbors have taken this advice as Covid-19 forces more of us to remain house-bound. On a more serious note, while it is well established that older people tend to be happier than they were when they were younger, a recent … Continued
There is no simple way to summarize or explain 2020’s equity markets. By the end of the year the S&P 500 was up a very solid 18.4%, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story. Equity markets started the year on the soft side. Then came Covid-19 and stocks sold off sharply. March alone saw … Continued
According to Wikipedia, tulip mania was a period during the Dutch Golden Age when contract prices for some bulbs of the recently introduced and fashionable tulips reached extraordinarily high levels, and then dramatically collapsed in February 1637. In Europe, formal futures markets appeared in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century. One of the most … Continued
The concept of investing has taken a beating with an increasing misuse of the word. For example, some marketers of expensive items, like new cars, describe the purchase as an investment when it is clearly consumption. Except in a few, very rare instances, automobiles depreciate. Investopedia defines investment as a way to set aside money … Continued
This is clearly a very complex and controversial issue. It is equally clear that big pharma, with considerable help from government, both financial and regulatory, has created an exceptional response to the dangers of Covid-19. Development and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines represent a constructive example of what can be achieved by public/private partnerships. The … Continued
As we approach the end of the calendar year, it’s a good time to review some last-minute planning items that can result in 2020 tax savings. One such item is making contributions to 529 education plans in states that offer a tax-break on dollars that are deposited within the calendar year. For example, Michigan offers … Continued
The idea that you can make a case for negative-yielding debt would seem to be counterintuitive at best and irrational at worst. Never-the-less, there are some rational reasons for an investment decision that seems to defy logic. Perhaps the primary value of negative-yielding debt is safety. The typical investor might conclude that a federally insured … Continued
Two recent headlines summarize some of today’s housing issues: 1. Big company owners of single-family homes are raising rents at the fastest rate since the last decade’s foreclosure crisis, and 2. First-time home sales currently account for the lowest market share since 1987. Corporate landlords that own single family homes are raising rents at the fastest … Continued
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