Over the last several decades there has been a sea change in funding for employee pensions. Historically, pensions have been based on defined benefit formulas that provided retirees with a set dollar amount, based on salary, tenure and other factors. Under the defined benefit system, any shortfalls in funding were the responsibility of the employer. … Continued
In the context of human resources, turnover is the process of replacing a departing employee with a new hire. An organization’s turnover experience is measured as a percentage rate, which is referred to as its turnover rate. Investors should be aware of the turnover rate when considering an investment opportunity. High turnover has often been … Continued
Wikipedia defines a short squeeze as a rapid increase in the price of a stock that occurs when there is a lack of supply and an excess of demand for the stock. Short squeezes result when short sellers seek to cover, or are forced to cover, their short positions, either because they can no longer … Continued
According to Wikipedia, the last mile is a phrase widely used in the telecommunication industry to refer to the final leg of the networks that deliver telecommunication services to retail end-users. The actual length of the “last mile” may be more or less than a mile. The “last mile” is typically the speed and cost bottleneck … Continued
The full quotation, “In politics the middle way is none at all” is attributed to John Adams, frustrated by holdouts in the Second Continental Congress, who were clogging the docket with useless half-measures and misguided appeasements during the debate over a declaration of independence. Of course, we know that John Adam’s views prevailed and independence … Continued
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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