The Right Stuff is the title of a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe about the pilots engaged in U.S. postwar research with experimental rocket-powered high-speed aircraft as well as documenting the stories of the first Project Mercury astronauts. The Right Stuff can also refer to necessary or ideal qualities and capabilities, such as courage, confidence, … Continued
Aretha Franklin’s wasn’t. Prince’s wasn’t. Pablo Picasso’s wasn’t. When you die and have not listed beneficiaries for your assets or titled your assets in the name of a trust, the courts in your state determine where your assets go. Many people don’t realize that a will does not avoid probate. A will simply informs the … Continued
According to Wikipedia, logistics is generally defined as the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. For business, logistics is a general term for the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of customers. Manufacturers and providers of goods … Continued
The U.S. consumer confidence index rose in October to an 18-year high, amid optimism about jobs and the economy, according to the New York-based Conference Board. It is also probable that improving consumer confidence may be, at least in part, attributable to broad gains in wages. Specific wage gain calculations are complex and single data … Continued
No, this is not about diversifying your portfolio. Hopefully, you and your advisor(s) have already developed a strategy that suits your circumstances. This is a suggestion that you consider diversifying your sources of information. A sound investment strategy probably incorporates a measure of belief in the future based on an informed understanding of relevant facts. … Continued
Recent market volatility has given rise to all kinds of commentary, by assorted market prognosticators who, encouraged by the media, attempt to attribute some degree of significance to very short-term market swings. Investors would be well advised to retain a focus on longer term objectives. Perhaps the most useful explanation for very short-term market swings, … Continued
That depends on where the oil is. Currently, Brent crude is trading at approximately $80/bbl. U.S. benchmark crude futures, priced at Cushing, OK, are trading about $10/bbl. below Brent, and cash prices in the prolific Permian Basin are even lower. However, the “prize?” goes to Canada, where Western Canada Select crude cash prices are currently … Continued
Net energy metering (NEM) is a special billing arrangement that provides credits for surplus energy to customers with solar photovoltaic systems, at the full retail value of the electricity their system generates. Under NEM, the customer’s electric meter keeps track of how much electricity is consumed by the customer, and how much is excess electricity … Continued
Developing and sustaining a sound, long-term personal financial strategy, in a world full of unexpected events, is difficult enough without incurring unforced errors. Hopefully, most of us recognize that a financially successful retirement plan includes maintaining a consistent approach to spending, saving and investing. Unfortunately, too many of us succumb to unwise consumption behavior that … Continued
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that subsidies designed to help Germans buy electric vehicles cannot go on forever. California will hold hearings on offering a $4,500 subsidy for each electric vehicle sold in the state, up from the current $2,500, even as customers from Tesla and GM face losing the loss of bigger federal … Continued
According to recent reports, for the first time since 2005, the U.S. Army missed its recruiting goal for the year, despite increasing its bonus pool by $200 million and approving additional waivers for bad conduct and health issues. The Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, with much smaller requirements, all met their recruiting goals for … Continued
Experts agree that financial exploitation of older people is a problem that is growing as America ages, and that it is significantly underreported. While some high-profile examples have been widely reported, financial exploitation tends to be a hidden crime and, within families, victims don’t want to prosecute. AARP recently published an article by John Rosengren … Continued
Copyright © 2026 - Sigma Investment Counselors