An article appeared in The Wall Street Journal yesterday discussing the Obama Administration’s plan to impose sanctions or fines on foreign banks who conduct business with North Korea. After finishing the article I had to wonder why any company would wish to do business with North Korea after a very recent disastrous event for one … Continued
Today marks the beginning of our summer blog series, Financial Planning Fridays. Each Friday during the summer, we will share a blog or news article on various financial planning topics. We believe in the power of financial knowledge and education. Therefore, we hope to engage our readers with topics that may be important to their … Continued
Reverse mortgages are one of the retirement planning resources that have gained interest in recent years, particularly as a result of well formulated advertising campaigns that, obviously, highlight the potential benefits while glossing over, or completely ignoring, some of the potential problems. Wikipedia defines reverse mortgages as a special type of home loan for older … Continued
Something we all use and probably don’t think too much about, except when the bill comes or someone talks about renewable energy and climate change. It is probable that electricity consumption will increase, at least in total if not on a per capita basis. Investors should consider how we are going to meet demand while … Continued
According to Wikipedia, “freedom of the seas” is a principle in international law and law of the sea. It stresses freedom to navigate the oceans. Like any law, enforcement is sometimes required. Historically, during a period of relative peace (1815-1914), often referred to as “Pax Britannica”, the Royal Navy was, in effect, the guarantor of … Continued
Our Chief Investment Officer, Denise Farkas, and I were at the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute’s Annual Conference earlier this week. We thought that it would be a good idea to share some insight with our readers on trends and changes in the global oil market. First, the global oil market is experiencing a structural … Continued
Over the last several months there have been a considerable number of demonstrations aimed at increasing wages for low income employees, particularly in the fast food industry. The prevailing demand is an improvement to $15 per hour from the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. In the meantime, various other jurisdictions, including states … Continued
In the case of electric vehicles (EVs), it depends. Governments have become increasingly aggressive in encouraging the purchase of EVs, with subsidies, both at the manufacturing and consumer level, and through fuel economy mandates. But is this really a good idea and will it reduce emissions? Bernstein Research, which studied the car market in Hong … Continued
The financial transaction known as an “inversion” is designed to take advantage of lower corporate tax rates outside the United States. While the practice has been subject to an increasing level of political criticism, there does not appear to be any credible evidence that it is a violation of current tax law. Despite the political rhetoric, … Continued
It is fairly well established that no one has been able to consistently pick market tops and bottoms. Of course, that is not stopping people from trying. One anecdotal clue, that has some currency in the investment community, is the concept of cyclical companies announcing headquarters upgrades and expansions at or near the top of … Continued
This is a country music song written by David Allan Coe and popularized by Johnny Paycheck. Perhaps you should be careful what you ask for. Between the increasing use of automation and rising minimum wages, the potential for reduced employment opportunities may make it increasingly important to hang on to the job you have. There … Continued
Argentina is a serial defaulter. Argentina’s most recent default, more than $80 billion, began in 2001, and was only recently fully resolved after various classes of debt holders accepted significant losses. In April 2016 Argentina sold $16.5 billion of new dollar denominated debt ranging from three to 30 years, with a yield of 8% on … Continued
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