The North American International Auto Show is currently in Detroit and a quick look suggests that the major theme is “bigger and faster”. The car of the year is the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a street legal rocket, and the truck of the year is Chevrolet’s Silverado, a 5,000 lb. behemoth. The industry has made great … Continued
Can’t is not a synonym for “won’t”. A recent article in U.S. News & World Report by Robert Berger made some interesting points with the provocative headline “Would You Give Up Cable to Retire Early?”. http://tinyurl.com/nw9s987 The key point in his article was based on the effect of compound interest. He postulated that the average … Continued
Today, my son-in-law, Captain Jeffrey Lehnert, USAF, marks his final day in uniform in service to the people of the United States of America. During his seven years in the US Air Force, he served in the United States, Europe and Iraq. I am proud of him and wish to both congratulate, and thank him, … Continued
These seem to be the choices for many citizens in the Middle East. Over the last few years the world has seen numerous instances of bullets trumping ballots, leaving a trail of human misery. Investors are not well positioned to address these issues. However, while hoping for the best, investing, particularly by fiduciaries, requires an … Continued
Change tends to surface gradually as many small indicators gather momentum to alter the big picture. Successful investing can benefit from an ability to “read the tea leaves” at the earliest possible time and then formulate a strategy that exploits anticipated changes. Much has been written about offshoring, job losses and domestic wage pressures. However, … Continued
Recently there has been an increasing level of discussion regarding minimum wages. This is a difficult issue and regardless of the pros and cons, it is something that investors should be monitoring. The following is a true story and has real life implications for any discussion of the future of minimum wages. A number of … Continued
The polling entity Gallup Inc. this week reports that the job approval ratings for the US Congress has hit all-time lows, while President Obama’s job approval rating is similarly at the lowest level for his tenure. At the same time, the stock market is hitting all time highs. Does this strike anyone else as peculiar? … Continued
As the gift-giving season is upon us, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are either braving the malls or shopping online for that perfect holiday gift. Recently we have had inquiries from clients regarding other suggestions we might have for gift-giving that might be more beneficial for their young loved ones. For many years, I have … Continued
Investors should be aware that this is a complicated issue and far from resolution. There are significant arguments, for and against, political and economic and, emotional. Any meaningful dialogue is complicated by media reports that tend to frame the debate in terms of cents per hour for low end workers versus aggregate corporate profits. Actually, … Continued
With a relatively quiet news flow on the business/stock market front, now is a good time to weigh in on the newly fashioned Detroit Tigers roster with the abundance of moves they have made this off-season. First, the Tigers have a new manager, Brad Ausmus, filling the very large shoes left vacant by Jim Leyland. … Continued
Probably generally true, but the results may not become apparent immediately. Any time there is a significant change at the top, new president, new governor, new CEO or new coach, change is almost certain, but investors should consider the presence of a “lag” factor. Governments, businesses and athletic teams tend to have a built in … Continued
Markets fluctuate. That is not new news and, as we have all seen, some of the fluctuations can be severe. With many of the popular averages at or near record highs, there may be a perception that stocks are fully valued, or even over valued. Maybe. Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal, carried an … Continued
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