President Obama announced today that his administration is interested in “curbing speculation” in the oil markets. Is this a laudable goal? We have to remember how speculation fits into the overall transactional marketplace. Many businesses rely on speculators speculating to reduce their risk. For example, a farmer has to commit to purchasing seeds, fertilizer, equipment … Continued
In a Knox College Commencement Address in June, 2005 Mr. Obama stated, “Our economic independence depended on individual initiative. It depended on a belief in the free market; but it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, the idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we’re all in … Continued
A good friend of mine was recently complaining about being tired. He had to be at work at 6 AM that morning and had stayed out way too late at a party the evening before. I said the party must have been a good one, and he replied that it really wasn’t that much fun … Continued
The multistate Mega Millions lottery jackpot stands at a world record high of $540 million for tonight’s drawing. Mathematicians will say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning 100 times than of hitting the jackpot. But spending $1 to fantasize about what you would do with the winnings can be a cheap … Continued
So often we take for granted our good fortune. Working with colleagues and clients at Sigma is truly my good fortune. It has also been my good fortune to have known Bob and Shari Bilkie for almost twenty years. Not only do they take their commitment to Sigma seriously, but that commitment carries through to … Continued
Apple’s (AAPL) stock traded at a new high of $621.45 on 3/27. This stock price puts the market capitalization (total shares outstanding times the price of the shares) of AAPL at a staggering $575 billion. It’s the largest company in the S&P 500 index, and according to this Wall Street Journal article, about one third of all US … Continued
On the plane ride home from my recent spring training baseball trip, and while discussing the prospective presidential candidacy of Republican contender Mitt Romney, my baseball loving, left-leaning travel companion noted wryly, “I am concerned about his compassion.” As he said it, I recalled that just a few weeks earlier, another friend who is also … Continued
Full disclosure disclaimer: This blog may seem self-serving, but it is the objective of our blogs to try to impart to our readers useful information pertaining to investing and this fits the bill. The February-March 2012 issue of Worth magazine carried an article titled “The Search for Great Advice”. The byline read, “When picking a … Continued
Jailed for selling an annuity! The number of times I have seen annuities inappropriately used in investment portfolios for clients who subsequently hire me is mind boggling. This is not to say that all annuities are poor investment vehicles, nor that all who sell them are criminals, but there has been a fair amount of … Continued
What do you get when you trap four middle-aged, baseball-loving friends (three liberals/progressives – a real estate lawyer from Michigan, a general practice lawyer from Washington DC, and a pediatrician from Chicago, and one conservative – that would be me, an investment advisor from Michigan) in a car for a several hours, traipsing across Florida … Continued
Every year, about this time, I am asked about my thoughts on the Tigers going into the new season. I typically say they are going to win the World Series because I am the ultimate optimist and I have Tiger blood running through my veins! Well this year is a little different because I now … Continued
The upside of foreclosure; an unintended temporary stimulus to the economy? An article in this weekend’s Barron’s magazine highlighted several interesting foreclosure statistics. At the end of 2011 nearly 1.9 million homes had some sort of foreclosure filing activity. In addition to the sheer number of foreclosures, legal issues with regard to robo-signing have slowed the … Continued
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