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Archives for November 2016

America’s Relentless Expansion of Entitlements

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The Trump administration must put the breaks on the frightening explosion of entitlements. The Cato Institute’s Dan Mitchell lays out what is ticking time bomb for America: [T]he federal government is spending more today on defense than it was back in the 1960s, even after adjusting for inflation. And outlays for "domestic discretionary" programs also have increased. But what's obviously driving fiscal policy is the relentless expansion of entitlements (referred to as "mandatory spending" for purposes of the Budget Enforcement Act). And because of demographic changes and bad policy … [Read more...]

I Challenge You to Uncover a Sounder Long Term Strategy

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The Wall Street Journal offers a summary analysis on what FedEx and UPS are up to. At youngresearch.com you can regularly follow the progress of both strategic powerhouses. Parcel delivery companies are getting closer to online retailers—literally. The package-delivery operations at FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. have been opening more and larger sorting facilities that are readily accessible to their customers—shortening the often time-consuming first leg of a shipment, from e-commerce fulfillment center to shipping hub. This week, UPS announced plans to open its … [Read more...]

Fidelity Investments: 5 Social Security Myths

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The myths and misconceptions regarding Social Security are many. When can you get your full benefits? Can you claim a small amount early, and get bumped up later to a higher benefit? Can your ex-husband or ex-wife take part of your Social Security? What part of your life are your wages based on? Will you get all your money back? These are some of the questions Fidelity answers here in, Five Social Security myths debunked. Below I've sampled some of the more common misconceptions people have about Social Security benefits. Many people are adamant that Social Security benefits must begin … [Read more...]

Who are the Stock Market Winners of the Election?

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It has only been 10 days since the presidential election, but the equity markets have moved markedly on a change in outlook. A Trump victory and a Republican sweep in congress has created some winners and losers--at least in the short-run. With big moves in markets ahead of any concrete policy actions, this could be a case of the stock market jumping the gun. Below is a graphic that shows the performance of the 11 S&P 500 sectors since the presidential election. The big winners are financials, followed by industrials, discretionary stocks and healthcare shares. The losers: utilities, … [Read more...]

Did Wells Fargo Silence Whistle-blowers for Profit?

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Lisa Beilfuss, writing for The Wall Street Journal's Wealth Advisor blog,  reports that it's possible Wells Fargo fired employees who spoke up about the questionable cross-selling tactics the company was employing. Additionally it appears that some of those fired may have had their reputations tarnished by negative characterizations on their industry records. Beilfuss writes: Wells Fargo is facing increasing scrutiny over whether it wrongfully fired employees who pushed back on questionable sales practices, and sometimes mischaracterized their behavior on their industry records. The latest … [Read more...]

“Apple’s Design Has Always Spoken for Itself”

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Here WIRED introduces yet another amazing creation from Apple. APPLE’S NEW BOOK, Designed By Apple In California, is as much an Apple product as the gadgets it documents. It took eight years to develop, is bound in white linen, and printed on “specially milled, custom-dyed paper with gilded matte silver edges.” You really can’t help but hear the description in Jony Ive’s voice. The book, conceived of and published by Apple, is a glossy $300 (that’s for the plus size; it’s $200 for a smaller version) tribute to the last 20 years of the company’s industrial design legacy, and to its … [Read more...]

Fidelity’s Simple Rule for Controlling Portfolio Risk

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Portfolio rebalancing is a necessary chore that all investors should consider, but too few do. Portfolio rebalancing is counter to many investors' behavioral biases. When you rebalance you are often selling your winners and buying your losers. Why would anybody sell their winners and buy more of their losers? Here Fidelity offers some insight on how rebalancing can help control portfolio risk. Higher markets and risk levels Let’s say the last time you decided to rebalance your portfolio was during the bear market in January of 2009. Since then, the market will have made some big changes … [Read more...]

How to Invest in an Age of Compromised and Biased Information

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In investment management where you spend much of your time reading, gathering and analyzing information. The trustworthiness and reliability of news and information is vital to your success. The same is true for all investors. You need reliable and trustworthy information to make informed investment decisions. The ugly reality is that it is getting harder and harder to find sources you can trust. The decline of print media has eroded the quality of many of the best print publications. The Wall Street Journal announced earlier this month that due to an accelerating industrywide decline in … [Read more...]

What Americans Can Learn from the Baltics’ Flat Tax Success

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The Cato Institute’s Dan Mitchell offers Americans an outstanding primer on the success the Baltics have had with the flat tax. I'm a big fan of the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. These three countries emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Empire and they have taken advantage of their independence to become successful market-driven economies. One key to their relative success is tax policy. All three nations have flat taxes. Estonia's system is so good (particularly its approach to business taxation) that the Tax Foundation ranks it as the best in the OECD. But … [Read more...]