In a new post, my friend Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute lays out why billionaires, despite being constantly bashed, are actually benefiting America. He writes: Are rich people idle “rentiers,” as economist Thomas Piketty calls them, who inherit wealth and add no social value? In supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan for higher estate taxes, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich claimed that “America is creating a new aristocracy of the non-working super rich.” And in plugging Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax, Paul Krugman said “we seem to be heading toward a society dominated by vast, … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2019
Why the ETF Fee War is Misguided
The WSJ reports today that BlackRock is slashing fees on one of its index ETFs by almost 75%. An investor friendly move? Maybe, but we are talking a reduction from 4 one hundredths of a percent to 1.25 one hundredths of a percent. For every $1,000 invested, ETF holders save a whopping 25 cents. You probably tip the coffee girl more than that every morning. This race to the bottom in index-based ETFs is getting silly. Compound out the difference between 4 basis points and 1.25 basis points for 30 years and you’d barely have enough to take your wife to dinner. And let’s not forget … [Read more...]
Here’s What You Need to Know about Dividends
In November 1999 tech stocks with no dividends seemed like a sure bet. Despite the hype, I was still doing my best to encourage my readers to stick the principles of dividends and compounding. Here’s what I wrote then: Historically, Dividends Provide Much of Total Return What about the base for the economy and the stock market in general? As I’ve written often, the two are inexorably linked. After all, could stocks on average outrun the performance of all the companies that jointly contribute to our country’s gross domestic product? No. and, here’s why. Over seven decades, from 1926 to … [Read more...]
Can IBM Revolutionize Foreign Exchange with Blockchain?
IBM has rolled out a new service called IBM Blockchain World Wire that hopes to optimize and accelerate foreign currency exchange. Rachel Wolfson reports on the new service at Forbes, writing: IBM is paving the way for banks and other regulated financial institutions to join the blockchain revolution. Rather than going through a series of intermediaries when sending money across borders, IBM has created a real-time, global payments network to support cross-border transactions and foreign exchange in more than 50 countries using digital assets, also known as cryptocurrencies or “stable … [Read more...]
Is Amazon’s Brand Power Wide but Shallow?
Amazon has stepped into many industries, not just e-commerce and online services, but actually producing its own line of Amazon branded products. There has been fear among branded consumer products companies that Amazon's efforts would severely hurt their business, but a study shows that might not be the case. Bloomberg's Spencer Soper reports: The explosion of Amazon.com Inc.’s private-label products -- batteries, baby wipes, jeans, tortilla chips, sofas -- has prompted concern that the world’s biggest online retailer could use its clout to promote these house brands at the expense of … [Read more...]
Is Europe the Next Japan?
Europe's growth and inflation are slowing, worrying economists and investors that the continent may be the next place to go through "Japanification." James Mackintosh reports: Japanification is back. The slowdown in European growth and inflation has Wall Street once again raising the fear that Europe is turning Japanese, something Bank of America Merrill Lynch argues is now the “most consensus trade in the world.” Japan, of course, has struggled for years with low inflation, and its stock market has never recovered from a crash nearly 30 years ago. Europe has some strong similarities. The … [Read more...]
A Keurig for Your Cocktail?
Anheuser-Busch InBev and Keurig Dr Pepper are teaming up with a plan to make single-serve cocktail machines similar to Keurig's hot beverage machines. A joint venture between the two companies called Drinkworks, will "automate home bartending" with the machine. Jennifer Maloney reports for the WSJ: The Drinkworks machine is offered for preorder for $299 and is on sale in St. Louis for $399. Using liquid-filled pods, it adds water and carbonation to serve up cocktails like a Moscow Mule, an Old Fashioned, a mojito or a gin and tonic—plus three brands of beer and cider. The machine chills … [Read more...]
Another Win for the Right to Work
Toyota has announced it will build a new plant in Alabama. Right to Work states like Alabama are popular destinations for automakers who want to build cars in the United States without the negative influences of the UAW. the Wall Street Journal's Adrienne Roberts reports: Toyota Motor Corp. TM +0.13% on Thursday raised its planned investment in its U.S. operations through 2021 by about a third to nearly $13 billion to build more models and parts in the country, a move that comes as the Trump administration considers imposing tariffs of up to 25% on auto imports. The Japanese auto maker … [Read more...]
Facebook’s Talent Exodus is a Harbinger of Change, or Trouble
Executives are fleeing Facebook as the company comes under increased fire for privacy and anti-trust issues. Last week Facebook's chief product officer, Chris Cox, and vice president for WhatsApp, Chris Daniels, both departed the company. Facebook has announced changes in the direction of its product, perhaps making departures of personnel who no longer fit the mission inevitable. It could also be that these executives are tired of dealing with Facebook's many troubles and have decided to leave while they can. Bloomberg's Sarah Frier reports: Cox was well-liked internally, known for his … [Read more...]
The 5 Rules of the Financial Armadillo
In the heart of a bull market in March 1997, I was urging investors to ignore the “TV media financial gibberish, most of which is sensationalized to keep you twitching to the max.” I wanted to show readers how to insulate themselves from a bear market. To do so, I gave them my Financial Armadillo Strategy, an armor-plated long-term plan I use myself to this day. I wrote: Take a pledge of allegiance each day to your most trusted investor ally, compound interest. Learning how to better harness the awesome power of compound interest assures you of long-term success. It is interest on … [Read more...]
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