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Archives for September 2019

Low Cost of Living Isn’t Just for Retirees

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You know how important location can be for retirees. Sunshine, access to services and entertainment, and proximity to family are all factors that can make a big difference in retirement. The most important of all though, is cost of living. Taxes, housing costs, and energy costs are especially important to those living on a fixed income. Your Retirement Life: How Do You Know Where to Live in Retirement? Maine’s Governor wants to Live in Florida, Here’s Why Where to Live to Save for Retirement. It’s Not Where You Think Where to Live to Make a Living? Try this Southern Gem Your … [Read more...]

Are You Confused by the Investment Hype?

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As an individual investor, you may be confused by the hype and pressure aimed at you by the media and securities salesmen. The constant drumbeat of news, both good and bad, can create an emotional response from even the most stoic of investors. Couple that with many investors’ lack of experience, and trouble can erupt from portfolios during tough market times. In July 1993 I wrote: You’re on the 15th Tee. At the Four Seasons golf course in Nevis, West Indies, high in the lush green hills of this remote Caribbean island, you are overlooking the yawning expanse of a many hundred foot deep … [Read more...]

Here’s Why Millennials Are Abandoning Big Cities

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Big cities may get all the press but what we continue to see is a migration away from them and into the burbs. As Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox point out here in New Geography: When Amazon decided to locate its second headquarters in New York, it cited the supposed advantages of the city’s talent base. Now that progressive politicians have chased Amazon out of town, the tech booster chorus has been working overtime to prove that Gotham, and other big, dense, expensive cities, are destined to become “tech towns” anyway, because of their young, motivated labor pools. That argument may sound … [Read more...]

Caution: Returns in the Rearview May Be Closer than They Appear

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Many investor presentations and fund brochures focus on three year returns. But without a bear market since 2009, how can investors see how a fund handles volatile markets using three year returns? Past returns can never predict the future, but an investor can learn something about the resilience of a fund manger's strategy by examining how the fund performed in past times of turbulence. John Coumarianos suggests using 15 year returns for fund analysis today, so investors can see an entire cycle included. The future ain’t what it used to be, Yogi Berra said. But now, when it comes to … [Read more...]

How to Run a Meeting like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos

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Here’s an excellent rundown by Justin Bariso at Inc., on how to run a meeting like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos: Bad meetings: We've all experienced them. Whether it's poor planning, too much talking, or lack of preparation, bad meetings waste precious time and money. But Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos may have cracked the code for making meetings more productive. By means of his annual letter to shareholders, as well as a recent interview, Bezos gave some insight into what the Amazon meeting culture looks like. It all comes down to following three simple rules. "Two pizza" … [Read more...]

Here’s Why Sanders’ Tax Plan Could Usher in a Wave of Tax Avoidance

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“Enough is enough,” Bernie Sanders said Tuesday. “We are going to take on the billionaire class, substantially reduce wealth inequality in America and stop our democracy from turning into a corrupt oligarchy.” Except there’s one small problem. The billionaire class he’s after would apply to married couples with a net worth of at least $32 million and individuals with $16 million. That’s not the billionaire class. Uncle Bernie’s tax would rise to 8% for married couples with assets of at least $10 billion. Believe me, if he thought being a billionaire was tough, try finding the … [Read more...]

Is Gold a Good Long-term Investment?

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Since President Nixon closed the gold window in August of 1971, the price of gold has increased more than 37-fold. From a price of $40.65 at month-end August 1971, gold has risen to $1,528 today. A $1,000 investment in gold at the end of August 1971 would be worth over $37,000 today—a compounded annual return of 7.8%. How Does Gold’s Return Compare to Stocks and Bonds? Gold’s 7.8% return since August of 1971 compares favorably to the 7.4% return that intermediate-term U.S. Treasury securities delivered over the same time. More surprising to some is that gold has even appreciated more than … [Read more...]

Vanguard is Telling You the Problem with Indexing

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If you want to understand the problem with index investing, then consider what the king of indexing is doing. Recently Vanguard announced its robo-only advisor service. If you signup for this, you will not speak with a live representative and you will not be allowed to invest in non-Vanguard funds. When you step back and consider all of the advertising Vanguard is doing for its actively managed funds the reason becomes crystal clear. I want you to pay attention here. Indexing or passive investing will destroy the wealth of the masses asleep at the wheel. You will not be one of them, I … [Read more...]

Trade Thaw? China Opens Up Soybean Purchases from the U.S.

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In what might suggest a thaw in trade relations, the Chinese government has given new waivers for tariff-free soybean purchases from the United States. Distinct Logistics reports: The Chinese government has given new waivers to several domestic state and private companies to buy U.S. soybeans without being subject to retaliatory tariffs, according to people familiar with the situation. The companies received tariff waivers for between 2 million to 3 million tons of American soy, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Some firms have already bought at … [Read more...]