You have read about why Fidelity is Number One. Today, I want to point your attention to the massive consolidation happening in the financial services industry, most notably the recent Schwab/TD Ameritrade hook-up. What concerns me is the potential for the customer to be lost in this chaos and whether or not these deals are even worth it. At the end of the day who benefits from more customers? Probably not the customer. This is yet another reason why Fidelity is Number One. It is privately held—guided by a third-generation family member in CEO Abigail Johnson. Forbes just listed … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2019
Is Brexit Good or is Brexit Bad?
The British pound soared yesterday on news that the Conservative Party won a large majority, thereby ensuring the U.K. leaves the European Union. When the U.K. initially voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum, the pound cratered 11% on the news. So is Brexit good or is Brexit bad? It would seem traders may have changed their minds. Warren Buffet is fond of saying that investing is simple, but not easy. When it comes to currency investing, maybe it isn’t so simple either. … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Bruins Great Tim Thomas
Congratulations to Boston Bruins great Tim Thomas, one of my all-time favorites, on being inducted this week into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Thomas’ stingy goaltending was the reason the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011. After the Bruins won, he refused to visit the Obama White House, turning him into a polarizing force within the organization. This is what Thomas said he believed in: I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is … [Read more...]
High Dividend Small Cap Stocks: Should You Invest?
High dividend small-cap stocks can be a source of fresh dividend investing ideas, but just as buying the highest dividend paying large stocks can come with significant risk, so too does investing in high dividend small-cap stocks. Below we explain the opportunities and risks of high dividend small-cap stocks and provide a list of some of the highest dividend paying small-cap stocks. Historically small dividend stocks have outperformed large dividend stocks. The chart below compares the performance of small-cap dividend stocks to large cap dividend stocks. From year-end 1948 through … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Bobby Orr During his Prime
Here’s some perspective as to how great legendary Bruins hockey player Bobby Orr was during his prime. “With the NHL more than one-third of the way through its season, young Oilers stars Connor McDavid (this is his age-23 season) and Leon Draisaitl (age-24 season) rank first and second in the league in points,” explains Kevin Paul DuPont in his Sunday Hockey Notes in Sunday’s Boston Globe, “and have built some separation on the field.” If they finish first and second in the league in points, they will become only the 12th pair of teammates to do so in the NHL’s expansion era (since … [Read more...]
This is What Troubles Me About Safe Deposit Boxes
You hopefully read my urgent items on safe deposit boxes and why you should treat your disaster cash like gold. Remember, you have zero downside in being prepared for the unexpected. But, listen-up, it’s also imperative to build and cater your security around your situation. Here’s why. A client emailed me his concerns about safe deposit boxes that you need to read and then apply to your specific situation: E.J., I read about one case where some bank employees pilfered a number of safe deposit boxes and it was difficult to identify the losses as few or no records were available … [Read more...]
Is USMCA Ratification Imminent?
James Politi reports in FT that Congress and the President are close to passage of the USMCA deal that would replace NAFTA. He writes: Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, has reached a deal with US president Donald Trump to allow ratification of USMCA — the trade pact replacing Nafta whose fate in Congress had been uncertain until this week. Ms Pelosi’s announcement on Tuesday followed months of wrangling with Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, and parallel talks with officials in Canada and Mexico to secure changes to the original … [Read more...]
Rich State, Poor State Rankings: This One Tops New England
If you like the mountains (summer or winter) then you need to visit North Conway, NH. Becky and I have a cabin in Bartlett just up the road and have spent a ton of time in North Conway even before we had a home in the area. If you’re a skier you have plenty of slopes to enjoy within 40-minutes or less including Bretton Woods—ranked by Conde Nast Traveler as the #6 resort in the U.S. and Canada. This week Stephen Moore and his partners Arthur Laffer and Jonathan Williams released the 12th edition of their annual Rich States, Poor States report. The best-ranked state in New England was New … [Read more...]
RAGE Gauge: Trump Powers Positivity
My RAGE Gauge shows Americans feeling good about their lives right now. Risk is still elevated but has been trending in a better direction. One place Americans seem to be worried about is their Second Amendment rights. After calls in the Democrat primary for the outright confiscation of guns, Americans started buying firearms at increased rates for the first time in years. FBI data show that November was the first year-over-year increase in the number of background checks for gun sales in well over two years. Unemployment is at a 50-year low, the stock market has been strong, and America … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: This State is Dominant Once Again
You’re familiar with my piece Rich Grandchild, Poor Grandchild. Now I want you to shift gears and think about which states are the rich states, and which ones are the poor states. “For each of the past 12 years, Arthur Laffer, Jonathan Williams and I have answered that question in ‘Rich States, Poor States,’ an index of economic competitiveness published by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Every year the top performer has been Utah,” explains Stephen Moore. Yes, that's right, the winner once again is Utah. On a recent ski trip to Utah, my family experienced firsthand why … [Read more...]