There’s no shortage of financial soothsayers out there selling their wares. Some of their sales tactics are relentless. I know because my customers tell me. I also read until my eyes feel like they’re about to fall out of my head. The sheer magnitude of news and financial data to dig through daily is simply breathtaking; therefore, your ability to quickly separate the wheat from the chaff is an absolute must. It’s not taught in a book—it’s more of an art than a skill. Some of the best investment advice or comments can come when you least expect them. Last week while teaching my kids how to … [Read more...]
Bond Dilemma
You might as well throw darts at the financial pages. To Burton Malkiel, who authored the book A Random Walk Down Wall Street, picking stocks is about randomness. He believes that all knowable information is priced into stocks and bonds when you buy them. I’ve been reviewing my sixth edition of Random Walk from 1996, which has cover art showing a dart stuck into the financial pages. In Malkiel’s view, a rising tide lifts all ships. Yet he covers much more than that view over the book’s 522 pages. What isn’t helpful is that investors read his op-ed promoting his latest edition (the 10th, … [Read more...]