Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Just before my 79th birthday, I discovered I have cancer. There is an agonizing period where medical professionals determine the type of cancer, has it spread and what options are available. Your mind goes wild while waiting for test results and the big meeting to discuss a treatment plan. During that time, I was contacted by […]
There is a three-headed investment bandit lurking in the weeds looking to steal your wealth. Savvy investors must deal with them – all at the same time. First up is the safety bandit. If you invest in stocks and bonds, they can default or go down in value, robbing wealth from your nest egg. Second […]
Northwestern University sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s a beautiful campus, particularly when the leaves are turning golden. I left work and drove to night school to begin the fall semester. I thought to myself, ‘I want to be an accountant, why is a marketing course required?’ Marketing 101, here I come. Professor […]
I was frustrated. I need solid, safe income. The bank bailouts will eventually cause high inflation. Interest rates were not keeping up. Investors, desperate for income, had few choices and the stock market was setting records. How do you invest, earn safe income while protecting your capital and buying power all at the same time? […]
The world was different before the invention of effective birth control. I had three children at age 22. My wife and I were primarily raised by our grandparents – we were scared. What did we know about parenting? Dr. Benjamin Spock’s best-selling book, “Baby and Child Care” touted, “mothers know more than you think you […]
Richard Maybury grabbed my attention: “Think about it. There are really only two choices. Either you will own you, or someone else will.” I’ve subscribed to Richard’s “U.S & World Early Warning Report” for years. I re-read the section about capitalism and socialism. Here are some tidbits: (my highlights) “Laissez-faire (less-aa-fair) is from the French laissez nous […]
Politicians of all flavors continually remind us social security is in danger of going bankrupt. Now our esteemed leaders want to fix it by increasing benefits. What could possibly go wrong? Newsmax Finance reports on a recent interview with former fed head (Big Al) Alan Greenspan: (my emphasis) “Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns that cuts […]
Realizing you are wrong about a basic belief is tough. The last two weeks we discussed “The Bond Fund Risks Your Broker Won’t Tell You” and“Closed-End Bond Funds, Friend or Foe?” We concluded holding top-rated bonds is OK – individually, not in a publicly traded fund. Fund managers, chasing high returns, take risks I’m not comfortable with. […]
In our article, “Is Your Money Manager Really Listening?”, subscriber Rick G. reported a bad experience when his money manager invested in a closed-end bond fund: “…. He put me in several Closed-End Bond Funds (CEFs). He said they were good deals as they were selling at a discount to Net Asset Value (NAV). Upon further […]
Historically, funds holding investment-grade bonds have been considered a safe investment. Lending money to hundreds of well-known companies had little chance of major default and provided interest income. Has your broker mentioned new risks emerging? Bonds ratings fall into two major groups, investment grade and high yield (called junk bonds). The bond rating generally determines […]
