“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” ― Upton Sinclair Earlier this month writing in Fortune Magazine, Josh Brown, the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, called opposition to a pending Department of Labor (DOL) rule “The Most Horrendous Lie on Wall Street.” It turns out, this lie is already... Read More
Should You Hedge Against Natural Disasters?
Note: This article is an attempt to quantify the investment impact of natural disasters. It is not meant to minimize the terrible emotional and financial toll they take on of those directly affected, or downplay the devastating loss of life which occurred, and will happen again in future disasters. Last summer the New Yorker published an article titled “.” Since... Read More
Is it Time to Abandon Emerging Market Stocks?
Emerging market stocks have struggled quite a bit recently. Down 15% last year and significantly underperforming U.S. stocks since mid-year 2012, some investors are wondering: Is it time to abandon Emerging market stocks? The quick answer is no. And here’s why. Allocating to emerging markets means investing in stocks of companies based in developing countries around the world. Over its... Read More
How to increase investment options in your Intel Retirement accounts
Integrate, v. ˈin-tə-ˌgrāt To form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole A frequent complaint we hear from Intel employees surrounds the investment restrictions in their retirement accounts. While the investment options in the accounts are increasing, you are still limited to a preset menu in each account. Those wishing to expand their allocation beyond this list of funds cannot... Read More
The Myth of Wall Street and Ben Graham on The Power of a Simple and Consistent Approach
Everyone enjoys a good story. Whether reading a book, watching a movie, or talking with friends, stories are a great way to share, learn, and connect. But when it comes to investing, the stories we believe—the stories told in the financial media and by Wall Street—often lead us astray. The entire purpose of a good story is to trigger an... Read More
Why Own Bonds?
The Foolish Fish In a huge pond lived many fish. They were arrogant and never listened to anyone. In this pond, there also lived a kind-hearted crocodile. He advised the fish, “It does not pay to be arrogant and overconfident. It could be your downfall.” But the fish never listened to him. “There is that crocodile, advising us again,” they... Read More
This Is The Hard Part
In 2014 Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and described as one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, wrote a book titled “The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers.” Many people talk about the benefits, rewards and good things that come with starting a business. Few talk about the risks,... Read More
2015 Market Recap: Good Riddance
During a holiday gathering, a family member made the following toast: "May 2016 be as good as 2015 was bad." To start the year, investors may have felt the same way. Bloomberg called 2015 “The Year Nothing Worked” as stocks, bonds and cash all went “nowhere.” US stocks (S&P 500) were up 1.4%, International stocks (MSCI World ex/US) down 3.0%,... Read More
8 Investing Lessons from an Engineer
Engineer. Pilot. Astronaut. Col. Chris Hadfield is all three. And during his time commanding the International Space Station, he likely also had the status of the “most popular man (not) on Earth.” While in orbit he became somewhat of a social media sensation—posting breathtaking pictures of Earth from orbit, educational videos about life in zero gravity and the first-ever music... Read More
5 Ways the Investment Industry “Optimizes on the Wrong Parameters”
“You’re optimizing on all the wrong parameters.” ~A father to his son Note: I look forward to Thanksgiving each year—good food is part of that for sure, but also as a time to focus on the things that really matter in life, and to spend time with family and friends. With that in mind, I present the following post inspired by... Read More