A worrisome trend continues. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that last year the average life expectancy for Americans declined by 0.1 years to 78.6 years. Since 2014 the U.S. has lost 0.3 years in life expectancy. For comparison life expectancy is 84.1 years in Japan and 83.7 years in [...]
You’ve heard it before. Lots of content for the sake of content. Most stuff garbage and a waste of time. We like to pass along the exceptions. We strongly recommend the 9/30/18 shareholder letter from Tweedy, Browne. As always it’s an honest, plain language discussion of markets, economies, results and how value investing fits into [...]
The recent market decline shaved $1.1 trillion off of the combined market cap of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet (Google). It’s a classic example of reversion to the mean. Outsized tech gains that exaggerated upside returns of the S&P 500 become outsized losses that exaggerate the pain felt by members of the church [...]
Generally assets held in a retirement account such as a 401(k) or IRA are exempt from the claims of creditors. The tests are: the amount in the account must be retirement funds the account the funds are held in must be one that’s exempt from taxation under certain sections of the Internal Revenue Code A [...]
Last year Oregon became the first state to implement a mandatory retirement plan for companies not offering a retirement plan to their employees. Continuing to blaze the trail the state is now expanding the program to individuals so that the self-employed and/or so-called gig economy workers may benefit. Plan participants invest through IRA-like accounts that are [...]
Yesterday the IRS announced inflation-adjusted limits for 401(k) contributions, the SS wage base, etc. Highlights and the full technical bulletin may be found here and here.
1990s: Everyone’s buying internet stocks. The companies have no earnings. There are no barriers to entry. I don’t understand what they do. Better buy some stock anyway. 2000s: Everyone’s flipping homes. Interest rates can’t stay this low forever. I have no handyman skills or time to fix up a property. Better buy a few homes [...]
In a world where many seek a shortcut and aim to do what others are doing DoubleLine’s Jeff Gundlach offers some rather simple yet powerful advice in this Forbes interview: Patience is the most important thing... Things take longer to develop and longer to tip over. Weird situations can be held together much longer than [...]
In our instant gratification world it’s important to learn lessons (and there are sooooo many) that teach us what we already know but are quick to dismiss: slow and steady wins the race – always!
Need further proof that the typical retail investor is a contrarian indicator? It's the epitome of the "buy high - sell low" approach. Many thanks to Nick Maggiulli from Of Dollars And Data for this excellent graphic: