August 15, 2019 We’ve previously written about helping young children to learn about charity and savings. Those lessons can be life-long, and life-changing, and they shouldn’t stop. As the New York Times 1 points out in an article titled “The Birds and the Bees. Why Not Bequests? Parents will talk to their children about drugs or sex, but often won’t...
Source: Direxion Funds August 15, 2019 GOING, GOING, GONE – 7,037 American retail stores have closed YTD through 6/30/19, already exceeding the 5,864 closures that occurred during all of calendar year 2018. This year’s store closures are on pace to exceed the all-time record of 8,139 from 2017 (source: Coresight Research). LONGEST IN HISTORY - The US economic expansion began...
June 30, 2019 If you’ve read Stan’s World for a few years, you may recall that I often advocate for volunteerism. While some of us may have more time and opportunity than others to help those less fortunate, I fervently believe that what we take away from volunteering is so much more than we invest. In fact, a recent conversation...
June 30, 2019 While a study involving Google and the DNA website, Ancestry.com, notes that our DNA may not play as big a role in our life expectancy as we all assume, a subsequent study published in the journal, Circulation, highlighted how we can take responsibility to increase our lifespan. As noted in Businessinsider.com 1, the study noted “five lifestyle...
June 30, 2019 When the U.S. stock market goes up, it’s only logical to question why there’s a need to own anything but U.S. stocks. That argument can be further bolstered by pointing out how many U.S. companies derive sales from international markets. “If I own Coca-Cola, aren’t I invested internationally?” A recent Vanguard paper 1 highlights three major reasons...
June 30, 2019 It’s possible you may have heard the term inverted yield curve by reading about it in a financial publication 1 or while aimlessly surfing through the 500 channels offered by your cable provider. Simply put, an inverted yield curve means the yield on a Treasury bond that matures in 10-years is lower than the yield provided by...
Source: Direxion Funds June 30, 2019 THERE HAVE BEEN A DOZEN TUMBLES – During the index’s bull run that started on 3/190/09, the S&P 500 has withstood 12 drops of at least 5%, including 6 drops of at least 10% and 3 drops of at least 15% (source: BTN Research). AGING POPULATION – Between 1950 and 2018, the US population...
May 15, 2019 Consumer Reports asked etiquette experts—Diane Gottsman and Julia Esteve Boyd—to recommend which service providers to tip, and the amount. These suggested tips represent their combined recommendation, summarized in the graphic below. “Your One-Stop-Shopping Tip Guide.” Consumer Reports, Feb. 2019, pp. 37–37. Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments...
May 15, 2019 It’s always a bit of a Deja vu moment for me when I wind up in a situation where I have to give myself the same advice I give to clients. When I speak to clients, I often say the words: “I understand,” though I may have never had that particular experience. It’s an attempt at empathy...
May 15, 2019 Many investors aren’t aware of the concept of fee-only financial planning, so we’re sending along the article below from Financial Planning Magazine 1 because it’s the best one we’ve seen written on the subject in years. Written by Bob Veres, a well-respected industry observer for decades, it’s clearly sarcastic in tone. It’s intent, however, is to point...