Dear Client: We became uneasy optimists/queasy riders ith the Fed’s QE4 announcement on December, 12 2012. Since then we increased our US equity positions and started adding European equities. Q1 global markets seemed to say investors no longer needed to panic. All global equity sectors we follow were up, except emerging markets. Large-cap US stocks [...]
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I recently came across an interesting comic regarding Social Security, which, in truth, isn’t very funny. The drawing depicts an elderly person reaching into the back pocket of a Baby Boomer, who reaches into the pocket of someone in his 40s, and so on, until they filch the wallet of 10-year-old paperboy. The comic reveals [...]
Four million dollars. That’s the cost of a thirty-second Super Bowl ad, and space is sold out. As you know from previous updates, I’ve always been fascinated by the power of advertising (remember the Update on “power pants”). In today’s world, an ad has far more reach than its exclusive premiere after the coin toss. [...]
I guess last week’s update dredged up some forgotten memories that, upon further reflection, are strangely relevant to the current retirement conundrum of which I regularly preach. My dad retired when he was 65. No longer employed, he nonetheless received full Social Security benefits, a pension, Medicare benefits (more robust than what is available today), [...]
On Thursday, while taking my daily “power” walk with my friend Joanne (in my new athletic sneakers and power pants), I expressed concern about not having a decent Update topic for this coming week. Joanne tried to help, but let’s just say that Hollywood won’t be banging down her doors for script ideas any time [...]
Dear Client: With the resolution of a contentious election and emerging clarity over budget issues, we have slowly moved away from our conservative stance and raised our equity positions. 2012 and Q4 surprised on performance and leadership. All global equity sectors we follow were up for the year. Risky sectors led the way. The emerging [...]
There are some things I’ll never understand. Here’s one: Why would my lovely wife, Marea, purchase two new pairs of sneakers and throw my old ones out with asking me first? “You need to replace sneakers regularly and alternate them between your daily power walks,” she informed me. I do? Who knew? I walk for [...]
RM: Mr. Bernard, other than the U.S., where in the world are currently investing assets? GB: There has been tremendous turmoil and volatility in economies around the world over the past six years. This has created potential opportunities in large-cap, dividend-paying European corporations with solid balance sheets. Also, some emerging market companies, especially in China [...]
For the next two weeks, we will be joined by George Bernard, President of Bennington Asset Management, Registered Investment Advisory specializing in income optimization strategies and expense management for investors preparing to enter retirement. Mr. Bernard has held senior management positions for a number of well-known financial service companies, and his market insights are well [...]