Financial Commentary – Public

The charts in this article, summarizing major world equity market performance, are instructive. Each has a vertical bar chart showing the range between high and low of the past 52 weeks. Virtually all markets, USA, Japan, China and European are near their 52 week highs. It has been a decade since all important world economies were expanding simultaneously. This bodes well for the future, and it is unlikely that this momentum will suddenly reverse. READ ARTICLE

Capitalism is a wonderful system for efficiently allocating resources. It harnesses the power of individual profit incentive (AKA “greed”) to benefit society overall. However, when government fails to insure a level playing field for capitalist investors, confidence can quickly disappear, and the system can actually collapse. I urge you to read the article below and to contact your Congressional representatives to support much greater scrutiny of Congressional aides’ investing activity. 09-25-2017, From POLITICO, “Congressional aides risk conflicts with stock trades” by Maggie Severns. READ THE ARTICLE

On Sept. 28, 2016, three members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Justice Department suggesting that the drug company Mylan was violating Medicaid laws. Nine days later, the Justice Department reached a massive $465 million settlement with the firm.READ THE ARTICLE

07-04-2017, From The New York Times, “When Brokers Want to Move Your Money Out of a Very Good Thing” by Ron Lieber. READ THE ARTICLE

So far this year, here’s what our friends in the federal government have done for — and to — citizens who hope to find simple ways to save […]

All recessions begin when consumers take on too much debt and businesses extend too much credit. Borrowing money to buy a car is a doubly negative experience: the consumer goes “on margin” to own an asset guaranteed to lose value.  Long after the joyful smell of new leather has faded, the payments will continue, continue, […]

Momentum for both stocks and bonds has carried into the second quarter, until today, as the market at last appears to have succumbed to an endless stream of turmoil pouring out of Washington DC. Even with today’s 300 point decline there is underlying strength in the US and global economy that has propelled stocks upward. […]

Do you prefer to die at home?

Take the survey by clicking this link below. Most folks are uncomfortable talking about their demise, but as a financial planner, I encourage my clients to include planning for the end-of-life right along with planning for a happy life!

I am able to help assure that your wishes for […]

Quarter End Market Review March 31, 2017

“March comes in like a lion,” says the Old Farmers Almanac. As for the rest of the adage, something about exiting like a lamb, this year was an exception. Despite unprecedented drama coming out of Washington and with the new administration bungling its signature promise of repealing and replacing […]