Real Estate? Stocks? Bonds? Gold? How Do You Know?
Finding a safe place for your money is a difficult process and often confusing process. For every opinion you can find another one that takes the opposite view. Some experts say it is time to put your money in the stock market and that stocks are ready to take off. Other experts say that the market is going to tank, soon. Both experts give valid reasons why either could happen. If you choose to invest in the stock market then you need to find companies or funds that have a bright future and an investment firm that is legitimate, solid, and not...
read morePerception and Reality
The Volker rule is in the news and simply stated it means that banks cannot engage in transactions that do not benefit their shareholders. It is sweeping language that would make banks restrain themselves from the extreme risk that precipitated the 2008 stock market and banking meltdown. Banks would simply be limited to matching buyers and sellers; they would not be allowed to purchase an investment as a speculation. This prevents banks from engaging in proprietary trading for their own benefit and likewise makes them behave in less risky...
read moreWhere Can You Find Safety for Your Money?
The investment landscape has changed drastically over the last 5 years. Investments that once appeared to be rock solid have been exposed as ponzi schemes. People who once believed they had a fortune have had to sell their homes, boats, cars and jewelry because they lost everything. Even hedge funds turned over billions of dollars to the same investment firm because they had a sterling reputation, had consistently reported steady returns and promised to continue delivering those returns because they said they had a “secret sauce”. To...
read moreTrust – Wall Street – is it Possible?
Recent reports from investment pundits tell us that stocks are an attractive investment. Even if it is true, that is a scary thought for most of us and there are very good reasons to be cautious. Wall Street players know how to make money on both sides of the trade, some examples are billions made in flash trading that skims pennies off each side of massive numbers of trades using a “sneak peak” technology and programmed trading. It didn’t hurt any single trade significantly but degraded the value of a massive number of trades to steal...
read moreTaking on the Big Boys
Any bastion of money and power can get out of hand quickly. The saying “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” has been proven continually throughout history. Power and money also go hand in hand, so those in power have or get money and those with money often seek and get power. The difference in today’s environment is that much of what happens on Wall Street and in Washington, our two American strongholds of power, are being held up to public scrutiny. If there is any hope to change that status quo, the public scrutiny...
read moreWords That Start With “E”
Word meanings can be fun, which is why games like Scrabble, cross-words and Sudoku are popular and challenging. Words that start with E are relevant today both to our Economy and our cultural Experience. One word that starts with “E” that has been in the forefront of discussions and the media for quite some time is Ethics. Ethics is defined by the dictionary is a “set of principles of right conduct”. Ethics embodies fairness, respect and is often hard to pin down because Ethics relies on each person’s moral code. It is often simpler...
read moreManaging Problems or Managing the Press
We all have dozens of problems. Sometimes when we get rid of one problem another one pops up. This is also true for governments. It is helpful to measure the gravity of each problem, using a simple 1-10 scale or in the case of governments a much larger scale to rate the seriousness of each problem. The 10-10-10 rule is another way to put things into perspective. Just ask the question whether the problem or decision will matter in 10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years. Also keep in mind that a problem for one person is not a problem for another...
read moreAbove the Law or Outside the Law – You Decide
The recent expose’ on 60 minutes and in Newsweek regarding the “insider trading” scandal among U.S. legislators has fueled considerable debate about whether or not congress is ignoring their legal culpability and are “Above the Law” or if in fact they are “Outside the Law” and the insider regulations do not apply to them. Consider that US Congressional representatives are elected to represent the people. Instead many are using information, garnered from their position, as an advantage to make considerable financial gains trading...
read moreWho Are the Smartest Guys in the Room?
The phrase “The Smartest Guys in the Room” is so well know that most people immediately think of Enron and the destruction of one of the so called richest companies in the US. Unfortunately their business practices lacked integrity, honesty and were highly fictional and meant to line their pockets rather than conduct legitimate business. The Bernie Madoff investment scheme was also riddled with fraud and fictional profits which led to eventual demise. It is hard to know what is fictional and factual when the fraud is so pervasive that...
read moreA Political Solution to Injustice and How it May Affect You
Three years after the financial meltdown no one involved has gone to jail. Bankers have in fact pocketed huge bonuses as if their performance were something that should be rewarded. This defies any definition of reasonable consequences and one would think that justice has taken a permanent holiday from the planet. The public and investors have been thrown a few bones, the SEC’s fine against Citi, which amounted to a slap on the wrist has been thrown out by a NY judge. The SEC pushed back and told the judge that his action prevented investors...
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