The Producer Price Index rose by 1.7 percent in October, the largest monthly increase since 1990. It remains to be seen whether this signals a trend that will spiral. But investors who follow our approach can rest assured. Our parent, the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), has long warned of the inherent decline of […]
Nov. 2004 – Prices on the Rise Read More »
In September 1997 our parent, the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), in its Research Reports, assessed the state of the world’s fiat currencies at the time and observed that the dollar then stood as “The World’s Tallest Dwarf.” The dollar’s claim to that title is now in question. Following its inception in 1999 the
Dec. 2004 – The Tallest Dwarf Revisited Read More »
A new way to pay for health care that was introduced by the Medicare Reform Act in December combines an insurance component with an intriguing savings kicker. The new plans, called health savings accounts (HSAs) are designed to help individuals save for qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-favored basis. Contributions to these
Jan. 2004 – Health Savings Accounts: Opportunities for Investors Read More »
The following article was condensed from “Some Lessons from 250,000 Years of Stock Returns” by Truman A. Clark of Dimensional Fund Advisors. “My stocks are down 30 percent. What are the chances they will come back soon?” “Man, I wish I had been out of stocks for the past three years. How often are stocks
Feb. 2004 – Lessons from 250,000 Years of Stock Returns Read More »
The highly publicized case against Martha Stewart has focused attention on the notion of insider trading. These events, as well as the trend described by the Wall Street journal article reprinted herein, serve as a reminder that individual investors are not well served by stock picking. The capital markets assimilate information with stunning efficiency. This
Mar. 2004 – Martha, et al. Read More »
On April 8 the 30 component companies of the venerable Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) were changed for the first time since 1999. Eastman Kodak, AT&T, and International Paper were dropped while Pfizer, Verizon and American International Group (AIG) were added. Although two of the firms that were replaced were in our high-yield Dow model,
Apr. 2004 – Tweaking the Dow Read More »
The month of April ushered in news signaling very solid economic growth, and the bond market responded by sending interest rates to their highest level in a year, as shown in the first chart below. Conservative investors who have structured their portfolios in accordance with our recommendations might be anxious about the decline in their
May 2004 – Rising Rates Read More »
Price inflation is back, if the pundits have it right. Until very recently the financial media was awash in warnings of “deflation.” Now, in the face of rising energy and food prices, and with statistical indicators increasingly pointing toward stronger economic growth, price inflation is back in the news. In our view, monetary inflating is
Jun. 2004 – Investing and Inflating Read More »