The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) chose to keep the Federal Funds target rate at 5.25 percent in its September meeting, while leaving open the possibility of future rate increases. While we will not second-guess the market’s response to this latest Fed news cycle, we do have serious concerns regarding the larger issue of […]

Capital markets have undergone a dramatic transformation since 1952. That year eventual Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz tossed aside the widely held notion that securities should be evaluated by their individual characteristics. He asserted instead that the rational investor would focus on how a security impacted the overall risk and return of his portfolio. Fifty-four years

The shift in power in Washington has, not surprisingly, prompted a good deal of prognostication from those who make their living prognosticating. Thankfully, we are free instead to focus on prudent investing. It is interesting to note that up until the votes were counted, no one was really sure how Congress might be altered. Nevertheless,

Thailand’s new government, installed via military coup in September, blundered badly when, on December 19th, it imposed new restrictions on foreign investors. The result was bad for Thailand and bad for emerging market investors who were diversified inadequately. We suspect, however, that the lessons conveyed will ultimately prove to be a boon to capital markets,

• I will understand my own circumstances and formulate an investment plan based on my needs, not in anticipation of market trends.• I will remind myself that investing is not a form of entertainment—if I have an urge to gamble, I will go to Las Vegas and leave my investment portfolio alone.• I will stick

The demise of the traditional pension plan has accelerated rapidly in recent months. The enclosed article explores the root causes of this phenomenon. Workers who are not prepared to assume more responsibility for their retirement planning may end up working far longer than they had hoped. Defined benefit plans, as their name suggests, pay a

As of mid-March, common stocks, as measured by the S&P 500, had reached a five-year high. Pundits love to seize upon this type of “factoid.” It has provided fodder for facile prognosticators, both Bull (Good times are back!) and Bear (The market has gone nowhere in five years!). What is an investor to do when

No good product goes unabused by Wall Street. Such is the case with exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Our readers will recognize that we recommend several ETFs. These allow investors to take a stake in several of our recommended asset class indexes at an extremely low cost. However, ETFs have grown exponentially in a very short period