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, …
IGINDEX2006.pdf
IG2006Index.pdf
• 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 …
Gold has been rediscovered by the financial press. Ignored and even scorned during the “tech boom” of the late 1990s, it is suddenly a glamour asset. In our view, gold is one of many asset classes worthy of inclusion in most portfolios. While many view gold as a commodity, our parent, the American Institute for …
As the chart to the left demonstrates, returns from the equity markets have fallen sharply in recent weeks. These are the times that try investors’ souls, and put to the test anyone’s ability to stay the course and stick with an established allocation plan. We understand this angst, but we hasten to remind our readers …
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