The R4 Revelation: Beating Inflation in a World of Printed Money
Amongst all the talk about “the big, beautiful bill” in Congress and whether Trump might show up in Jerome Powell’s kitchen to demand a lowering of interest rates, there’s a key stat that has been swept under the rug. It’s the growth of M2…
Bombs, Bacon, & the Stock Market: Why Calm Investors Win in Chaotic Times
If you’ve spent any length of time this week doomscrolling on X, formerly Twitter, you would have learned that a decent-sized portion of the country does not support US involvement in the Israel-Iran war. For “Neither Side Eats Bacon.” It was trending on X, and for those who shared the post (which MUST have had […]
The $13 Lunch Combo & Other Signs Inflation Isn’t 2.4%
Credit card statements on your phone are always so nice and colorful. What a wonderful user experience! You can look at the app and see the logos of all the places you spent money at during the previous month and remember all the good times you had there. Like when I went through the drive-thru at Schlotsky’s on June 6th for lunch and spent $11.32 on a French Dip Sandwich….
From Football Fields to Financial Fields: Betting on the S&P 500 (Safely)
Breaking news! Nonfarm payroll numbers are not so bad – +139,0001. But hiring numbers are big-time bad at +37,0002. Well OK. I don’t know what to do with that … Great! So, we’re a “good distance” from recession, but are very nervous. We’ve really morphed into a feelings economy haven’t we? Let’s blame Gen Z. They are easy scapegoats. But it’s all sentiment; never mind the numbers …
The Future Is NOW: AI, Values, and the Human Touch in Investing
“The future is NOW!” Chip proclaimed from atop the television station’s satellite dish. “Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone and computer. You’ll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel or watch female mud wrestling on another. You can do your shopping from home or play Mortal Kombat with your friend in Vietnam. There’s no end to the possibilities!”
Around the World in Ten Minutes: Bonds, Bitcoin, and the Death of the Penny
Let’s go around the world in the next 10 minutes. Not even the Concorde could do that, right? I had to check and the last Concorde planes in service were actually shut down in 2003 by Air France. That’s 22 years ago! Time flies fast too, I suppose.
There are monumental developments around the world to discuss and some significant developments here at home as well …
The Dow Is a Dinosaur: Why the S&P 500 Still Rules the Market
Have you ever looked at something and asked yourself, “How in the world did they ever come up with such a stupid system?” You may have asked yourself this while standing in a line at Disney World or perhaps at the local DMV, or maybe while scanning over the teams selected when the latest College […]
The Financial Empire Strikes Back: The Fed’s Grip on Our Galaxy
Sunday night (May 4th) my son and I had the pleasure of watching the very talented Greenville Symphony play the sweeping, emotionally charged soundtrack of “The Empire Strikes Back” while we viewed the movie on the big screen. I was a young lad when the movie came out in 1980, so watching it and hearing the music up close and personal always strikes me with the call to adventure so many kids crave …
Calm Between the Waves: Staying the Course Through Market Volatility
When I was young, I used to have recurring nightmares about a large tidal wave sweeping over the beach and my family and me. (Armchair psychoanalysts have at it!) The dreams probably had something to do with my vacation habit of falling asleep outside on the beach deck chairs when my cousin and I talked far too long into the night and hearing the crashing waves as I slept …
The Art of Not Overreacting: Staying Calm in a Noisy Market
Market watchers and day traders take a deep breath. You’ve had a busy day and you’ve just worn yourselves out emotionally and possibly financially as you’ve burst with joy as the Nasdaq was up 4% but a few hours ago, all on the Wall Street Journal’s headline that Trump was thinking about drastically bringing down tariffs on China to 50% to 65% to ease tensions between the nations …
