A Few Dollars More

In last week’s column “Is the Dip Done” I ruminated on whether the S&P 500 Index’s correction was over. There were conflicting signs in the markets and I decided to wait a week before jumping on the rally band wagon. I’m glad I did since the market’s action this week makes me believe there is [...]

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As I sit here snowbound at home, surrounded by almost two feet of the heavy, wet white stuff, it occurred to me that even here in the Berkshires snow has a cost. Sure, we pride ourselves on our ability to continue commuting, working and going about our daily business undeterred by Mother Nature but even [...]

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It is with some anxiety that I prepare for the inevitable. Higher taxes are coming our way, maybe not this year, but probably next. It is inevitable, given America’s fiscal condition. I expect we will receive the bad news sometime after the November elections.

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Is the 8% correction in the S&P 500 over? During the last five trading days the index has gone straight up. Since the intraday low of 1144, established on February 4, the S&P has gained back almost 6.5%. So far it has been a classic buy on the dip scenario. So why am I still [...]

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Back in the Sixties, Marshall McLuhan popularized the term “Global Village”. It is a term used to describe how the globe has contracted to the size of a village thanks to technology and the instantaneous dissemination of information worldwide. This week, investors were feeling the consequences of this phenomenon up close.

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So far this pullback has lasted a mere thirteen days. During that time the Dow has corrected 6.9%, the NASDAQ 8 % and the benchmark S&P 500 has lost 7.4 %.That makes it the deepest correction since the rally began in March, 2009 and it’s not over yet.

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Does investing in 20 to 30 high quality stocks of successful, well-managed companies sound pretty good to you right now? Given the present downdraft in the market, funds like the Jensen Portfolio (symbol: JENSX) come into their own when times get tough.

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This year the tax laws are changing. If you have a Traditional IRA, Roll-Over IRA or another tax deferred plan like a 401 (K), 403 (b) or 457 (b) you can now convert to a Roth IRA, regardless of income level. Better yet, the government is giving you an added incentive to convert by allowing [...]

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