A Few Dollars More

Growing up in debt has become an American way of life. It begins at birth when our parent’s portion of the hospital bills is charged to the credit card. Student loans get us through school, mortgages finance our homes and then we borrow on the house through equity loans to fill it full of stuff. But we still don’t have enough so we end up taking out loans for more stuff, like cars, boats and trailers. Then we add two or three more credit cards so that we can buy electronics, clothes, vacations and now gas and food. It doesn’t seem to stop until we’re six feet under and even then most of the funeral expenses are charged to the plastic. But it looks like we are coming to the end of the road and here’s why. [Read more →]

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not bashing the American nest egg. A home is a fine thing to own. It provides shelter, solace, comfort and proof that you’re “Living the Dream” but as an investment vehicle it just doesn’t make the grade.

We were told “you can’t go wrong by buying a home.” You buy it, live in it for 20 to 30 years and then sell it at an enormous profit– unless of course you happen to be selling right now. Sellers, especially those who have bought recently, are discovering that timing your investment and location are everything when it comes to property. [Read more →]

There is a flight to quality underway in the financial markets and U.S. Treasury bonds called “Governments” are the traditional place to hide when Godzilla roams Wall Street. But over the last six months Treasury Indexed Protected securities, called TIPs have proven to be an even more popular and lucrative haven. TIPs offer a hedge against inflation, safety and a chance to profit from future cuts in interest rates. [Read more →]

This column is for the risk adverse among us, especially those who would like to be in the stock market but may be afraid of loosing your shirt (or blouse). A relatively new investment vehicle in the United States, called Structured Products, could be the right prescription for you. [Read more →]

Over the last few weeks, the stock market has become “breaking” news. The headlines, the talking heads, and even the politicians are solemnly pontificating on what credit tightening, sub prime lending and falling world markets means to you and me. [Read more →]

Everyone lives with risk everyday so why, asks a reader recently, “is risk so confusing when it comes to investing my money?” The answer lies in how most investors interpret the meaning of risk in financial markets. [Read more →]

“When is the government going to do something about these gas prices?” a client from Texas asked me recently.

He had just filled up his Chevy pick-up and it cost him $70. Together, we complained and commiserated over this summer’s predictions of $4/gallon gas for a couple of minutes before it dawned on me. There is no white knight out there that’s going to fix this. We’re on our own. [Read more →]

Let’s assume you decided to follow the advice in my last column and are now ready to develop a savings and retirement plan on your own or with some help. Either way, you’ll need to find a qualified financial planner.

Planners can provide you a complete soup to nuts service or simply offer recommendations on how to implement a self-created plan. Before beginning your search for a planner you should determine how much help you are going to need because planners don’t come cheap. [Read more →]

Whether you are a Tinker, Tailor, Soldier or Candlestick Maker, each profession has its own myths and legends. Wall Street is no different. Underneath our pinstripes and silk ties, the financial community is a superstitious lot who have divined the market’s direction by using indicators as diverse as the time of the year, sports events or the length of a women’s skirt. [Read more →]

You might think the sky had fallen given the coverage of global stock markets events in February and March. In hindsight, it neither heralded an end to world economies nor the beginning of another DotCom bust. It was simply a correction, although a painful one for those who were overly invested in stock markets. [Read more →]