February 26, 2016
Surving the Storm – 3 lessons from USCG
Surviving the storm
3 lessons learned from the USCG to help get through the next market drop…
Some months in the stock market feel like the unexpected Nor’easter that pounded the New England coastline the night of February 18, 1952. January of this year began as the worst start to any year for the stock market of all time, down -10% in less than two weeks. With little news to validate this irrational instability, the stock market headed back up to end the month, but is now Continue reading “Surving the Storm – 3 lessons from USCG”
PCC / Berkshire Hathaway Merger – Part 2
February 2, 2016
How could I afford Berkshire Hathaway stock?!
The cash merger is now done! PCC is officially a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary and $235 per share was the price paid for the company. That cash is now sitting in your account (Fidelity if you’re part of the employee stock option purchase plan ESPP) and ready for direction. A question I just got this morning was… “How could I afford to purchase Berkshire stock that’s trading at approx. $194,000 per share?!”
Other than Continue reading “PCC / Berkshire Hathaway Merger – Part 2”
PCC / Berkshire Hathaway Merger – Part 1
Emotional Response
Jan 22, 2016
Emotional Response
The plunge in U.S. stock markets is an “emotional response” obscuring expansion in both the American economy and corporate profits, said Abby Joseph Cohen, president of Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s Global Markets Institute.
The fair value for Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is 2,100, Ms. Cohen said. The S&P last closed above that level on December 1 and has fallen 11% since, after turbulence in China’s stocks and currency spurred a global market rout. “What is happening is really very much an emotional response,” Ms. Cohen told Elliot Gotkine on Bloomberg Television. “We need to put things into perspective. Stocks are probably… Continue reading “Emotional Response”
Chinese Volatility
January 13th, 2016
Chinese Volatility
A “clown show“ is how one analyst described China’s stock markets recently: The world’s second largest economy is home to the developed world’s most immature stock markets. Here’s a few reasons China’s stock markets are down over -12% this year so far and why our stock markets are suffering in sympathy, S&P 500 down almost -6% at the end of the first Continue reading “Chinese Volatility”
Better than Buffet?
December 21, 2015
2015 Recap: Better Than Buffet?
As a persistently turbulent, frequently disappointing, but by no means disastrous 2015 comes to a close, we’d like to recap some of the topics we’ve been addressing this year:
- Energy – Oil prices dropping to 11-year lows today, approximately $34/barrel. We’re thankful Continue reading “Better than Buffet?”
Short Term Forecasts
November 19, 2015
Short-Term Forecasts Best Left for Weathermen
The investment business is full of people who make wild speculations of short-term price movements in the financial world. We choose not to engage in this practice, mostly because we’re terrible at it. Our opinion of these short term forecasts is they’re largely entertainment and useful only to sell TV commercials and newsletters.
-Video- Can You Trust Suze Orman in Retirement?
November 4, 2015
Suze Hollywood or Grandma Suze?
Despite the Hollywood-esque appearance, the Emmy award-winning financial advisor, Suze Orman, seems more like your depression era grandma after reading her advice on retirement planning. Invest safely, project conservatively, plan for longevity and don’t invade the principal… that’s just the way we like to plan for retirement too!
Continue reading “-Video- Can You Trust Suze Orman in Retirement?”
-Video- Corporations Too Generous?
October 22, 2015
The Right Direction
After enduring 4 straight months of declines, it appears the market, and our accounts, are moving back in The Right Direction. The S&P 500 has posted a 5.5% gain so far in the month of October and our average accounts are registering gains close to that as well.