Today the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 bps.  With inflation so high, it almost certainly would have been 50 bps if not for the concerns over the economy related to the impact of the Russian/Ukraine war, which is exasperating things materially.  There has been some very positive dialogue from both Ukraine and Russia...Read More

Yesterday’s CPI report showed prices up 7.9% YoY, which was the highest reading since 1982.  Even more concerning, this was before the impacts of the Russian/Ukraine war is reflected in the data.  Market volatility is exceptionally high and pessimism is quite pervasive.  There are legitimate fears that inflation in excess of wage growth could cause...Read More

  Interest rates are without a doubt one of the most important drivers of investment returns, if not the most significant.  Warren Buffett has mentioned in the past that there is almost a reverse gravitational impact of interest rates, in that lower rates tend to raise equity valuations.  Conversely, higher interest rates tend to pressure...Read More

Volatility has come back into the equity markets, driven by rapidly increasing Treasury yields.  In fact, since the vaccine data came out towards the end of last year, Treasury Bonds are down 27.7%, meaning yields are up.  This has coincided with value stocks and financials going on a massive rally and outperforming peers, after a...Read More

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  What a crazy year it has been.  Surely, these next few months will be historic as the vaccine rollout and distribution takes center stage.  It would seem that these combined with better treatments such as the Regeneron and Eli Lilly AB programs, should be able...Read More

As we retire or get closer to retirement, the need to generate investment income takes on a much greater importance.  Historically, it was much easier, as one could divert a larger portion of their stock portfolio into bonds, while capturing yields that might vary from 5-10%.  Those yields, combined with the nearly 40-year bull market...Read More

Well, that was one awful week that we just had, for much of the world, and certainly in financial markets.  I know I feel like I aged a decade this week.  The stock market has been increasingly worried about this Coronavirus over the last few weeks, leading to increased volatility and large selloffs.  This, combined...Read More

Many investors, especially retirees, understandably are focused on generating income from their investments.  Historically, bonds have been one of the best ways to achieve that, with less volatility than equities.  While history can be a fantastic guide to what can potentially happen in the future, looking at recent data on fixed income returns could not...Read More

Fears of the Coronavirus have caused bonds to rally, resulting in lower interest rates once again.  The Tech Bubble has continued to grow, while value stocks have been left in the dust the last few months.  While this can be frustrating over the short-term, over the long-term, it creates compelling opportunities to create substantial wealth....Read More

2020 is shaping up to be a strange year.  This Coronavirus has a region in China, far larger in population than New York city, on a complete lock-down.  There are zombie cruise ships patrolling the waters in a state of full quarantine, with no countries wanting to take the risk of allowing them in to...Read More