The Fed’s rate cut last week was supposed to operate like clockwork. Everyone expected the 25 basis point cut, it was merely the next step in what will likely be a continuing series of cuts, and there was no anticipation of anything unusual. Yet what ended up occurring has rattled markets and left many observers […]
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The dream of a comfortable retirement is one that motivates many an American worker. But like many other things in life, the definition of comfortable retirement is one that varies from person to person. For some, retirement means sitting on the couch watching TV and drinking beer. For others, it means living an active life […]
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Most Americans probably realize that our healthcare system is broken. With health insurance largely paid for by employers so that patients rarely see the cost of their healthcare, or with the government paying through Medicare or Medicaid, costs continue to climb while quality of service continues to spiral downward. Thus it shouldn’t be any surprise […]
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Recent news that Apple will be building its newest desktop computer in Texas rather than in China probably has President Trump excited about bringing manufacturing back to the US. Apple’s production of those computers in the US was only made possible by the 25% tariff that was placed on imports from China. That tariff has […]
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There weren’t really any surprises last week when the Federal Open Market Committee decided to cut its target federal funds rate another 25 basis points, to a target of 1.75% to 2.00%. That had long been expected and even priced in by many investors. But there were two anomalies that bear mentioning. The first is […]
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Another day, another reason to hate President Trump. At least that’s the way the deep state sees it. This time it’s over allegations that President Trump tried to engage Ukraine’s President in a quid pro quo. Trump allegedly threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless the country investigated Joe Biden for supposed corruption. To […]
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Hurricanes are in the news today, with several hurricanes and tropical storms in existence all at the same time. While many of them won’t impact the United States, the hurricane season doesn’t end until later this fall so there’s plenty of time for more hurricanes to make landfall in the US. And even if those […]
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When investing in markets, it’s sometimes a good idea to look at what other people are doing. Sometimes that take the form of looking at what they’re doing and doing exactly the opposite, like taking a short position on a hot stock because it’s fundamentally undervalued. Other times that takes the form of watching closely […]
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If you thought that Americans today are worse off financially than previous generations, you’re not off the mark. The feeling that the cost of living is increasing while the ability to buy things we previously took for granted is decreasing has been demonstrated by survey data that shows that Americans today are not doing as […]
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In response to the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco’s oil production, which both the United States and Saudi Arabia blamed on Iran, President Trump decided to impose even further sanctions on Iran, which he characterized as the highest sanctions ever imposed upon a country. The new sanctions target Iran’s central bank and sovereign wealth fund, […]
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