Crafting a Lasting Legacy: The Art of Charitable Giving If you’re thinking of making a charitable donation, there are likely financial benefits to both you and your community. But it takes some planning. Here I share some important considerations as you evaluate the prospects of what and how big a role this form of giving…
Consumer Sentiment Doesn’t Matter Why don’t they do what they say? Say what they mean? These were the burning questions asked by the British “new wave” band the Fixx on its 1983 hit “One Thing Leads to Another.” The song was allegedly written as an indictment of dishonest politicians. But I’ve grown convinced that they…
The Greatest Investor You’ve Never Heard Of When considering the greatest investors of all time, certain names come up: Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Stan Druckenmiller. There are several more that could be added to the debate. But one that’s unlikely to come up is George Michaelis. And that’s a shame. Because his approach to investing…
(A Little) Greed Is Good When It Comes to Investing Investors seem to feel only a little greedier than usual right now, and when investors feel that way, there are usually positive stock market returns ahead. There’s a certain appeal to being a contrarian investor. Zigging when others are zagging. Going against the herd. And…
Do Retirees Invest Like 30-Year Olds? The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported that “America’s retirees are investing more like 30-year-olds.” Is it true? Datapoints the WSJ used to support this included the following: At Vanguard, one fifth of taxable-brokerage account investors aged 85 or older have nearly all their money in stocks. Nearly half of Vanguard 401(k)…
These Energy ‘Middlemen’ Are an Income Lover’s Dream Midstream energy companies, which connect producers and end users, service the industry itself, rather than being tied to commodity prices. Investing in the energy sector has been quite a roller coaster. Energy was the worst performing S&P 500 sector in 2018. And 2019. And 2020. But then it flipped. Energy was…
Lessons from Warren Buffett’s 40-Year-Old Ad In 1983, Warren Buffett sat down to pen his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Tucked away at the back of the letter was an ad. Specifically, it was a “business wanted” ad. In it, the Oracle of Omaha outlined the type of businesses he and his partner Charlie Munger…
America’s Unhealthy Dependence on China for Rare-Earth Metals Lanthanum. Neodymium. Yttrium. Not household names, especially compared to their precious metal cousins like gold or silver. But don’t mistake their obscurity for lack of importance. They belong to the 17-member ”rare-earth elements” family. Among those elements, 16 of 17 are on the U.S. Geological Survey’s list…
Avoid the Midterm Election Trap Midterm elections are upon us. I’m here to warn you… don’t fall for the trap. What trap am I referring to? It’s one I see investors fall for time and time again – letting politics determine their investment strategy. Some of you are already sneering. I can feel it. And…
The Midstream: Pipelines to Prosperity There is one and only one S&P 500 sector that is up massively this year: energy. You’d be forgiven if you missed the ideal moment to invest. But there’s an often-overlooked part of the energy sector that is essential to our way of life and still exceedingly cheap. I’m talking…
