The liberal Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, is expected to rule soon on whether states can force firearm manufacturers to incorporate safety devices in their products. Here’s why smart guns are a stupid idea from Robert Farago: “Smart guns” will never be foolproof – and you’re the fool I don’t care how much you’ve trained for a defensive gun use. When the excrement hits the rotating air circulation device, you’re an awkward fool. For one thing, a massive adrenaline dump moves blood away from your extremities (a hard-wired reaction to protect you from bleeding). As … [Read more...]
Sorry, The Game is O-V-E-R for these 2 Mutual Funds
The game is over for the Putnam Capital Spectrum and Equity Spectrum funds. Sorry to be so harsh. But that’s simply the way I see it. Not to pat my own back but I’ve pointed out in the past how Putnam has been guilty of being more of a marketing machine than a Prudent-Man oriented asset management firm. After reading this excellent blog by Jason Zweig in his WSJ Intelligent Investor column, I feel even stronger about Putnam's focus on marketing over Prudent-Man-type asset management. Zweig points out that these funds hold close to three-quarters of their assets under management in their top … [Read more...]
Looking Back at a Random Walk Down Wall Street
Burton Malkiel has released a new edition of his book A Radom Walk Down Wall Street. In it he recommends substituting a part of a bond portfolio with high-yielding stocks. This is rotten advice and will likely get his followers into some trouble down the road. Yes, bond yields are low, but bonds should always be in your portfolio. I’ve called out Mr. Malkiel in the past on his tendency to offer up poor recommendations while talking up his book. For example when he talks about China: But, a couple of years ago, in late 2010, Malkiel recommended overweighting China. The following year, last … [Read more...]
Pensions in a Load of Trouble, Part II
The state of Rhode Island has been a big-time investor, through its pensions, in hedge funds. Retired teachers who depend on this money for retirement should not be invested in hedge funds. It’s as simple as that. Unfortunately in the world of public pensions big committees and chest thumping rule the day. Egos and resume building cloud judgement. And performance takes a hit. It’s no surprise that hedge funds are coming under attack. Assets are heading out the door. This could have been avoided. Read more here on Pensions in a Load of Trouble Part I FLASHBACK: RI Pension Agreement … [Read more...]
Dividends are Back!
Dividends are back. “The humble dividend is reclaiming its rightful place as the arbiter of stock-market value. In three of the four biggest developed markets, shares offer a higher yield than the longest-dated government bond, and in the fourth—the U.S.—the dividend yield beats even a 20-year bond,” writes James Mackintosh at The WSJ. But offering higher yields than the longest-dated government bonds is like jumping over a candle stick. “The low returns on the longest-dated bonds are extraordinary: 0.3% on Japan’s 40-year government bond, 0.9% on Germany’s 30-year bund, 2.1% on Britain’s … [Read more...]
“We Are in the First Innings of a Washout in Hedge Funds”
“There is no doubt that we are in the first innings of a washout in hedge funds,” said Dan Loeb of Third Point LLC in a quarterly letter dated April 26. $15 billion has been withdrawn from hedge funds in the first quarter and a lot more is headed that way. Why? The 2 and 20 game seems to have rubbed investors the wrong way—an arrangement where they collect a 2% management fee and 20% of the profits leaving you with the letters e, t, and s of your assets. Then you pay taxes. What’s the word on the street as this dreadful group gathers in Las Vegas for the SkyBridge Alternatives conference … [Read more...]
“It Makes a Great Deal of Sense to Own Gold”
Gold is here to stay. Make sure you own some. As I’ve said in the past, I don’t worry too much about the short-term action of gold. And I don’t buy it to make money. I buy it to hedge against the unexpected. It’s an insurance policy for my portfolio if you will. Is there any insurance for a reckless Federal Reserve the world over? No one knows exactly how this race to the bottom by Central Banks will end. But it is clear that they don’t have much regard for maintaining the value of their currencies. “It makes a great deal of sense to own gold. Other investors may be finally starting to … [Read more...]
When the Wi-Fi Goes Out: The Eagles Take It Easy
Losing your internet connection or Wi-Fi can be pretty annoying. Lately we’ve been experiencing spotty Wi-Fi connectivity at our house. Last night our internet was completely out because a cable was accidentally cut by a “third party” construction company. It’s not the end of the world. But it doesn’t help, especially when your teenagers are trying to do their homework. It’s ironic, now that I think about it, we had the Eagles, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) spinning on our record player. This is by far our most played album over the last six months. It’s a perfect early-in-the-week album. … [Read more...]
Learning from the Stock Market Crash of 1929
Here you get a glimpse into what really caused the stock market crash of 1929 from the Cato Institute’s Alan Reynolds courtesy of his 1979 article in National Review. [gview file="https://www.richardcyoung.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/reynolds_speech_19791109.pdf" width="640px" save="1"] … [Read more...]
Do We Really Need to Convert to a Roth IRA?
So you’ve created a Roth IRA because: “My accountant suggested I convert to a Roth IRA.” I get it. Sure it could make sense long-term if the growth of the portfolio is good, and if the law remains the same. That’s too many ifs for me. To feel more comfortable I’d prefer you didn’t have to deal with the issue all together as I pointed out here: Chris [Edwards] is Cato Institute’s Director of Tax Policy Studies and editor of DownsizingGovernment.org. If you’re looking for a way to help advance the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace, you’ve found it in … [Read more...]
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