The NYT featured a story titled “Japanese Housewives Sweat in Secret as Markets Reel.” While it is a funny read, it’s somewhat sad at the same time. It’s no secret that since the credit crisis struck this summer, large and well known brokerage firms and professional investors alike have suffered big time losses. It turns out that another class of …
ETF Investing: The Media Circus
If you missed it, you need to read Paul Farrell’s “All wrong! Bernanke, Paulson, Greenspan.” Not that this piece will help you much with your investing efforts, it’s the media circus at its best. Read it for entertainment only. Yes, it’s hard to believe that Paul, who has forever touted the Buy-and-Hold the coffeehouse and gone-fishing portfolios, is now forecasting …
No Load Fund/ETF Tracker updated through 9/20/2007
My latest No Load Fund/ETF Tracker has been posted at:http://www.successful-investment.com/newsletter-archive.phpThanks to Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rates by 1/2%, the markets staged one of the best rallies in quite some time. Our Trend Tracking Index (TTI) for domestic funds/ETFs jumped to +5.03% above its long-term trend line (red) as the chart below shows: The international index also moved sharply …
ETFs For Changing Times
With the recent announcement of unexpected job losses during August, and now the lowering of interest rates, the question about a slowing economy in 2008 has been moved again to the front pages. At this time this is only speculation, however, you may be interested in knowing which investment orientations might have the best potential during times of a slowdown. …
Retirement Investing: Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage?
It’s been an age old question. You’re facing retirement and are trying to decide whether it is wise to pay off your home mortgage or not. Maybe you have a bias because you witnessed your parents’ mortgage burning ceremony and are wondering if that still makes sense nowadays. As a general rule, I believe that living a retired life without …
Special No Load Fund/ETF Tracker Update For 9/18/2007
Wall Street got its version of an early Christmas present by finally getting a long wished for rate cut by the Fed. Not only that, the cut was wide and deep, encompassing the Fed Funds rate and the Discount rate at a hoped for ½ point rather than the acceptable ¼ point. As the chart above shows, the reaction was …