Investing

Patience is a virtue. And nowhere is that more true than in the investment world.

Did you know that the first index fund wasn’t launched until 1971? Although actively managed funds had almost a 50 year head start index funds (i.e. passive investing) have been gaining ground in recent years largely because their fees are lower and the great percentage of active managers fail to beat their benchmark.

(Note: You may want to read last week’s blog dated April 7 2014 before you read today’s entry.)

Is the stock market rigged? If you saw the 60 Minutes interview with Michael Lewis the former Wall Street broker and author of Liar’s Poker The Big Short and Flash Boys you know what he said. Lewis shocked many viewers last week when he asserted that “the stock market is rigged.” And it may be doubly shocking to my readers to kno

It’s like Christmas when Warren Buffett’s Annual Letter to Shareholders is published.

With the recent drop of the S&P 500 Index the TV’s talking financial heads have begun to ask: Are we wading into a bear market?  Or might the downturn signal the end of a multi-year rally inside a prolonged bear market?

In his essay “Many Happy Returns” Jim Parker Vice President DFA Australia Limited reminds us that journalists refer to the Holiday Season as the “silly season.” Because many people take time off to spend the holidays with their family and friends much of the working world grinds to a halt.

Practice makes perfect. If at first you don’t succeed try try again.

We’re bombarded daily with negative news headlines. The next time you need a break from all the negativity watch these two videos. They communicate that there’s a lot to be optimistic about.

Between the 15% capital gains tax increasing to 20% for those in the top tax bracket and the 3.8% Medicare surtax on passive investment income some investors are shouldering an 8.8% increase in capital gains tax. And that makes tax-aware investing more important than ever.