I originally penned this for an update to Macro Trend Investor in April 2014, but the points are as relevant today as they were when I wrote it.  This brings me to a topic that I get asked about regularly: choosing the right broker. With so many low-cost online brokers offering such a wide array...Read More

I liked World War Z.  As far as zombie apocalypse movies go, it was well done, and the scenes set in Jerusalem gave it a different twist.   But as a horror genre, I’ve always preferred vampire stories (I was probably the only person in America disappointed that NBC’s Dracula was cancelled earlier this year).  You...Read More

Here’s a fun graphic to start the weekend from global trade data site Panjiva: Some thoughts from Panjiva to ponder over your next pumpkin-spiced latte: The traditionally loved fall flavor appears to have grown in popularity to a point where it is a constant presence, even in items that probably shouldn’t be pumpkin spiced (we’re looking...Read More

Carl Icahn is at it again.  After successfully lobbying (some might say “bullying”) Apple (AAPL) into aggressively repurchasing its undervalued stock, Carl Icahn penned another open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook advocating more of the same, to “accelerate and increase the magnitude of share repurchase.”  By Icahn’s calculations, Apple is worth at least $203...Read More

The CAPM—the standard model upon which much of the investment industry is built—is “absurd,” according to University of Navarra Professor Pablo Fernandez, and its assumptions have “no basis in the real world.” I am inclined to agree. For those unversed in the language of modern finance, the CAPM—or Capital Asset Pricing Model—is a formula that...Read More