The February 13 issue of Barron’s made a statement that caught my eye:  Americans are paying down their mortgages.  (See “Paying Down the Mortgage.”) 50% of all refinancings now result in smaller loans that the previous mortgage.  Rather than using their homes as a virtual ATM machine, extracting equity (if you have any) to meet...Read More

Barron’s ran a featured story by Kopin Tam in last weekend’s edition titled “Just Don’t Lose It” that was telling.  Tam pointed out that, even after the best January in well over a decade, investors weren’t embracing equities, and neither were their financial advisors.  Only 44 percent of financial advisors planned to increase their clients’...Read More

Charles Sizemore, the winner of InvestorPlace’s “10 Stocks for 2011” contest, offers his favorite stock for 2012.  Read about Charles’ pick and the other contestants below. Wondering what the best stocks to buy for next year are? Well, look no further than the 10 Best Stocks for 2012. This InvestorPlace feature lists 10 long-term investments...Read More

The art of investing is an exercise in making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. But today, it seems that the cloud of uncertainty is a little thicker than usual. During times like these, I like to do what your college professor might have called “cheating.” I like to look over the shoulders of other investors...Read More

Lest I be accused of hero worship, I’ll spare readers another Warren Buffett lovefest article.  Yes, Buffett is a living legend, and yes, he is arguably the best investor of all time.  But these facts are nothing new, and there have already been more articles than I can count written about the man and his...Read More