Top 5 Tips for Financial Fitness in 2014
Here is the link to my segment on Fox 61 in CT, Top 5 Tips for Financial Fitness in 2014 http://foxct.com/2014/01/23/morning-extra-tips-to-get-financially-fit-in-2014/
Read More
Date: January 26, 2014
Stocks Take It on the Chin, But…
Since the start of the year, I have been very cautious on the stock market, primarily due to market sentiment being at rally killing levels along with finally losing the tailwind of the positive calendar effects. The risk/reward looked so unfavorable that we took across the board action in many of our portfolios raising cash to even 100% in some cases, levels not seen since 2012. On average the major indices have gone nowhere for the past month with the […]
Read More
Date: January 24, 2014
Goldman Sachs and the “Curious” Biotech Downgrade
I like to take things at face value. It’s makes life so much easier that way! But every once in a while, and probably more so in this business, some things just make you go “hmmmmmmmmm…”. Two weeks ago, Goldman Sachs issued a very public call on the biotech sector. If it was almost anyone else, you would shrug your shoulders and move on. However, with Goldman, I sometimes take the “curious” stance, rightly or wrongly so. Goldman downgraded biotech […]
Read More
Date: January 22, 2014
There is Always Something to Buy
Like a broken record, stock market sentiment remains at rally killing levels as it has for the past two months or so, but that certainly didn’t prevented us from taking full advantage of the Santa Claus rally. Now that the calendar turned and the most bullish period of the year has ended, the tailwind for stocks isn’t as strong. As the market has been for some time, it is stretched, very overbought and in need of good 5-10% pullback. The very […]
Read More
Date: January 13, 2014
Employment Report Disappoints
The overly anticipated employment report showed a disappointing 74,000 jobs being created in December. I have already heard the pundits argue away ad nauseam this report as an outlier that will be revised higher in subsequent months, something I don’t rule out. However, they also reason that all is great and our economy is about to go into warp speed. I could not disagree more as I have since the economy bottomed in 2009. All was not ok in 2009 or 2010 […]
Read More
Date: January 12, 2014
Employment Report Key to Very Short-Term
On Friday morning at 8:30am the monthly jobs report will be out. This has become the most watched and heavily anticipated economic report of the month. Over the past year or so it has been the bulls’ ATM machine as the vast majority of those days have been up and very easy on the bulls with few meaningful losses. The major stock market indices are in a very interesting position heading into Friday. Since Christmas they have essentially gone nowhere, […]
Read More
Date: January 10, 2014
Bears Have the Ball
Having been bullish on balance since Q4 of 2012, the time has come to temporarily temper that enthusiasm. As I have written about since November, market sentiment has been at rally killing levels that is starting to encroach on bull market ending levels. Our investment models rolled over at the close of 2013 and the risk/reward is now skewed to the downside by at least a 2:1 margin. In plain English, I think the upside is now capped at 2-4% […]
Read More
Date: January 6, 2014
A “To Do” List Before 2013 Ends
Don’t leave money on the table In uncertain economic times, many employees put off contributions to retirement accounts, reasoning that they will make up lost ground when times improve. Doing so, however, could result in leaving what is virtually “free” money on the table. If you have a 401(k) or comparable retirement account where your employer matches your contributions always contribute enough each year to receive your full employer match. Not doing so leaves money on the table. […]
Read More
Date: December 27, 2013
Ho Ho Ho! Santa Bernanke Arrived
Greetings from usually cold and snowy, but recently tropical and wet Vermont! After three days of skiing in the rain, Old Man Winter came back and cut the temps by 70%! From short sleeve shirts and a light jacket, I am gearing up in full winter weather garb for wind chills around 0 today on top. Ben Bernanke did it! The master. The maestro. He saw the downside of announcing a taper to their $85B a month in asset purchases, but […]
Read More
Date: December 24, 2013
Do NOT Taper
As difficult as it was at the time, quantitative easing (money printing) has now become an acceptable weapon in the Fed’s arsenal. Throughout my life, I was always taught, wrongly so, that printing money always leads to inflation and sometimes hyperinflation. And that all we needed to do was look at the Weimar Republic or Argentina or most recently Zimbabwe for examples of a currency gone rogue. When the Fed cut rates to essentially zero, critics and Doomsdayers came out […]
Read More
Date: December 18, 2013
